While the Germans have Oktoberfest, in the Czech Republic the highlight of any beer aficionado's calendar is Pilsner Fest. The festival is held every summer over two days in Pilsen, and it is one of the oldest in Europe, having taken place for over 150 years. Pilsner Fest offers plenty of great Czech food, music, games, and of course beer. There are four separate stages set up to showcase the best of local music, and to provide the rhythms for plenty of dancing. There are also usually comedians and other entertainers on the programme. It is one of the biggest annual parties thrown in the Czech Republic and is a wonderful experience for travellers (even if they are not big beer drinkers). The festival attracts tens of thousands of revelers and portions of the roads around the brewery are closed to traffic to give them more space for festivities.

Pilsen is an interesting village, the main attraction of which is the Pilsner Brewery; if you attend the Pilsner Fest it is worth exploring the area a bit as well, including doing the ubiquitous brewery tour.

Venue: Various venues in Pilsen

Date: 27 - 28 August 2011

Website: www.pilsnerfest.cz