Warsaw Krakow Brno Ceske Budejovice Prague Plzen Regensburg Munich


Our tour begins in Warsaw, capital of one of Europe's rising stars - Poland. Warsaw's splendid and painstakingly restored old town pays testament to the rich history of ancient Poland. We'll just get our feet wet before we set off by train across the charming Polish countryside to the royal capital of Krakow. Krakow's quaint old town draws us in to marvel at its old world architecture, enjoy its streetside cafes, cobbled lanes and underground pubs. Touring will include the Wawel Castle, home to Polish kings, the Barbican, Cloth Hall and a host of pubs on our underground pub crawl. As we wend our way toward the Czech Republic we travel through gorgeous Polish countryside to the enterprising Zywiec Brewery. Here we get an insider's view into the present state of the Polish brewing industry and an idea of what the future holds.

We cross the border and spend an evening in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic. Famous for its wines and folklore, we'll experience an authentic Moravian evening. Moving on to beautiful South Bohemia, our time will be spent in Ceske Budejovice and nearby Ceske Krumlov. We tour the Budvar Brewery, creator of the original Budweiser beer, and dine at the famous old butcher's market restaurant Masne Kramy which sits on the lovely town square, one of the most charming in Europe. The nearby Krumlov castle is perhaps the Czech Republic's most beautiful medieval castle and the town is also home to a small brewery.

In Prague we discover a city of vast history and architecture which touts many newer brewpubs, similar to those in the USA, which we will visit to sample the best of their brews. In Plzen, 90 kilometers from Prague, we'll visit the Pilsner Urquell Brewery, renowned for its vast fermentation and lagering cellars - 6 miles long - all carved from sandstone. We'll visit the small, charming beer museum in Plzen which is famous for its miniature working brewery that quite literally fits onto a table top.

From Plzen we'll travel across the border into Germany, wending our way slowly to Munich. We visit Regensburg - a beautiful city with a rich architectural and brewing heritage. Regensburg is home to both larger scale breweries as well as several charming brewpubs. We cap off our journey with a two-day stay in Munich, one of the world's beeriest cities. We conclude our tour with a farewell dinner at the legendary Ayinger Brewery, circa 1878.


Itinerary at a glance:

Tour Dates - July 16-28, 2000

Your guides on this tour will be:

Martin Klimenta, Prague, Czech Republic
One of MIR's most popular tour managers, Martin leads our tours of Central Europe. A teacher by profession, Martin is a professional international tour manager, speaks four languages and has traveled extensively throughout east/central Europe. As a native of Prague, Martin provides an insightful introduction to the wealth of culture, history and age-old customs of his country. He lends a true insider's perspective as he leads our travelers to the great pubs of the Czech Republic, many of which are known only to the locals.

Local Guides
Native guides are an invaluable source of information. They will provide you with an insightful introduction to the wealth of culture, history and age-old customs of their countries.

MIR Corporation, Specialty Tour Operator, Seattle, WA For the past fourteen years MIR Corporation has been creating unique, specialty travel programs for people who share a common interest and passion, and want to explore the world through those eyes. Each of our tours is designed to give participants an in-depth experience of the cultural and educational aspects of each country. European Brewery Adventures were created in 1993 and are part of MIR's "Off the Beaten Path" tour series.

* Specific tour hosts subject to change.