Easy hikes and walks in Southwest

In the Pilsner Brauereimuseum, you can learn a lot about the secrets of beer production and serving. Among other things, you can see the world's smallest beer mug, a brewery laboratory, or a Gothic malt house. The history of local pubs and various beer curiosities are also part of the exhibition worth seeing.

The Baroque Church of St. Anne, built between 1712 and 1735, was part of the former Dominican monastery. It was designed by the architect Jakub Auguston. Today, the church is used by the Czech Orthodox community.

The former Dominican monastery of St. Rosalie with the church of St. Anne and St. Rosalie is a baroque building designed by the well-known Pilsen architect Jakub Auguston Jr. The foundation stone was laid in 1712. The monastery was dissolved in 1782 as a result of the reforms of Emperor Joseph II. Today it houses the Study and Science Library of the Pilsen Region.

The water tower (also Schwarzer Turm) at the entrance to the historic old town was part of the city fortifications. The five-story tower is directly connected to the single-story water tower. It served its purpose from the mid-16th century until the end of the 19th century. The underground part of the building is now part of the Pilsen Underground tour. The above-ground part is used as a multifunctional space, including a gallery for modern art, a museum dedicated to the Škoda family, a jewelry store, and a tattoo studio. The water house served as an office for city officials for many years.

The Great Synagogue is the largest synagogue in the Czech Republic. It is also the second largest synagogue in Europe (after the Budapest Synagogue) and the fifth largest in the world (after the two synagogues in Jerusalem, the one in New York, and the one in Budapest). The Great Synagogue was built between 1888 and 1892 in the Neo-Romanesque style with Moorish elements, according to the plans of the Viennese architect Max Fleischer. Its two towers are 45 meters high. The place of worship, unused for almost two decades and slowly decaying, was reconstructed between 1995 and 1997 and reopened in the spring of 1998.

On three corners of the square are the modernly designed fountains from July 2010. Architect Ondřej Císler designed them, using motifs from the Pilsen coat of arms: a greyhound, an angel, and a camel. The water spouts are made of gold-leaf-covered bronze; the basins into which the water falls are made of black granite.

The most significant square in the city is the "Republic Square" (Náměstí Republiky). With 139 by 193 meters, the rectangular square is one of the largest in Europe. In Bohemia, it is the largest medieval square outside of Prague. In the center of the historic city core, it houses a number of important monuments, such as St. Bartholomew's Cathedral, the Town Hall, the Bishop's Residence, and the Plague Column from 1681 with a replica of the Pilsener Madonna. Since 2010, modern, gold-shimmering fountains have been located in the remaining corners of the square. They depict a greyhound, a camel, and an angel – elements of the Pilsener coat of arms.

Pilsen has the tallest church tower in the Czech Republic. It measures 102.26 meters and belongs to the Gothic St. Bartholomew's Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Bartoloměje) on Republic Square. The church, consecrated to St. Bartholomew, was probably founded around 1295 together with the city; the current building was constructed after 1342 and restored between 1835 and 1837 after a fire. With the founding of the Diocese of Pilsen, the parish church was elevated to a cathedral in 1993.