Pilsner Urquell and Skoda are its most famous trademarks. It made Lonely Planet's list of 10 places to check out in Europe last year. And now Pilsen is a European Capital of Culture. What makes the Czech city so special?
Image: imago/robert fishman
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Culture Capital Pilsen: Beer, art and puppets
Millions of tourists flock to Pilsen each year in order to visit its famous brewery. But the metropolisin the Czech Republic has a lot more to offer.
Image: imago/robert fishman
The trademark of Pilsen
A city without a cathedral - that would have been utterly unthinkable in the Middle Ages.That's why, following the foundation of Pilsen by Czech King Wenceslas II in 1295, its citizens hurried to construct St. Bartholomew's Cathedral. Its 100-meter-high Gothic church tower offers the most splendid view of the city, and it houses its most precious jewel: the so-called Pilsner Madonna.
Image: imago/Stefan M Prager
Heart of town
Pilsen may have only 170,000 inhabitants, but its prestigious Republic Square makes up for the small number. As one of Europe's largest city squares, it can compete with those of bigger metropolitan areas. Out of gratitude for having been spared the Black Death, citizens erected a pillar in its center in 1681.The square is also embellished by three modern wells made of gold and granite.
Image: imago/robert fishman
City Hall
The "office" of Mayor Martin Zrzavecký is a gem from the Renaissance. Most events during the Capital of Culture year will be coordinated from here. With culture, art and creativity, the Pilsen residents want to get rid of the traditional image of their town as a gray industrial stronghold. City Hall was constructed in 1558 in accordance with the original plans of an Italian architect .
Image: picture alliance/Daniel Kalker
Great Synagogue
The Jewish citizens of Pilsen look back on an eventful history. In 1338, they were officially mentioned for the first time. They were driven out of the city several times - only to resettle there each time.The Great Synagogue of Pilsen, constructed in 1892, is Europe's second largest - next to the one in Budapest. Its acoustics are so unique that numerous concerts take place there.
Image: imago/epd
For the love of theater
The Grand Theater is one of the most important cultural monuments of the city. The sandstone building was constructed in Neo-Renaissance style in 1902. Until 1966, a smaller theater existed there as well, because Pilsen residents love drama, opera and ballet. In September 2014, the New Theater was opened in the vicinity of the historic one.
Image: CC-BY-Noebu
A stage for puppets
Marionette and puppet shows have a long tradition in Pilsen. Legendary players like Karel and Josef Novák Skupa let the puppets dance in the city. From 1930 to 1943, Skupa headed Czechoslovakia's first professional puppet theater in Pilsen. The Theater Alfa was founded there in 1966. Its 15 puppeteers often travel abroad as guest performers.
Image: Divadlo Alfa Theater
Culture in a train station
When the first artists occupied the city's South Station in 1998, the train station, constructed more than 100 years ago in Art Nouveau style, was totally run down and unheated. The artists turned the building into a studio with rehearsal rooms. Nowadays, theater and dance groops perform on the stage of the former station hall - and will contribute to the coming year of cultural events.
Image: imago/S. M Prager
Highlight: Beer
Pilsner beer is one of the world's most renowned beer brands. More than four million hectoliters are bottled annually. Not surprisingly, the Pilsner Brewery is the city's main tourist attraction, drawing half a million visitors per year. Beer lovers can learn more about its history from 1842 until today in the nearby Brewery Museum.
Image: imago/IPON
Renowned for engineering
The Skoda factory, established in Pilsen in 1859, is still one of the most important employers in the region. At first, the engineering company produced equipment for breweries, sugar factories and mines. After the First World War, the first cars were produced there. It was in part due to Skoda that Pilsen became known as an industrial city.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Water paradise for walkers
Pilsen has also established itself as a green city. A historic water channel on the eastern side of the city wall used to channel water into a mill. The romantic site is still a popular destination for walkers. But during the Capital of Culture year, it might be difficult to find a quiet spot there to relax after an exhausting tour around the city.
Image: imago/Kickner
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With a cultural program including over 600 activities and 50 major events, the Czech city of Pilsen will definitely have a lot more to offer than its world-famous beer this year. It shares the title of European Capital of Culture 2015 with Mons, in Belgium.
When the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra plays the "Symphony of bells" to launch the European Capital of Culture program on January 17, three very loud guests will be contributing to the climax of the piece. Johannes Nepomuk, Maria and Hroznata - the names of St. Bartholomew's Cathedral new bells - will ring for the first time.
The public donated over 10 million Czech crowns (nearly $420,000) to replace the bells melted down by the Nazis over 70 years ago, adding to the symbolism of the event.
"We couldn't wish for anything more beautiful and moving than to start the project 'Pilsen - European Capital of Culture 2015' by ringing these bells," declared Martin Baxa, First Deputy Mayor for Culture, Tourism, Heritage Preservation and the European Capital of Culture 2015 Project.
This opening event illustrates well why Pilsen was chosen to highlight Europe's culture: The project aims to provide fresh impulse to a European city already filled with tradition and creative potential. Two cities are selected for the honor each year.
Commemoration and revival
Although the Czech Republic is reputedly one of the most secular countries in Europe, defunct and endangered churches testify to the fact this was not always the case. A series of concerts called "Nine weeks of Baroque" as well as art installations and exhibitions will revitalize these cultural monuments.
Pilsen once had a rich tradition of Jewish cultureImage: picture-alliance/dpa
The Great Synagogue, the second largest in Europe, is a reminder of the better days of Pilsen's Jewish community, which used to be 2,000 members strong at the time of its establishment at the end of the 19th century.
The city's cultural life suffered greatly from the decimation of its Jewish population during the Holocaust. This loss and other tragic aspects of the Second World War will be commemorated during the Liberation Festival in May, marking 70 years since the end of the conflict.
Concealed treasures
Like the extensive network of secret 14th-century tunnels covering over 10 kilometers (over 6 miles) underneath the city, some of Pilsen's most interesting architectural gems are actually hidden. This inspired the creation of an interactive map called "The Hidden City," which reveals hundreds of stories attached to specific locations.
The interiors created and furnished by the influential architect Aldolf Loos (1870-1933) will also be highlighted this year through guided tours.
"He was a pioneer of modern architecture in the first half of the 20th century," explains promoter Magdalena Soukupova, "Yet it is fast unknown that it is here in Pilsen that most of his works are found, second to Vienna."
Something old, something new
Disused factories are being transformed into creative venues. One of brewer Pilsner Urquell's old power stations will host an exhibition of European design. Former Škoda car factory halls are now the campus of the Techmania Science Center and the 3D Planetarium which opened last year.
A new arts space, the Josef Kajetán Tyl Theater, is the first major theater built in the Czech Republic since the collapse of communism. The project "Le Cirque Nouveau" will bring together some of the world's leading modern circus groups.
For this edition of Pilsen's traditional Puppet Theater Biennale, three dozen foreign productions are expected to take the stages.
The colorful bunch of international artists befit the motto chosen for the year: "Pilsen, open up!" Jiri Suchanek, the director of the program, hopes visitors will discover the variety Pilsen has to offer: "We want to go beyond the stereotypes and open up the city in a completely different way."
