Brewing has been a major industry in Budějovice since the 13th century. For a time, the town was the imperial brewery for the Holy Roman Emperor. The city’s largest brewery is the Budweiser Budvar Brewery founded in 1895. It is best known for the original Budweiser pale lager, marketed as Budvar or Czechvar in some regions due to a trademark dispute.
There is now wonder that Budějovice hosts one of the largest and most popular beer festivals in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1990 and originally held in Tábor, the South Bohemian International Beer Festival moved to České Budějovice having outgrown its original venue. Every year, it presents dozens of Czech and foreign beers produced by multinational brewing corporations, medium-sized breweries, small craft breweries, and microbreweries.
The festival is famous for hosting the Gold Brewer’s Seal (Zlatá Pivni Pečet), one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious brewing competitions. It features more than 1000 beer varieties and 200 breweries from around the world. The winners in the specialized beer categories are selected by a professional tasting jury under the supervision of renowned certification authorities. They get a chance to compete for the main award, World Beer Seal.
The program of the festival is divided into two parts, the professional segment and the public segment. The public segment includes a variety of events and attractions, including beer tastings, contests and competitions, live concerts, and more. The festival offers a unique opportunity to taste beers from across the globe in a world-renowned brewing center with a long and exciting history.
