Krušovice

The brewery village of the Rakovník region — beer brewed since 1581, once property of Emperor Rudolf II, and a village bakery that feeds passing walkers better than most pubs.

Krušovice is a village with one famous export: its brewery, first recorded in 1581 and sold two years later to Emperor Rudolf II, which lets today’s “Royal Brewery” claim imperial pedigree with a straight face. The industrial-scale brewhouse dominates the village edge and runs tours by arrangement.

For a walker the more useful institution is the Krušovická pekárna: alongside bread, rolls and sweets it serves soup, daily lunches and pours beer, which makes it a full trail stop in a village that otherwise offers little. The Džbán plateau’s wooded ridges start directly behind the houses.