From the special reporter "Vijesti"
For Germans, neighboring Plzen is still Pilsen today, and when it is known that in many countries of the world, when people say pils or pilsner, they mean beer, then it is not difficult to conclude what is the symbol of the city where the Montenegrin football players will play the most important match of the World Cup qualifiers so far tonight.
Indeed, Pilsen beer - or "Pilsner Urquell" - has made this place world-famous, but the city near the German border is much more than that.
Plzeň is also the city of Škoda, with interesting architecture, culture, sports...
But, as the name suggests - beer is still in first place.
Production at the same location since 1842.
Why is Pilsen beer so famous? It is the first light beer in the world, produced in this city in 1842 by Josef Grol, a Czech brewer, who was originally from Bavaria.
Pilsner Urquell soon began to be copied all over the planet, and today over 90 percent of the beers drunk in the world are "pilsners", or various varieties of Pilsner beer.
As much as this city takes care to ensure that their beer remains unique, it is still produced in the same factory where the first liters of beer were brewed more than 180 years ago.
A key reason for this is the quality of the water flowing beneath the factory.
Skoda, not just a car
Just 17 years after the appearance of "Pilsner Urquell", Škoda was born in the city that lies on four rivers - then a machine factory, today best known for its automobile production.
Its founder was Emil Škoda, and in the beginning it produced everything - from locomotives, weapons, turbines, ship engines, parts for power plants...
What is particularly interesting is that when car production began in 1925, Škoda was no longer in Plzeň, but the factory moved to Mlada Boleslav.
Culture and architecture
The city, which has a population of almost 190.000, is also proud of the fact that in 2015, together with Belgian Mons, it was declared the European Capital of Culture.
Plzeň is a city of theaters, museums, festivals, classical music...
What gives this place a special charm is its architecture, and the "Namesti republiky" or Republic Square in Czech, stands out, as it is one of the largest medieval squares in this country.
Its center is dominated by the magnificent St. Bartholomew's Cathedral, built in the late 13th century. Its 102-meter tower is the largest in the Czech Republic.
The Gothic cathedral is surrounded on all four sides by buildings whose facades in various colors beautify the ambiance and give Plzeň a special spirit.
Football, hockey, Filip Jiha...
When it comes to sports, the pride of the city is Viktoria, a football club that celebrated its 2011th birthday in 100 and became the champion of the Czech Republic for the first time in its history. After that, the "red and blue" were the best team in the country five more times, played in the Champions League four times, and the Europa League seven times.
The giants from Prague - Slavia and Sparta - had to get used to not being so dominant anymore.
A big sports name is also the hockey club Škoda, the Czech Republic champion in 2013. However, if you ask anyone in the world about sports and Plzeň, for most the first association will be Petr Čeh.
One of the best goalkeepers of all time, recognizable by the protective helmet on his head, was born in Plzeň, but he only played for Viktoria as a boy - and first as a striker.
He gained fame through Sparta Prague, Rennes and especially while guarding the Chelsea net, where he set many records and brought the club its first European crown in 2012.
Alongside Čech, as a legend of the city, stands Filip Jiha, the legendary handball player - a man who worked wonders in the Kilo jersey and who was named the best player in the world in 2010.
After all, does anyone still think that Plzeň is just a city of beer?
Bonus video:
