Ceské Budejovice

German name: Budweis

First, let’s get one thing straight: It’d be a sin to confuse Ceské Budejovice’s famous beverage with American Bud “beer.” This city is home to Budweiser Budvar, the globally exported lager. This is the one and only, and you’ll be schooled on the pedigree.

Meanwhile, the city’s historical, hectare-wide main square is a lively scene with tall townhouses, fun bars, and good restaurants.

Fine-dining doesn’t get more budget-friendly than in Restaurace U Solne brany. You’ll find it right off the historical center. To give you an idea, my full-course dinner feast:

• Starter of exquisite venison terrine with cranberries and quail egg (€3.15);
• Main Course: roasted pork Ttenderloin with seasonal mushroom ragout and mushroom truffle cream (€7.77);
• Dessert for €2.59.
• Grand total of just over €13, all the while being serenaded by a live jazz pianist!

What to do

Take a tour of the Budvar Brewery. Check out the mini-museum, complete with films and historical info. Plus, you can experience their take on all the legal clashes surrounding their fight for their name against you-know-who. During the guided tour, peek in at the brewing and bottling process — after sampling a free taste, of course!

Regular guided tours take place at 2 pm every weekday and cost €4 per adult. We took our two kids along; they were mesmerized with all the big bottling machinery!

Stay

Luxury apartments for the price of a budget hotel! Residence U Cerné veže (Cerne Veze 13, Ceske Budejovice 370 01, Czech Republic). Family or party-sized, furnished pads with a breakfast buffet from €60 per night.

Search all hotels in Ceské Budejovice

Getting there

Trains from Prague run every hour; tickets cost about €6 per person. The journey is roughly 2 ½ hours.

More affordable Czech destinations

Ceské Budejovice is just one stop on our tour of budget-friendly Czech destinations. These also include:

• Plzen
• Františkovy Lázne

Also going to Prague?

Be sure to check out our recommended budget hotels in Prague, and our articles on how to save when visiting the city.

The post Budget guide to Ceské Budejovice (Budweis), Czech Republic appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

“Everything in Czech Republic is heavy!” came the curt reply.

And so I gave in, succumbing to giant portions of crispy roast duck with plump Knedliky dumplings. And afterwards, palacinky — sugary, stuffed crepes. There was beer, beer, and more beer. It was all delicious.

When the bill for dinner came round, I nearly fell off my chair: €22 for all that — for all of us? Surely, they had made a mistake!

Czech please! A budget traveler’s dream

But no, this was Western Bohemia, a budget traveler’s dream. After Budweisers at the amber-lit Budweiser city square, we went bar-hopping and food-tripping. We toured small spa towns with their preserved architecture. We swam in thermal pools for a third of the price of what they charged across the border in Germany.

The next day, we booked our luxury apartment an extra night. As a couple with two kids, the €60 price tag was too enticing to go home. It was smack in the historical center, had two bathrooms, two bedrooms, kitchen, and lounge. Even a breakfast buffet was included.

While most visitors head to Prague, budget travelers will also have a blast in these three cities. Here, culture doesn’t just “come alive” — it’s been around for hundreds of years. And so has the delicious, legendary beer.

Our tour of the Czech Republic outside Prague

Here are three destinations beyond Prague in the Czech Republic that should definitely be on every budget traveler’s shortlist:

1. Pilsen

2. Františkovy Lázne

3. Ceské Budejovice

Also going to Prague?

Be sure to check out our recommended budget hotels in Prague, and our articles on how to save when visiting the city.

The post Czech Republic: 3 Great budget destinations beyond Prague appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.