The next morning, we departed the Art Deco Imperial Hotel in Prague and headed to Regensburg, Germany, to board the Monarch Queen Riverboat. It was time to officially start our German Christmas Market River Cruise!
After driving about an hour and a half, we stopped in the heart of Pilsen, in the Czech Republic. We weren’t there for very long. But it might have been one of our favorite Christmas Markets of the whole trip.
Pilsen, Czech Republic
Pilsen or Plzeň, if you’re Czech, is home to the world-famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery. They have specialized in bottom-fermented Beer since 1842. And we may have had a couple during our trip!
We wish we had a little more time, as we would have liked to visit the Great Synagogue. But we stuck to the town square and also grabbed some lunch.
The town square was circled by incredibly ornate buildings that represented different guilds and organizations.
Pilsen Christmas Market
The Christmas Market in Pilsen wasn’t big. It was just opening when we arrived. However, we found some excellent local smoked meats, locally made bath salts (we wish we remembered we had a tub on the riverboat), and a nice selection of local and international foods.
We found a local blacksmith making decorative pieces, and Mark added a hand-forged cross to our collection of religious iconography.
Our favorite thing was the immense Nativity. It was all hand-carved and painted with life-size figurines. It was just beautiful!
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral
Originally known as the Church of St. Bartholomew, this Gothic church is situated on the main square, adjacent to the Christmas Market.
It is thought to have been established around 1295 with the founding of Pilsen. However, it didn’t become a cathedral until 1993!
It has the tallest church tower in the Czech Republic and is best known for its 14th-century Pilsen Madonna.
Le Frenchie Náměstí
Directly across the street from the cathedral was this cute little cafe/coffee shop. Nothing fancy, but there were a lot of local business people in there.
Strictly counter service offering sandwiches, soups, pastry, coffee, and drinks. They also had a small retail section with packaged local coffee, sweets, and cookbooks.
We grabbed some Pastry, Tomato Soup, and something hot to drink..
It was a wonderful place to get warm and grab a quick bite to eat. Then we headed back on the bus to Regensburg, Germany, to catch our boat.
Hi Mark and Chuck, Thoroughly enjoyed your latest travel excursions. Have been trying to catch up with you for over two years. Glad you’re both doing well. Please contact us Joe and Jo-Ann from India Gate 1. Hope the both of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving
Hi Joe and Jo-Ann! Great to herar from you. while we’re posting about the Christmas Martkets, that was from last years trip…it seems the more we’re able to travel the farther behind e get with blogging. We hope you are both well. Great to hear from you. Happy Holidays!
At last We’ve made contact. Been trying for two years. Glad you’re both doing well, and we’ll always remember our getting together in India. Do you ever see Brandon and Tim? We have a picture of the four of you in our library. Are you still happy after having moved to Mexico? Wishing the both of you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. Please keep in touch. Joe and Jo-Ann