Budweiser Budvar is the brewery that put České Budějovice on the world map — or at least started a legal argument that has run for more than a century. The Czech Budweiser is a traditional Bohemian lager, brewed slowly using artesian water from underground reservoirs beneath the city, Moravian barley, and Saaz hops from the Žatec region. It has nothing in common with the American product of the same name except the dispute about who has the right to use it.
The brewery runs guided tours that take visitors through the production process from malting to bottling, ending in the tap room where you can drink unfiltered lager directly from the conditioning tanks. The tour is one of the better brewery visits in the Czech Republic — genuinely informative and not too long. The tap room is open independently of the tours if you just want a glass of fresh Budvar. It is about 2km north of the main square; tram line 2 runs close.
Open year-round. Tours run daily; check the brewery website for times as they vary by season. Book in advance in summer.