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As an adult, what are two things that you thoroughly enjoy? 

For me, it is

1) A nice dose of relaxation.  A hard massage, a long bath, some peace and quiet…yup all those will suffice

2) A good adult libation

Well, like a lot of things in Europe, they do things a bit differently here and the Czechs have decided to up the ante a bit.  After all, it seems like a bit of a time waster if you need relaxation NOW to take a bath and THEN make yourself a drink, right?  Why not just cut to the chase and fill your tub with…you guessed it: BEER!

Prague Beer Bath

While the following post is mostly about the Chodovar Beer Bath (since nothing beats getting off the beaten travel path!), which is only about 2 hours West of Prague, but if the idea of a Czech Beer Bath intrigues you, then you can always check out the Bernard Prague Beer Spa.  It’s got most of the same fun, quirky attributes, and is easy to get to if already traveling in Prague.

A Czech Beer Bath

Yes, this is literally and exactly what it sounds like.  In the small village of Chodovar, Czech Republic, you can go to their quaint beer spa and soak in a tub full of hops, yeast, and brew.

But it really isn’t TOO surprising.  If you’ve ever met a Czech, they love their beer.  I mean, REALLY love it (after all, statistics show that Czechs consume the most beer in the world!).  Just one of the excuses reasons behind the amount consumed is the belief that the herbs in that liquid bread are medicinal

(no, really…one morning after a particularly rough night out in Prague with Andy’s family’s old Czech exchange student, her mother said to Mr. Economical Excursionist, “I have medicine that will make you feel great!”

We got to her house, and she popped open a bottle of Pilsner Urquell….Andy just about lost it (well, almost lost his stomach contents))

So, it is no surprise that they want to soak up those herbs and goodness in all ways possible, including bathing in it!

Chodovar: Home of the Beer Baths

Chodová Planái (if using a temperamental GPS) is a small town located just a hop, skip and a jump over the German border.  There isn’t a TON to do in Chodvar alone.  While it is a great day trip kind of location, it maybe is not something that would take up a whole weekend getaway, unless you really wanted to pamper yourself with several different spa treatments, which, now that I say that, actually sounds pretty dang nice!

Chodova Plana is not new to the beer scene.  In fact, for almost 500 years, beer has been brewed right here in the caves of the granite rocks.  No wonder the Czechs have perfected the art of beer brewing!!!

The Spa Facility

The beer baths are located at the Chodovar Hotel, Hotel U Sladka, which is a hotel (obviously), restaurant, wellness center and spa all rolled into one. You can easily make bookings and appointments on line.  There is a whole plethora of packages and you don’t have to be a hotel guest to kick back and relax.

Address:
Pivovarská 107
348 13 Chodová Planá

Note on Booking:

You definitely will want to book your package in advance.  We booked ours about a month out and had no issues getting a spot, but it also was not a high tourist season.  Therefore, the safest thing to do is to just book as soon as you know you will be heading there.

The Spa Beer Baths: Step By Step

The whole experience is a riot.  Sure, it is supposed to be this relaxing experience, but come on; you are soaking in a tub full of beer! How do you not even slightly wonder “What the heck am I doing!?”

1. You’ll be shown into a room that has several tubs (don’t worry, they can each be sectioned off for your privacy).  
2. They’ll have you de-robe and hop into a giant stainless steel tub that already has the liquid bread in it.
   (Note: In Chodovar, we were completely naked.  In some other locations, like the ones in Prague, swimsuits are allowed)
3. The attendants will then come and add more herbs to the mixture, ensure that the temperature is deliciously warm (no, you do NOT drink the tub water!) and then hand you a cold one to sip on as you sit back and soak in the suds (literally).  
4. The bath attendants will likely tell you all about the medicinal reasons why soaking in the beer’s yeasty waters and herb mixture is so great for your body and skin, but you’ll probably be too busy thinking how bizarre the whole experience is to remember the logic!

After about twenty minutes, you’ll be done with your mug of beer and will be shown into a dark room that resembles a cave, complete with dim lights.  If you’ve ever wondered what it is like to be wrapped up tight like a baby, or even a burrito, this is your chance.

You’ll be so snug in your blankets; you’ll wonder how you are supposed to drink the next glass of beer that they set next to you.  You can sit in this room for as long as you like, sipping on your fresh, local, beer and just taking in the calm and quiet (unless you are like us and had the lady who maybe had one too many and found herself snoring loudly on her bed).

Once you are finished with your beer and had enough cocoon time, you can get dressed (you aren’t supposed to rinse off so that the herbs can still do their magic, but don’t worry, somehow you WON’T be smelling like stale beer…..so maybe it is magic beer!?) and be on your merry and relaxed way.

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On Your Way to Chodovar For a Memorable Weekend?

Research and book affordable activities on TripAdvisor and Hotels at Booking.com

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Other Spa Treatments

We weren’t done with our relaxing weekend though.  After our humorous morning in the beer baths, my SIL and I both got massages to help really erase any tension we may have had.  As mentioned earlier, there is a whole slew of (traditional) spa experiences and packages to choose from.  The Czech Republic as a whole is pretty cheap, so this is the perfect place to splurge on a spa day!

Have a Meal in a Beer Cellar

Relaxing is hard work! It’s going to build up your appetite! (No? That’s just me?)

Just around the corner is the hotel’s „Ve Skále“ restaurant.  Again, they take their love for beer up a level and have converted an old beer cellar into a dark, cavernous restaurant.  As you walk through the cave tunnel you’ll see the history of the brewery as well as have the opportunity to shop at their gift store.

If you haven’t had enough beer yet, they have plenty on their menu (including foods that incorporate beer!) or just enjoy any of their traditional (and delicious!) Czech favorites.

Photo Credit: WikiCommons

For me, travel has many purposes.

Sometimes, I want to dive into history and explore something that I’ve only been able to read about in textbooks.

Other times, I want to immerse myself in another culture to get a better global understanding of the world and the people in it.

Occasionally though, I just want a fun, quirky and unique experience to look back and laugh upon.

The Beer Baths in Chodovar was just that.  It was one of those unique experiences that I don’t think I could find in many other places! Nothing makes the Facebook world say, “What the heck!?” Than a “Oh, just soaking in a bath tub full of beer” kind of status.  

And sometimes, that is part of the fun of travel

Nearby Mariánské Lázně

My Sister-in-law and I were on a self-declared “Spa Weekend” so we chose to do a few days in the spa-town region, Karlovy Vary, and stayed in the town of  Mariánské Lázně, which is only about a 10-15 minutes’ drive to the Czech Beer Baths.  We chose Marianske Lazne because it is often considered a less touristy version of the main Karlovy Vary town.

The Karlovy Vary region is known for its mineral spring waters which, supposedly, are great for all sorts of ailments!  There are spas, Roman baths, beautiful hikes and more in Mariánské Lázně.  So, for us, this was the perfect amount of time to enjoy both locations and have plenty of relaxation!

Looking for things to in in Marianske Lazne? Click here to read what we did for the weekend!

What’s been one of your quirkier travel moments?  I’d love to hear about them (and start making a fun list for myself!) in the comments

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LeAnna Brown

Author and Creator at Economical Excursionists

Former teacher turned blogger turned mom turned full time travel addict, LeAnna has never been one to live life by the rules. Whether she is moving to a farm in Switzerland to learn to make cheese (Yes, CHEESE), jumping off a mountain to paraglide over Cinderella castles, or taking her baby all over the world with nothing but a backpack on their backs, LeAnna designs and defines her OWN life. LeAnna, her husband Andy, and kiddo, "Lil B" love to live a minimal lifestyle, not only for the "thrill" of pinching pennies but in order to save for traveling the world. Considering over 40 countries and 90+ cities have been explored, we'd say they are doing something right!

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