U Medvídků

The microbrewery here is tiny. They only make 300 hectoliters a year. Don't expect high-tech steel. They use manual systems and old copper coolers. It’s a living museum. You can watch them rack the beer by hand. The real draw is X-Beer 33. This isn't your standard light pilsner. It’s a dark, thick beast with 12.6% alcohol. It takes 200 days to make. They use open oak tanks and secondary fermentation. Every batch tastes a bit different. Expect caramel and maple syrup notes. Sip it like a fine cognac. Don't treat it like a session pint or you won't make it back to your hotel.

Skip the standard massage. Soak in beer instead. The spa uses oak tubs filled with 37-degree water. They mix in brewer's yeast along with malt and hop oils. It feels medieval. And yes, there's a private tap right next to the tub. You get unlimited Krušovice during your soak. They also bring you beer bread and pretzels. After 30 minutes, you don't shower. You wrap up in a robe and lie on a wheat straw bed by the fire. Let the vitamins sink into your skin. It’s strange. It’s relaxing. It’s very Czech.

Come hungry. This is some of the heartiest czech food prague serves up. The menu ignores every modern health trend. It's all about calories and comfort. Order the Pork Knee (Pečené vepřové koleno). It's a massive hunk of bone-in meat. The skin is a salty, crackling shell. The interior is tender. Or try the Budvar Goulash. They cook the beef in a dark beer gravy. It comes with thick slices of bacon and steamed bread dumplings. Use the dumplings to mop up every drop of sauce.

You can sleep where they used to malt the barley. The hotel has 45 rooms inside the old medieval walls. It’s not a shiny corporate box. You’ll see original Gothic roof trusses and painted wooden ceilings from the Renaissance. The corridors feel like an extension of the brewery museum. You’ll walk past old tools and black-and-white photos. It’s quiet upstairs. But you’re still only a flight of stairs away from a fresh pint. Every room has a modern bathroom and high-speed Wi-Fi. You also get a satellite TV.