Plzeň

Plzeň (German, Pilsen), city in the western Czech Republic, at the confluence of numerous streams which combine to become the Berounka River. It is the capital of Plzeň Region. Plzeň is famous for the brewing of Pilsner beer. The city is also a centre for the production of armaments, aircraft, locomotives, motor vehicles, and machinery. Clothing, ceramics, chemicals, hardware, and paper are also manufactured here. The architectural features of the city include the 13th-century Gothic Church of St Bartholomew and a 16th-century Renaissance town hall. The city has a college of mechanical and electrical engineering (1949). Population 165,259 (2003 estimate).