U Fleků is a pub and microbrewery

Microbrewery

A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....

 in Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

, Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

. It occupies buildings around a central courtyard at Křemencova 11 in New Town

New Town, Prague

The New Town is a quarter in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. New Town is the youngest and largest of the five independent towns that today comprise the historic center of modern Prague...

, (Praha 1), not far from the National Theatre

National Theatre (Prague)

The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...

. The front facade of the building has an old, highly decorated clock above its door.

History

Originally a family business, the pub was founded in 1499, and therefore celebrated its fifth centenary in 1999. It has been referred to as the oldest brewery in Prague. In 1762 the brewery was bought by Jakub Flekovský, which gave its current name : U Fleků means in Czech

Czech language

Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...

 "At the Fleks'".
It is a popular destination with Prague tourists. After World War II the company was nationalized, and control was transferred to a board of management appointed by the state. Following the Velvet Revolution

Velvet Revolution

The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...

, the company was privatized.

The pub today

Customers can sit in the open air "beer garden" (on the model of the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 Biergarten) or inside in the pub. There are eight halls (rooms) to chose from, with the most famous one, with its original designs, called “Akademie” (Academy). Most of the halls are open for large groups only (with total seating for 1200 people). Customers sit at, and often share, long wooden tables and benches. Often strolling accordion and/or tuba players provide entertainment, and some customers like to sing along. On some nights, there is also a live cabaret show (fee, reservations needed). It features international dance routines (including Czech polka) and comedy.

There is a detailed museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 tour in the former malt house building of the brewery, mainly explaining the brewing process over the centuries, with original machinery on display, and with taped audio (including English), (fee, reservations needed). There is also a tour of the brewery during the week, with a short film, beer tasting, and souvenir (fee, reservations needed). Visitors can also purchase an array of souvenirs at their gift shop, including a multitude of beer steins.

Tall dark wood panels decorate the walls, including some paintings and plaques. One plaque that hangs on the pub's wall commemorates the founding of HNK Hajduk Split

HNK Hajduk Split

HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...

, a successful Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

n football club from Split

Split (city)

Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

 (then also a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) at the pub in 1911.

Brewing

The pub has only one kind of beer, its own popular dark lager

Lager

Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...

 with 5 percent alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....

 ABV, brewed at 13° plato. The beer, Flekovsky Tmavy Lezák 13° ("The Flek Dark Double Lager at 13°P"), also known as Flekovská třináctka ("The Flek Thirteen"), is brewed on the premises and is not available anywhere else. Traditional Czech meals are served. Prices are considerably higher than other local pubs, and beer is served in measures of 40cl as opposed to the 50cl standard in almost all other Czech pubs.

Sources

• Ufleku.cz - Official website
• Radio Praha - A visit to Prague's famous U Fleku Brewery and Pub, 28-05-2003, Jan Velinger
• New York Times - Prague's Foamy Delights, 14-03-82, Henry Kamm