Dobřany is one of the oldest towns in the region; it was first mentioned in 1243. The town was transformed in the 18th century thanks to the presence of the provosts from the Chotěšov Abbey, gaining the Baroque style that it still boasts today. The Dobřany people received their brewing right in 1378, and thanks to the Blue Star brewery, plenty of trip-goers venture here every day. If while in Pilsen you hear someone say “They’re going to take me away to Dobřany because of you”, they don’t mean the beloved brewery but the local mental asylum. You can drive to Dobřany from the centre of Pilsen in 20 minutes by car, or arrive there in about the same time by train or bus.
Town centre
On Dobřany’s town square named after T. G. Masaryk, you’ll find numerous charming townhomes, the town hall, and two different churches. The Church of St. Nicholas will captivate you with its free-standing tower. Once inside, you’ll discover late-Baroque frescos and a Rococo organ. The Baroque Church of St. Vitus is the crowning work of Pilsen builder Jakub Auguston Jr. from the first half of the 18th century. The church is built on a central, oval-shaped floor plan, complete with four entrances – one from each corner of the world. The church’s interior space is used as a gallery, where you’ll find the permanent exhibit “Baroque Dobřany”. The church is open during the Dobřany Information Centre’s working hours, where they’d also be happy to provide you with additional information (tel.: +420 377 972 725; email ic@dobrany.cz).
Blue Star micro-brewery
The Blue Star from Dobřany is one of the most popular craft beers enjoyed in Pilsen and elsewhere. Pilsen locals also keep their eye on the Blue Star thanks to its presence in the Pilsen Beer Club. At this Dobřany brewery, beer is made using traditional Czech technology and basic ingredients, namely malt, hops, and water. Here, every beer is served yeast non-filtered. The brewery restaurant offers several types of non-filtered, unpasteurised beers, from draft tens to specialty beers with higher alcohol content. The brewery’s restaurant is a popular destination for cyclists.
Ice cream in Dobřany
Dobřany is also a popular destination for weekend day-trippers from Pilsen, especially families with kids wanting to visit for the ice cream. You can travel here by bike; the pleasant 15 km flow by like water, with a reward awaiting you in Dobřany. And that’s the ice cream from “U Hřiště” Dobřany, where long lines tend to form outside. You can look forward to both scooped and soft-serve ice cream classics as well as non-traditional flavours like peanuts, passion fruit, cucumber, and buttermilk. Or you can try the shaved ice or ice pops. You can also get ice cream from the same producer in the café on the town square. Quite the ideal day-trip destination, which you can then combine with a visit to the non-traditional look-out burrows at Šlovický vrch.
