Whether you’re a beer connoisseur, a restaurant savant, or just a culture lover, the Czech Beer Festival is for you! Few countries have a history as rich and as varied as the Czech Republic and along with the ancient cities and towns, the spectacular castles and stunning countryside, there is another feature particular to the Czech Republic which makes it stand out: its magnificent beer making tradition.

Especially in Bohemia and even more so in Prague there is a cheerful bar to be found on almost every corner, pouring any of a number of superbly made brews. For a number of years now the fantastic Czech Beer Festival has been holding its annual event in Prague and there can be no better place to have an unforgettable time, whether you are an energetic drinker or someone who loves to taste and distinguish between all the brews on offer. Upwards of ten thousand people congregate in the enormous Prague Exhibition Grounds for seventeen days and nights to enjoy themselves to the maximum; you can be one of them.

The Czech Beer Festival differs from many other beer events throughout Europe in quite a number of ways. First of all it isn't built around just one type of beer. In fact, more than seventy brands of quality Czech beers are there for your enjoyment. Additionally, the price is the same for every mug. You will notice that the pricing is one of the many fun aspects of the whole occasion. You don't have to go rooting through your wallet and pockets for coins and notes because at the Czech Beer Festival, trade is done in the specially struck coins for the occasion. These have the name of the old Czech currency known as the tolar and as one beer always costs one tolar it couldn't be simpler or more fun.

Adding to the pleasure and originality of the occasion all the waiters and waitresses will be in Czech national costume which is a bright and wonderful spectacle. Entrance to the Czech Beer Festival has another advantage; it is absolutely free. All you may need to do is to reserve a time and a seat location of your choice and prepare for a tremendous few hours of laughter and fun. Adding wonderfully to the atmosphere is dancing and live music which goes on every evening and night. For those who like their evening to never end, the drinking can go on long into the night until dawn and beyond.

After you have marvelled at all the architecture and immersed yourself in some of the culture of Prague and the Czech Republic, a visit or two to the Czech Beer Festival may be just what you'd like. Enormous beer tents and marquees are set up to accommodate the masses and inside seating arrangements for hundreds are laid out. It all makes for a quite unforgettable atmosphere of bonhomie and laughter. Coming along with a group of friends can be a really memorable experience as on occasions like this 'the more the merrier' is what it's all about.

With so much beer drinking to be undertaken and so many different beer types on offer, it is good to know that that other requirement, eating, hasn't been forgotten about. At the Czech Beer Festival there is a spectacular array of food on offer. Everything from the finest creations of Prague's top restaurant chefs, where gourmet dining can really be appreciated, all the way down to more down-to-earth fast-food and thick Bohemian sausages. The choice is very much up to you.

This year, 2012, the festival takes place during the warm afternoons and evenings of late May and early June. So prepare your toasts, raise a glass or ten to Czech beer in all its superb varieties, remember your friends, and Happy Beer Drinking. As the Czechs say, “Na Zdravi”.

You can visit the Czech Beer Festival or “Cesky pivni festival” from the 17th of May until the 2nd of June in Prague Exhibition Grounds Holesovice.

Ales Mach, My Destination
February 2012