National Brewing Museum

Milan Starec and Tomáš Vodochodský breathed life into a place where beer was brewed as early as 1489. In 2003, they launched a microbrewery and a few years later they also put one of the largest brewing sets of its kind into motion. The brewery complex in Kostelec nad Černými lesy once again smells of malt and hops.

And this is no cosmetic reconstruction. The local brewhouse deserves the attention of not only beer fans, but also technical connoisseurs. It is made entirely of copper, the volume of wort produced is 160 hectolitres – and it is the only industrial direct flame brewhouse in the Czech Republic, and the largest of its kind in the world. Brewing ceased there in 1987. After four years of careful disassembly, assembly and addition of missing parts, it started up again in 2016.

• Tip for you: The traditional Vykulení festival is worth a visit – since 2004, wooden barrels have been rolled out of the cellar and coopers repair them right in front of visitors. In addition, beer, food, music and an atmosphere that you won’t find anywhere else.

The National Brewing Museum also hides another technical delicacy – a waterwheel mill, which is topped by the largest known truss structure for this type of mechanism. From your visit, expect a journey to the times of the Industrial Revolution, when beer was brewed in the Czech lands with the help of horse power, steam engines and ingenuity. The tour begins with a projection on the history and demise of breweries, then goes straight to the technological areas. You will see how malt and beer were created a hundred years ago – and you will see most of the technological equipment in full force.

And when beer is not flowing into the tank, at least it is flowing from the tap. At the tap, you can taste light Dešťoffka, honest Vycpaná vydra lager, strong dark Černá svině or Bílá svině wheat beer.. Add a pickled sausage (utopenec), steak tartare or a piece of meat, as befits a brewery. If you linger (or overdo it a bit), you can stay right away – several modern rooms are available for you.

What’s next?

Right next to the brewery stands the Renaissance château of Kostelec nad Černými lesy. It is open to the public outside the academic year, because it otherwise serves the Czech University of Life Sciences. Even so, we definitely recommend stopping by – mainly because of the interactive Lesárium exhibition, which will entertain both young and old visitors. Just a few kilometres away is the open-air museum in Kouřim. A real experience is offered by the church of St. Stephen with a bell tower, which has bells hung upside down – with the heart facing up. They are rung using pedals – it is one of only two such structures in the entire country. The streets will then lead you to Panský mlýn, where the Stará Kouřim nature trail begins. And if you are looking for a view and an ancient mystical charge, do not miss Lechův kámen.