České Budějovice

Countryside on train from Prague



Tábor train station

An old train



A sunny afternoon on the Otakar II Square (Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II) in České Budějovice



Samson’s Fountain constructed in 1721-1726 to supply the town with water from the river Vltava

Baroque Town Hall, built in 1727-1730





Vcela Palace, constructed in 1896



An overcast morning on the square

In the background is the Black Tower (černá věž), constructed in 1550-1577









Budvarka Malý Pivovar (Budweis Small Brewpub)

České Budějovice (Budweis in German) is the home of the original Budweiser beer (Budvar in Czech). Not only is the American version nothing like the original, but like most breweries in the Czech Republic, Budvar makes more than one kind of beer. The Budvarka Malý Pivovar run by the brewery, was supposed to be the best place to try the various local options not readily available elsewhere. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovation during the time I was in České Budějovice.

Masné Kramý (Butcher’s shop) restaurant, used to be the main bread and meat shop in the old town, established here in 1364

This left me with the other best option, the Masné Kramý, where both nights I was in České Budějovice I had wonderful traditional meals and a chance to try three of the Budvar options.

Kroužkový Ležák z Tanku

The first night, just by chance, happened to be when they were offering the yeast beer from a tank (Kroužkový Ležák z Tanku), meaning it had never been bottled or stored in kegs, but was delivered directly by tanker truck (like a big milk truck) to a big tank at the restaurant with minimal processing, still very much "alive." When I came back the second night, this special event was over, so I tried two other Budvar varieties that night, Tmavý Ležák (dark lager) and Světlý Ležák (light lager). As someone who previously considered himself more of a wine person than a beer person, these were all very good introductions to Czech beer and I knew I was going to have to set aside my prejudices based on experiences with American beers and let myself see what the Czech Republic had to offer.

Construction on the street in front of my pension

Penzion "U Vlka" (At the Wolf) where I stayed for 2 nights

A few blocks off the square