Czech Budweis - the Perfect Beer Adventure!

For many, beer is an indispensable companion during train journeys. The clattering of wheels and observing different landscapes while sipping the popular hoppy beverage takes on a whole new dimension. In this story, we will combine two joys in the most beautiful way possible - traveling by train to the most famous Czech breweries, whose beers are enjoyed by lovers around the world.

Limited time available necessitated a flight to Vienna. In just an hour of flying, the mild winter day in Belgrade was replaced by an idyllic snowy fairytale in the capital of Austria. The snow-covered Vienna was slowly awakening, and the first train ride followed immediately after landing. The suburban train quickly took us to the city center, and the metro to the starting point of our beer and rail excursion - the Franz Joseph railway station. This station is the southernmost point of the eponymous railway, whose construction was completed in 1874. The main line connects Vienna with Cheb (Czech Republic) via Gmünd, České Budějovice, and Plzeň, while a branch line leads to Prague. The glass-steel station structure was built in 1978 and is the successor to the station that was heavily damaged during the bombing, rebuilt after the war, and ultimately demolished in 1974. Direct trains used to pass through this line on their way to Prague and Berlin, but now you can reach Pasau and České Velenice without changing trains.

We will pass the time until the train departure by enjoying a walk through the majestic Vienna and the famous Viennese beer - Ottakringer. It is little known that Vienna gave its name to a type of beer - Vienna Lager, which is quite popular on a completely different side of the world. This type of beer is widely enjoyed in Mexico, and its popularity was greatly contributed to by the short-lived rule (1864-1867) of a Viennese, Emperor Maximilian I.

Upon returning to the station, the automated luggage lockers provided a brief excitement - faced with two traveling engineers, they quickly capitulated and gave up further cooperation with the passengers. After a not-so-short discussion with the security service, the lockers were unlocked, and with the wings of victory, we continued our journey to the Czech Republic.

Due to the battle for the lockers, we missed the direct train to the Czech Republic, so we continued with two transfers - in Gmünd and České Velenice. In comfortable six-seat compartments, gazing at the blue Danube and the snow-covered gentle landscape of Lower Austria, passengers dozed off to sleep. The track is electrified but single-track, so the journey takes a bit longer due to frequent crossings. After a little over three hours of travel, we arrived in Gmünd. After the end of World War I, the northern part of Gmünd, including the railway station, became part of the newly formed Czechoslovakia and was given a new name - České Velenice.

There was no time for sightseeing in Gmünd, so we spent the time before the train departure in a charming pizzeria at the railway station, enjoying excellent local beer Šremser. Art paintings for sale were hung around the place, each with a price tag. Many people came for takeaway pizza, but no paintings were sold during our stay. The next train took us across the border to the Czech Republic in a few minutes. As darkness had already fallen and it was getting colder, we were delighted to see that the train to České Budějovice was already at the platform. The old but well-maintained and clean Czech carriages would be our home for the next hour to Budějovice. There is one of the two breweries we will visit along the way - "Budějovický Budvar", better known to us by its German name Budweiser (more about the interesting confusion regarding the beer name will be mentioned later).

After half an hour of walking through snow and ice, we reached the destination planned by the travel itinerary - a small family hotel near the brewery. The room was clean and spacious, equipped with everything essential for a good rest - beds and a bathroom. For refreshment after an exhausting day-long journey, we chose a restaurant within the brewery where we could enjoy local specialties and fresh draft unfiltered Budweiser beer. We were treated to an impromptu performance by a group of what seemed like regular guests, who enriched the beer-drinking experience with occasional singing of Czech songs accompanied by shots of slivovitz. We were more moderate in our consumption since excessive drinking of Budweiser can have quite unpleasant consequences despite its unquestionable quality. Anyway, after food and drinks, rest was on the agenda to prepare ourselves for tomorrow's brewery visit.

The organized beginnings of beer excellence in Budějovice date back to the distant past. The city was founded by King Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1265, and the citizens were granted the undeniable luxury of brewing beer by royal privilege. The municipal brewery was established in 1495 and exclusively produced wheat "white" beer, while the industrious citizens were left with the production of barley "dark" beer. The rest of the Middle Ages were undoubtedly a dynamic beer period for the city and its surroundings, but let's fast forward to the end of the 19th century, specifically 1895. That's when the present-day brewery was founded as a joint-stock company named "Český akciový pivovar". As its name suggests, the owners were Czechs united by the idea of a shared brewery. The existing municipal brewery Bürgerliches Brauhaus Budweis (City Brewery Budweis), founded in 1795, was run by Germans who constituted a significant part of the city's population since the Middle Ages. The Czech population didn't particularly like this beer monopoly, so they decided to establish "their" brewery. To better explain the aforementioned beer confusion, let's briefly move across the "pond".

Throughout the 19th century, many residents of Central Europe sought their fortune and a better life across the Atlantic Ocean in America. They brought with them their love for good beer, and beer was imported from Europe to quench the thirst of thousands of immigrants. One of those beers was "Budweiser Bier" from Budějovice. Karl Konrad, one of the millions who came to America in search of their place in the sun, protected the name "Budweiser Bier" in America in 1878 and began production in collaboration with the brewery "Anheuser – Busch". Shortly thereafter, an epic conflict between the two breweries began, a conflict that continues to this day. Although the American company was the first to protect the name, the Czech company claims that it had to be challenged because beer had been produced in Budějovice for several centuries before its rediscovery in America.

After World War II, both breweries in Budějovice were nationalized, and since the German name did not promise success in business, the City Brewery got a new name – Samson. It is still known by that name today, and since 2014, it has a new owner, the corporation Anheuser – Busch, which wanted to assert its right to the name through the acquisition. Currently, in the beer battlefield, the small "Budvar" successfully resists the giant and fights for its name worldwide. In Europe, the right to the name "Budweiser" belongs to the Czech brewery, while the labels of the American beer bear the abbreviation – "Bud". The exception is the United Kingdom, where both companies have the right to use the name "Budweiser". Across the ocean, the situation is naturally different – American beer has adorned itself with the name "Budweiser," while the Czech brewery has chosen the name "Czechvar" for its product. With all the numbers and data, one gets thirsty, so it's best to finally head to the brewery for a tour and some beer.

Tours of the factory are available every day except in winter when the doors are closed on Sundays for visitors. It is interesting to note that the brewery is still state-owned, as can be deduced from its full name - Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik, which translates to national enterprise. A tour of the brewery is only possible in the presence of a factory expert who acts as a guide. In our case, it was a mustached production engineer. The hosts are extremely proud of the fresh water drawn from a well inside the factory, from a depth of over 300 meters. During the tour, all parts of the brewery are visited, starting with the brewhouse, where the mixture of water and malt is gradually heated in enormous copper tanks, the symbols of beer production. Unfortunately, aluminum is increasingly used instead of copper, so the warm brown-red color of copper is a thing of the past in many breweries. From the extremely warm rooms of the brewhouse, the tour leads us further into the cellars where the young beer matures, and after a few weeks, it can be consumed. Industrial production usually requires filtering after maturation to remove yeast residues. In the cellars, the visit reaches its climax as visitors have the opportunity to taste unpasteurized beer directly from the tanks. After a few glasses of beer, the cheerful group moves to the hall where the beer is filled into bottles, cans, and barrels, and pasteurization takes place to preserve the golden liquid from spoiling for as long as possible.

More about beer production will be discussed in the next text when the railway will take us to the birthplace of one of the most popular types of beer – Pilsner. The visit naturally ends in the souvenir shop where various beer trinkets with the brewery logo can be obtained.

After the beer enthusiasm, we decide to enjoy some fresh air and take a walk to the city center, although it is quite cold outside, and the snow is relentlessly falling. České Budějovice is the center of the South Bohemian region and its largest city. It is definitely best known to visitors for the brewery, as well as for the large central town square named after the city's founder, Otakar II. Towards the end of World War II, the city suffered considerable damage in American bombings but has been rebuilt, and one can enjoy the medieval center. The railway is calling us further, so we slowly head towards the train station for the next beer adventure.

Author: Mihailo Popesku