Žatec is one of the oldest towns in the Czech Republic; it is first mentioned in Chronicon Thietmari (“Thietmar’s Chronicle”) in 1004. The tradition of beer brewing started here in 1261, when the first brewing guild in Žatec was formed, and the first written mention of hops growing near the town is dated 1348. The cornerstone for the first industrial brewery in Žatec was laid in 1798. The Žatec Brewery started its production in 1801 and has been operating ever since.
Žatec is best known for its noble hops, which is high in aroma and low in bitterness. Žatec hops, commonly referred to as Saaz hops (Saaz being the German name of the town), is used extensively throughout Bohemia to brew pilsners and Bohemian style lagers. Saaz hops is a protected designation of origin.
Given the town’s long and rich history of brewing, it is not surprising that Žatec has a beer festival. The roots of Žatecká Dočesná can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when the city’s brewing guild celebrated an annual harvest festival at the end of the hop season. In the 19th century, the festival was known under the German name Hopfenkranzfest, which means “hop wreath festival”, because the population of Žatec was predominantly German back then. Up until the early 20th century, it was still predominantly mostly a celebration of the harvest rather than a beer festival.
The festival tradition was interrupted in 1939 due to the beginning of World War II. Žatecká Dočesná was revived in 1946 under the new Communist government of Czechoslovakia and became an annual event in 1957. Since its revival, the event has grown to become one of the biggest hop and beer festivals in the European Union. The main organizers of Žatecká Dočesná are the City of Žatec and the Municipal Theater of Žatec.
Every year, Žatecká Dočesná features over 50 breweries that present around 120 types of beer in their stalls. The festival welcomes all kinds of breweries: large, mid-sized, and microbreweries. In addition to beer and food stalls, the program of the event includes an expert tasting featuring about 15–20 breweries, 50 beer samples, and around 120 tasters, both professionals and members of the general public. The winners of the tasting are announced to the audience on the main stage.
The festival also has an accompanying musical and cultural program that takes place on seven stages across Žatec. It includes live musical performances in various genres, ranging from folk and instrumental to rock, special events and activities for kids, fairground attractions, and traditional competitions such as hop combing by hand and dancing with a tankard of beer on one’s head. One of the main highlights of the festival is a historical reenactment scene that culminates in the knighting of a selected hop grower.
Entry to the festival is free, but don’t forget to bring money for beer and merchandise!
Photo: docesna.cz
