A verdant countryside for riding and an historic city for strolling
Story and photos: The Bear
Did you know that Pilsener is called Pilsener because it was invented in Pilsen, in Czechia? And that Budweiser gets its name from the Czech city of České Budějovice?
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Czechia and beer are inextricably linked, but there is more to this bucolic small country, and much of it is interesting to motorcyclists. For a start, it has a wonderful network of small back roads which are pure joy on a bike – not least because the traffic is light, and the drivers are polite. They handle their new Skodas with the sort of care that comes from remembering when they couldn’t even imagine having a proper car – or motorcycle - of their own. The bikes I’ve seen on Czech roads mostly seemed to have out-of-country plates, and local bikes were predominantly maxi scooters.
But riding through the landscape of meadows and fields on the beautifully surfaced country lanes of Czechia is pure joy. “Ha! It’s all just recent,” said the Bavarian BMW rider I met at a petrol stop. “And paid for by the EU with money from the German taxpayer!”
No matter who paid for it, the riding in Czechia is worth a visit on its own. Not only is that road surface courtesy of the Germans in excellent condition but the surveying, done before the days when large amounts of earth were commonly moved to straighten the lines of the road, wanders pleasantly through the verdant countryside. Signposting is frequent and consistent. Traffic is light, and as I mentioned, drivers are courteous. So are police officers. Motorcycles have considerable leeway when parking; not quite as much as the still-common bicycles but enough to allow you to stop on the footpath and lock your bike to a handy pole. No offense intended to any Polish readers.
Unlike western Europe, where you are lucky indeed to find a stretch of road that has not been tarred – and even luckier to find such a stretch that you’re actually allowed to ride – Czech country roads are still quite often gravel or even dirt. Mind you, I doubt they’ll be that way much longer. Back roads may still be narrow, but they are increasingly surfaced. The landscape is lush and green and bursting with vegetable vigor.
It is not hard to see why Bohemia (now Czechia) and Moravia (now Slovakia), to give them their old names, were such sought-after territories over the centuries. The main difference seems to be that while the Bohemians in the west produce (excellent) beer, the eastern Moravians drink wine and slivovitz, a plum brandy. And the capital of Czechia, Prague, is surely one of the most romantic cities of Europe with its outstanding classical architecture. On top of that, it’s also one of the most affordable – a combination that’s hard to beat. Airbnbs especially are notably affordable.
For many Australians and New Zealanders, a motorcycling holiday in Europe is high on the bucket list, and with good reason. But while London, Paris and Rome are prime destinations, Prague is just as beautiful and historic, while it’s also far more reasonably priced. So, double advantage.
Once you’ve parked your bike and locked it to that pole, you can take advantage of the many pedestrian areas of the city. Locking your biker, by the way, is a good idea. Theft of vehicles is sadly still common in eastern Europe; most stolen cars and bikes end up in Russia, I’ve been told. Prague is safe otherwise, though, and full of things to see like Wenceslas Square and Prague Castle. The castle is linked to the Old Town by Charles Bridge with its thoroughly romantic promenade across the Vltava River. Its gallery of statues has been standing since 1357.
Lined with pastel Baroque buildings reminiscent of classic fairy tales, Old Town Square in the city centre brims with perfect spots to grab a beer or a meal and watch the passing parade in between catching the sights like the amazing Astronomical Clock. Czech food is filling and tasty. The beef goulash is probably the best-known dish and you’ll find it on most restaurant menus. It’s said that the tender beef in its rich sauce, served with bread dumplings, goes very well with beer.
Oh yes, beer – and more specifically Pilsener. Around 1840, a maltster or brewer called Josef Groll in Pilsen made a mistake. When he was heating the barley in preparation to steeping it to make wort, he undercooked it. Instead of dark, well-toasted grain, he produced a yellowish malt. It isn’t known why he didn’t notice, but he sent the malt off to the brewhouse. The result was not the usual dark beer but a much lighter brew. Now this was the time when glass drinking vessels were beginning to replace ceramic or wooden ones. And the bright sparkling lager looked terrific in glass! The rest is history (and there are other stories about this).
There is a bit of history about Budweiser, too. The brewers of České Budějovice have been plying their satisfying trade since 1265, but like their colleagues in Pilsen they began brewing light lagers in the mid-1800s. In 1876, Adolphus Busch of the Anheuser brewery in St Louis, USA, began brewing a light beer as well and stole the name Budweiser – the Czech town is called “Budweis” in German – to give it credibility. Over the ensuing years, agreements were reached between the Czechs and Americans about who had the rights to the name in various parts of the world. “When the Czech Republic disappeared behind the Iron Curtain after the Second World War,” says the Beervana blog, “the American brewer tore up the arrangements it had agreed to and made American Budweiser the world’s biggest beer brand.” Biggest, but sadly far from the best!
About Czechia
Czechia is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west and north, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. It has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers with a temperate continental and oceanic climate.
As a political entity, Czechia has been around the block a few times. It was part of the Great Moravian Empire (9th century), the Premyslid Dynasty (9-14th century), the Luxembourg Dynasty (14-15th century), the Hussite Revolution (1419 - 1436), The Jagellon Dynasty (15-16th century) and the Habsburg Dynasty (16-20th century) until the foundation of the modern Czech nation (since 1918).
Historically called Bohemia, it was occasionally known as “Czechia” in English and “Tschechien” in German while it was still part of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic emerged after a peaceful split from Slovakia in 1992. It is the Czech government's intention that promoting the name Czechia will reduce confusion for English speakers and also enhance the country's identity and economy. It has substantial heavy industry.