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The almost five-month-long summer festival
at the Pilsner Urquell World of Beer ends 25 September 2003 with a concert
given by the Pilsen group Semtex and the brand-new formation MSP, which
was created out of the legendary Katapult. Since the beginning of May,
almost 22 thousand people have visited the brewery courtyard, lovers of
all kinds of popular music and fans of the unique Pilsner Urquell beer.
The festival has become a household word in Pilsen and its surroundings
and in a major way has helped to transform the brewery into a popular
meeting point right at the heart of the social and cultural life of the
West Bohemian city.
The summer festival’s events enriched the
services offered to visitors of the Pilsen brewery, one of the most
popular locations on the tourist trail in the Czech Republic. Although the
tourist industry has had to contend with the negative effects of world-wide
political instability, epidemics, exchange rate fluctuations and
unfavourable economic development in neighbouring countries (particularly
in Germany), the Pilsen brewery has succeeded this summer in attracting
twenty-five percent more visitors than in the same period last year. The
monthly increase in visitors during the summer stood at around 10 per cent
In all, and not taking into account the Thursday concerts in the courtyard,
the Pilsner Urquell World of Beer was visited by almost 60,000 people. As
usual, the majority of tourists came from neighbouring Germany, while
second and third places were taken by Czech and Russian visitors
respectively.
In addition to the concerts, the Pilsner Urquell
World of Beer Summer Festival also offered a wide variety of accompanying
events which were warmly received by the Pilsen public and tourists from
the Czech Republic and abroad. Throughout the festival period, an
exhibition was held in the Visitor Centre of photographs by Jiri Hanzelka
and Miroslav Zikmund, an event which was opened personally by Mr. Zikmund
himself. The Festival also celebrated the motoring tradition, firstly with
the display of the historic Tatras belonging to Zikmund and Hanzelka
themselves, the most famous Czech explorers; then with the rally of
MiniCooper owners in the brewery courtyard and now the specially modified
motorcycle in the Pilsner Urquell colours which the Brewery purchased for
its collection and exhibits in the Plzensky Prazdroj Visitor Centre.
Everyone who passed through the courtyard admired the enormous brewery
chess pieces and some also played with them. The comfortable atmosphere of
the hot summer was also augmented by the garden restaurant with its grill
specialities.
The Pilsner Urquell World of Beer is currently
preparing for the culmination of its season – the traditional celebration
of Plzensky Prazdroj’s birthday, known as the Pilsner Fest.
Notes to the editor:
- The Pilsner Urquell World of Beer is a mixture of informational,
entertainment and leisure activities for visitors to Pilsen and the
Pilsen brewery. It includes the new Visitor Centre in the brewery
courtyard, the visitor trail showing the most important moments in the
production of Pilsner Urquell, including the brewery cellars with their
traditional method of producing the bottom-fermented lager, and a number
of renovated buildings elucidating the history of brewing in Pilsen. The
Pilsner Urquell World of Beer also includes the Brewery Museum in
Veleslavinova street, half way between the main Pilsen square and the
Pilsner brewery. Visitors to the World of Beer can also relax in the Na
Spilce restaurant on the brewery’s premises. In summer they can make use
of the outside garden, a shop selling gift items, corporate
entertainment areas and a conference centre.
- With total output of over nine million hectolitres of beer, Plzensky
Prazdroj, a.s. is the leader on the Czech market and with exports to
fifty countries worldwide is also the largest exporter of Czech beer.
The Plzensky Prazdroj group also includes the Slovak company Pivovar
Saris, number two on the market in the Slovak Republic. With Pivovar
Saris, Plzensky Prazdroj is the most important entity in the brewing
industry in Central and Eastern Europe. It is part of the international
group SABMiller plc, the second-largest brewing company in the world.
SABMiller’s flag ship is the Pilsner Urquell brand. Plzensky Prazdroj’s
chief brands in the Czech Republic are Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus,
Radegast and Velkopopovicky Kozel.
More information at
www.beerworld.cz a
www.pilsnerfest.cz
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