Prague — the Best Beer City in Europe

That probably sounds outlandish, at least at first glance. Other European capitals certainly might offer greater variety, with a few more kinds of beer available. In a city like Brussels, you could probably find 40 different types of beer, including many rarities that would be hard to spot anywhere outside of Belgium. But in Brussels, you can also walk for blocks without finding any decent beer at all. In Prague, on the other hand, good beer — and often amazingly great beer — is on just about every corner.

There’s also the question of price. Even in Prague’s most expensive pubs, good beer remains very affordable, including many imports, compared to most big cities in Europe. And Prague’s excellent public transportation system means that beer travelers can easy get from one pub, beer garden or microbrewery to the next, making it possible to create multi-day itineraries focusing entirely on tracking down great ales and lagers.

Today, Prague is home to almost 30 microbreweries, with more opening every year. Pubs like Zlý časy now offer as many as 48 taps of lagers and ales from every corner of the Czech Republic, as well as rare beers from traditional European brewing regions like Belgium and Bavaria. (It’s no exaggeration to say that you are more likely to find obscure Bavarian brews in Prague than in the German capital of Berlin, to say nothing of rare lagers from places like north Moravia and the Šumava.)

The huge amount of options means that you can try out brand-new brews like those coming out of ultra-modern Pivovar Hostivar, which started in 2013, before heading towards some of the most historic destinations in the beer world: dating from the year 1499, Prague’s U Fleků is believed to be the oldest continuously functioning brewpub on earth. Nearby, U Medvídků has been a famous tavern since 1466. In terms of beer and history, very few places come even remotely close to the Golden City.

So grab the Beer Guide to Prague and a tram pass. Plan out a route to a number of beery destinations or just relax in the shade of a single beautiful beer garden. Work up a thirst or quench one. Wherever you go in Prague, you can be sure that another great beer is waiting for you just around the corner.