We are thrilled to announce that the LRE Foundation- in collaboration with the City of Pilsen – has created three new Liberation Route Europe themed routes through the Czech city steeped in World War II history. With a new network of hiking trails, anyone willing to discover the hidden gems of Pilsen gets the chance to experience the most significant sites, monuments and stories related to the city’s Occupation and Liberation.
“Most foreign visitors are aware that Pilsen was probably the very last big city in Europe liberated by the US Army,” says Jan Engler, City of Pilsen’s marketing manager. “Not many know its role in the resistance, involvement with the airdrops of the Czechoslovak paratroopers from the United Kingdom or the story of the 2 613 Jews deported to the concentration camps. Thanks to the great cooperation and support of the LRE Foundation, tourists may discover the three new themed routes just by clicking on the Liberation Route Europe webpage.”
Starting at the symbolic Peace Square (náměstí Míru), one of the city’s first memorials, the path along the history of the Pilsen’s Liberation in May 1945 leads past numerous relevant sites like the Pilsen brewery complex, Klatovska Street 19 or the Patton Memorial Museum, honouring American General Patton, an important figure in the city’s liberation process.
A second route takes you to the most interesting sites thematising the Pilsen Uprising against German occupiers on May 5, 1945. The trail showcases the triumphs and tribulations of Pilsen’s’ Resistance. Notable landmarks include memorials like the Jindřich Křečan commemoration plaque at the Roosevelt Bridge.
Allowing you to connect with the everyday lives and extraordinary stories of Pilsen’s inhabitants, a third themed route connects sites and monuments presenting the Civilian Experience in Pilsen. From the memorial plaque at Čechova Street to the Hotel Continental, the route encapsulates the stories of ordinary citizens, resistance fighters and the Jewish community during the Second World War.
“The new themed routes through Pilsen are opening the doors to a deeper understanding of the profound impact that World War II had on its streets and its people,” says Emerald Johnson, Project Officer at the LRE Foundation. “We are excited to share these new hiking trails, and we look forward to the meaningful experiences they will offer to all who embark on this historical journey with us.”
