Plzeňský Prazdroj Invites You To An Exhibition Called “In The Footsteps of Czech Beer”

„Czech beer is heavily recognised, however, the deeper knowledge of its brewing processes, its history and origination, is fairly limited. That is why we have decided to introduce the phenomenon of our beer in exhibition form in In The Footsteps of Czech Beer, which also invites people to visit our tours in our breweries, where we have been brewing it for decades,“ Jindřiška Eliášková, Manager of Tourism and Historic Heritage of Plzeňský Prazdroj said.

Public opinion research* shows that beer lovers care about the Czech origination of ingredients as well as the beer itself. Nearly all participants (96% of those asked) gave a preference to Czech beer, and 89% of people see as important that Czech beer is made of domestic materials. The exhibition shows that Territorial Trademark is registered with EU, which, guaranteed by the State Inspection of Agriculture and Food, protects the Czech attributes of their beer**. Only 23% of respondents knew about the trademark.

The idea behind the exhibition is to introduce the phenomenon of Czech beer and the visitors’ tours of Plzeňský Prazdroj as modern and interactive. Plzeňský Prazdroj will fill in the data about the product for its visitors via information panels, and together with the brewery tour, the company will offer a comprehensive picture of Czech beer. A  unique combination of traditional and modern aspects makes the breweries of Plzeňský Prazdroj a sought-after tourist destination.

Information panels are presented in Czech and in English and present the visitors with the history of both of Plzeňský Prazdroj’s breweries and also their current state. The panels also independently display materials connected with the phenomenon of Czech beer.

The exhibition In the Footsteps of Czech Beer will be available in the Visitors Centre of  Plzeňský Prazdroj for the whole summer until September, 2012.

* Research conducted for Plzeňský Prazdroj in November 2011,  736 respondents – beer consumers.

** Beers aspiring to use the mark Czech beer must fulfil the preset criteria:

• the place of origination within the geographic territory (Czech Republic)
• Czech Republic must be the place of origin as well as the source of the main ingredients (hops, malt, water) – the technology used for the production of Czech beer
• qualitative characteristics of the finished beer such as wort extract, alcohol content, colouring, bitterness, pH level, level of fermentation

Notes for editors:

• Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery activities for visitors include the Visitors Centre, Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus visitors’ tours, Beer Brewing Museum, and Plzeň Historic Underground in the centre of the town.
• You can get inspired to visit by visiting www.prazdrojvisit.cz first. The website is dedicated to visitors’ tours, and to all services offered by the brewery for its visitors.
• Besides Czech, English, and German, visitors may too hear the tours’ narratives in French, Chinese, and Russian.
• The brewery’s offer includes also the social and cultural centre Secese, which is available for organising various celebrations and cultural, educational, or presentation functions.
• The Beer Brewing Museum is located in the original house–with–the–rights–to–brew–beer in Veleslavínova street, which has been preserved in its original, authentic shape. The Museum first opened in 1959 as a part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the trademark “Plzeňské pivo” (Plzeň beer).
• An 800 metres-long tour of Plzeň Historic Underground is accessible from the building of the Beer Brewing Museum. The labyrinth of pathways, cellars, and wells was built under the Town of Plzeň in the 14thcentury, and it is closely connected with both the historical and the present-day town.
• In 2010, 226,000 visitors from all around the world visited the brewery, Beer Brewing Museum, and the Underground. The Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery itself is considered the most attractive tourist destination in Czech Republic.
• The Department of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Care of Plzeňský Prazdroj is responsible for visitors’ tours, tourism, and the sale of souvenirs in both the Velké Popovice and Radegast breweries. In 2010, all touristic destinations and points of interest under the care of Plzeňský Prazdroj welcomed more than 250,000 visitors in total.

Contact:
Jiří Mareček
Plzeňský Prazdroj
+ (420) 724 617 219

Plzeň