Pilsen, Czechia

City in the Czech Republic

About Plzeň

Plzeň, also known in English and German as Pilsen, is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about 78 kilometres west of Prague, at the confluence of four rivers: Mže, Úhlava, Úslava and Radbuza, together forming the Berounka River.

History

The first written mention of Plzeň Castle is from 976. The city of New Plzeň was founded nearby in 1295 by King Wenceslaus II. The old settlement then became known as Starý Plzenec and New Plzeň became known as Plzeň. It quickly became an important city on trade routes leading from Bohemia to Nuremberg and Regensburg. The first written mention of beer brewing is from 1307. In the 14th century, the city had about 3,000 inhabitants on an area of 20 ha (49 acres), making it the third largest city in Bohemia after Prague and Kutná Hora. During the Hussite Wars, it was the centre of Catholic resistance to the Hussites: Prokop the Great unsuccessfully besieged it three times, and it joined the league of Catholic nobles against King George of Poděbrady. In the 1470s and 1480s, the city had the first printing press in Bohemia. …

Geography

Plzeň is located about 78 km (48 mi) west of Prague. The city is situated at the confluences of four rivers: Mže, Úhlava, Úslava and Radbuza. From the confluence of the Mže and Radbuza, the river is known as the Berounka. Plzeň lies mostly in the Plasy Uplands, with small parts of the municipal territory extending into the Švihov Highlands to the east and south. The highest point is the hill Chlum at 416 m (1,365 ft) above sea level. The lowest point is the river bed of the Berounka at 293 m (961 ft). The largest body of water is the České údolí Reservoir, built on the Radbuza. A system of fishponds is located on the northern edge of the city. Plzeň has a cool and temperate Oceanic climate (Cfb). The average annual precipitation is 525 mm (21 in). The annual average temperature is 8.4 °C (47.1 °F). The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from −28.0 °C (−18. …

Religion

Since 31 May 1993, Plzeň has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň. The first bishop (current bishop emeritus) was František Radkovský. The current bishop is Tomáš Holub. The diocese covers an area with a total of 818,700 inhabitants. The diocesan see is in St. Bartholomew's Cathedral on Republiky Square in Plzeň. The diocese is divided into 10 vicariates with a total of 72 parishes. The seat of the West Bohemian seniorate (literary presbytery; Central European protestant equivalent of a diocese) of Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren is currently set in Plzeň. …

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Economy

Plzeň is a centre of business in the western part of the Czech Republic. Plzeň produces about two-thirds of the Plzeň Region's GDP, even though it contains only 30% of its population. While part of this is explained by commuters to the city, it is one of the most prosperous cities in the Czech Republic. Plzeň is the seat of many large corporations. The largest employers with their headquarters in Plzeň and at least 1,000 employees are: The Škoda company, established in Plzeň in 1859, has been an important element of Austro-Hungarian, Czechoslovak and Czech engineering, and one of the biggest European arms factories. During the Communist era of the country (1948–1989), the company's production had been directed to the needs of the Eastern Bloc. Disarray in the era after the Velvet Revolution, and unsuccessful efforts to gain new Western markets, resulted in sales problems and debts. …

Sights

The historic centre of Plzeň, which is formed by the Náměstí Republiky square and adjacent streets, has been protected as an urban monument reservation since 1989. The most prominent landmark of Plzeň is the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, built in the Gothic style in the late 13th century. It is protected as a national cultural monument. Its tower is the highest in the Czech Republic at 102.6 m (337 ft). The interior contains hundreds of works of art, the most valuable of which is the statue called the Plzeň Madonna. It is one of the most valuable Gothic monuments in the Czech Republic. Other notable sight at the square is the City Hall, also protected as a national cultural monument. This Renaissance monument was built in 1554–1559 by the Italian architect Giovanni de Statia, on the site of two late Gothic houses, whose fragments have survived to this day. …

Transport

The Plzeň metropolitan area is largely served by a network of trams, trolleybuses and buses operated by the PMDP. Like other continental European cities, tickets bought from vending machines or small shops are valid for any transport run by the city of Plzeň. For residents of the city, a Plzeň Card can be purchased and, through a system of "topping up" be used on any public transport with no limitations, as long as it is paid up and valid. Tickets can be purchased in vehicles with a contactless smart card. The main railway station, Plzeň hlavní nádraží, is an important centre of Czech railway transport, with the crossing of five main railway lines: line No. 170: Prague – Beroun – Plzeň – Cheb line No. 180: Plzeň – Domažlice – Furth im Wald (Germany) line No. 183: Plzeň – Klatovy – Železná Ruda line No. 160: Plzeň – Žatec line No. …

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