If you have ever drunk a Czech lager, you have tasted Žatec. The town, known in German as Saaz, has been at the centre of a hop-growing region for centuries, and Saaz hops, with their delicate, spicy aroma, are considered among the finest in the world, prized by brewers from Pilsen to Japan. In 2023, Žatec and the landscape of Saaz hops became a World Heritage site, recognised for its hop gardens, drying kilns, packing houses and warehouses, which together tell the story of an industry that shaped the town and its surroundings. In the old town, many of the tall buildings with rows of small ventilation windows in their roofs were used to dry and store the hops.
The town is proud of its heritage. The Temple of Hops and Beer, a museum complex in the centre, explains the history of hop growing and brewing, with a hop lighthouse tower from which you can look out over the roofs, and the local brewery produces beer made, of course, with Saaz hops. The landscape around is open and gently rolling, along the valley of the river Ohře, with fields of hop poles and wires stretching to the horizon, like a vast green maze in summer, when the plants climb several metres high. The harvest takes place in late August and early September, and the town celebrates with a hop festival.
Riding here is easy and pleasant, with quiet roads through fields and villages and wide views. To the north-west, the Ore Mountains, the Krušné hory, rise along the German border, part of the Erzgebirge mining region World Heritage site, with winding roads through forests and old mining towns. In Ostrov, near Jáchymov, the Red Tower of Death recalls the forced labour camps where political prisoners were made to process uranium ore in the 1950s, a sobering reminder of the communist era. Watch out for tractors and farm vehicles on the country roads, especially during the harvest, and remember that Czech motorways require an electronic vignette.
Žatec has fuel, shops, restaurants and a few hotels. Try the local beer in a traditional pub with a plate of Czech food, such as svíčková, beef in a creamy vegetable sauce with dumplings, or roast pork with sauerkraut and dumplings. In summer, the scent of hops hangs in the air, especially in the evening.