| Unlike wine, beer is not so commonly considered a | | | | owner, Jakub Flekovsky) you can drink a strong and |
| key to explore a city or a country. Nevertheless beer | | | | dark beer called Flekovske, quite different than the |
| has a very long history and is drunk and produced | | | | typical Czech pilsener. Prague, magic, fascinating city |
| nearly everywhere in the world, even more than | | | | at the heart of Europe, home of impressive gothic, |
| wine. And if you think of an area where beer has | | | | baroque and liberty architectures, has a very special |
| become part of drink tradition, probably you will first | | | | relation with beer. When Bill Clinton visited Prague, in |
| think of Central Europe and cities like London, Dublin, | | | | 1994, Vlacav Havel, to let him taste the local colour, |
| Brussels, Munich, Copenhagen, Prague and what else. | | | | took him to U Zlateho tygra (The golden tiger). This |
| All of these cities and their surroundings offer more | | | | was the pub preferred by Czech famous writer |
| or less touristic routes where an ideal beer traveller | | | | Bohumil Hrabal and is still frequented by many Prague |
| can discover ancient breweries and taste a wide | | | | artists and intellectuals. Surely, our ideal beer traveller |
| range of different beers. For example, you may want | | | | will not miss U Kalicha (The chalice), made famous by |
| to experience the atmosphere of one of thousands | | | | the popular novel The Good Soldier Svejk, by Hasek. |
| London pubs, may be on Friday when many | | | | And finally he will cross the fields of hops of Czech |
| Londoners use to go out for drink, although statistics | | | | countryside to go to Pilsen, where pilsener beer was |
| say that pub tradition is declining in recent years. | | | | first produced at mid-nineteenth century by Pilsner |
| This pub might be, at random, the elegant Salisbury | | | | Urquell brewery. |
| at Covent Garden, magnificent demonstration of the | | | | Sated of classic old Europe, the beer traveller may |
| Victorian age, with its extravagant interior Art | | | | also look for some stronger emotion. Probably he |
| Nouveau full of mirrors and lights, or perhaps be the | | | | does not suspect he can find a well designed beer |
| historical George Inn, near London Bridge, rebuilt in | | | | route at the subtropical climate of a spectacular |
| 1676 after the tremendous fire of 1666. Here in | | | | province of South Africa. KwaZulu-Natal Tourism |
| London the beer traveller is really spoiled for choice | | | | Authority has recently launched a beer route, on the |
| (for a guide to London pubs: pubs.com). But he should | | | | example of the existing wine routes of Western |
| also know that a true English beer lover may have | | | | Cape. The route start in Durban, the most important |
| travelled for miles and miles and drunk pints and pints | | | | city in the province and one of the largest in |
| to be proud to say how he visited all the England | | | | South-Africa, and provides stops at nine small |
| pubs of his preferred brand. This could also be a | | | | breweries other than the big South African Brewers |
| challenging way to discover England countryside. | | | | (SAB), the third largest beer company in the world. A |
| Probably, before landing in London, an ideal beer | | | | visit to the Congella Brewery gives insight into the |
| traveller has already drunk Guinness spilled at the | | | | production of sorghum beer, the traditional African |
| small Dawson Lounge in Dublin. As he well knows, and | | | | beer made from wheat and maize. At Nottingham |
| every local brewer is ready to ensure, beer comes at | | | | Road Brewery, the traveller will be delighted by some |
| its best near the place where it is produced. | | | | of the best beers in the regions, all made using pure |
| The most ancient - and someone says most famous | | | | spring water. And passing through the Midlands |
| - European breweries is U Fleku, in Prague. This | | | | Meander he will admire unforgettable sceneries, as |
| historical brewery is reported to be founded in 1499, | | | | Howick Falls, and have a chance to merge into the |
| just a few years after the discovery of America! | | | | local art and culture. Here, another adventure may |
| Prague citizens consider and preserve it as a national | | | | start. |
| monument. At U Fleku (from the name of its former | | | | |
