Do you like good beer? If yes, we would like to invite you on a trip to the Tyskie brewery. The tour included a return to the past (to Wiolczi’s delight) and modern technical achievements (to Patryk’s satisfaction). Come with us! You will see what exactly we mean.
There are plenty of attractions waiting for you in the Silesian Voivodeship. You must see them!
Tychy brewery – Visitor Center
Brewery Museum in Tychy – tour
What are the four basic ingredients of beer? Every true lover of this noble, golden drink will answer without hesitation: malt, hops, yeast and water. This is where the tour of the Tyskie brewery begins. During your visit to the historic laboratory, you will exercise your senses. Here you will see and smell the aromas of various types of malt and hops. You will also have the opportunity to observe yeast under a microscope.
Let us briefly tell you the history of the brewery founded by the Lower Silesian Promnitz family. The first mention of the brewing of the golden drink in Tychy appeared in documents as early as 1613. In turn, in 1629, the grange was granted brewing rights – this is the date considered to be the establishment of the brewery in Tychy. As it is easy to calculate, it will soon celebrate its 400th anniversary. This gives it the title of one of the oldest breweries in Poland.
In 1622, the historic “Trójka” brewhouse was put into operation. This is truly one of the most beautiful places of this type we have ever seen. Majolica tiles in white and blue are decorated with hand-made motifs related to brewing – barley ears and hop cones. The lids of the huge vats are covered with an elegant, shiny copper coating. “Trójka” is called the “heart of the brewery”. May it continue to beat as long as possible.
The next sightseeing point is a much more modern brewhouse. It is called “Czeska”. Why? Well, because Poland’s southern neighbors built it. Its colors are similar to those in “Trójka”, but there are no artistic elements here. Simple vats and “advanced” fixture make “Czeska” feel the spirit of progress rather than the spirit of the times.
After visiting both brewhouses, it’s time for a short lecture about the subsequent stages of the magical beer brewing process. This interesting lesson is conducted by our guide. Step by step, it reveals to us the secrets of mashing, filtering, cooking, cooling, fermentation, maturation, filtration and – finally – bottling. The ingredients used and the way in which the subsequent brewing stages are performed allow you to obtain a specific type of golden drink.
The above-mentioned beer types in brewing are more professionally called beer styles. Apparently there are as many as 150 of them in the world! They differ in composition, taste and aroma, production technology and appearance. The most popular beer from Tyskie (which is Tyskie Gronie also called “gold from the Tychy”) is a typical light lager. But Tyskie brewery has many more types of beer in its portfolio.
After leaving the museum part, we head outside. The historical part of the brewery is impressive, but the most spectacular are the fermentation tanks. It was the first time in our lives that we saw such large containers. (As you can see, brewing museums not only entertain, but also teach.) Millions of liters of beer are fermented and aged in these huge steel tanks.
Taking care of the quality of the golden drink is the task of the most important person in the brewery, i.e. the brewmaster. This craftsman supervised the brewing process and was responsible for the final product. Like it or not, he had to indulge in regular tasting. It was in the employer’s interest to take care of such a master. He was therefore provided with accommodation on the premises of the brewery so as not to lose his way to his eventual place of residence due to his state of intoxication. For the same reasons, the brewer’s house had no thresholds or stairs.
Walking around the Tychy brewery, you will see that it was a “town within a city”. In the 19th century, railway tracks were built here connecting the beer factory with the main station. Residential buildings, stables (where farm animals were kept), a bachelor’s house (for unmarried workers), and even a chapel and a casino were also built. Entire families worked in the brewery. The passion for brewing was passed down from generation to generation. On one of the buildings there is a contemporary mural depicting the local inhabitants.
Tyskie – factory
The bottling part of Tyskie brewery is separated from the museum part not only by history, but also by the quite busy Mikołowska Street. There is a very industrial atmosphere inside. We quickly learn that we are in one of the most modern and efficient beer bottling plants in Poland. Of course, we cannot enter the hall to see the machines up close. So we peek at them through the window.
First, checking the quality of the bottles. Empty glass vessels rush along the conveyor belt at breakneck speeds. Those that are unusable are thrown aside. These perfect ones will soon be filled with golden liquid, decorated with a label and closed. They will be helped by a “monoblok” – a filling and capping machine (2-in-1). Its rotation takes only eight seconds. During this time, as many as 154 bottles of beer are created. Production can reach 60,000 bottles per hour.
And what about cans? Working at full capacity, the bottling plant is able to produce up to 150,000 of them per hour. Up to 3,250,000 liters of beer can leave the factory every single day. According to the data obtained from Mr. Guide, the average annual production of Tyskie brewery is 600 million liters of the golden drink. But it’s not just the numbers that are impressive. The surprise for us was the small number of people working in production. All this thanks to the latest technologies used in the bottling plant.
Tyskie beer tasting in the brewery pub
The history and development of Tyskie brewery is really interesting, and a tasting in the pub under the brewery seems to be the perfect ending to our trip. Each participant of the guided tour is entitled to a perfectly chilled, fresh and delicious half-liter light glass. (We do not promote the consumption of alcohol in larger quantities, and teetotalers can request the 0.0% option.) Here is to you!
Tyskie Brewery – tickets
Ticket prices at Tyskie Browary Książęce Visitor Center depend on the selected tour option.
- Guided tour (only for adults, ending with a tasting of 0.5 liter beer):
- the brewery only – PLN 49.
- the brewery and bottling plant – PLN 59 (we recommend this option).
- Independent tour of the museum without a guide (minors can participate, but only under the supervision of an adult guardian):
- normal ticket – PLN 19.
- reduced ticket – PLN 10.
Tychy Brewery – opening hours
- Tyskie brewery is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 20:00.
- The facility is closed on Mondays.
Tychy brewery – visiting time
- Guided tour (only for adults, ending with a tasting of 0.5 liter beer):
- around the brewery only lasts 60 minutes.
- around the brewery and bottling plant lasts 90 minutes.
- An independent tour of the museum without a guide should take about 90 minutes.
Tyskie brewery – how to get?
Tyskie brewery can be found at Katowicka 9 in Tychy.
- On foot/bike. The attraction is 650 meters from the Tychy market square – just a 9-minute walk or less than 5 minutes by bike.
- Bus. The nearest bus stop is Tychy Browar.
- Train. If you go on a train trip, you can easily walk from the Railway Station – the distance is approximately 2.3 kilometers, or a 30-minute walk.
- Car. Guests of the museum can leave their vehicles in an unguarded parking lot located on the premises. The basis for not charging a parking fee is the purchase of an admission ticket for the tour.
Tyskie brewery – interesting facts and tips
- Dear Visitors, please be at the reception 15 minutes before the planned start time of your tour.
- Tyskie Browary Książęce took its name from the Prince of Pszczyna, Jan Henryk XI Hochberg. (“Książęcy” in Polish means “belonging to the prince”.) The fortune of this exceptionally wealthy entrepreneur included gold, real estate and industrial plants. He also invested a huge sum in the expansion of the Tychy brewery. It was so large that it was decided to honor the prince by taking part in the name of the facility.
- Museum of Tyskie brewery is located on the Technical Monuments Trail of the Silesian Voivodeship.
- In the 1950s, a brewery technical school was established in Tychy. It was a unique educational facility in the country.
- “And the Oscar goes to…” Tyskie. Yes, our dear ones, in 2005 this noble beer received the Grand Prix in the Brewing Industry International Awards competition in the lager category.
- To produce 1 liter of beer, Tyskie brewery uses on average just over 2.7 liters of water. Do you think this is a lot? Not really. The market average is around 3 liters. Bravo, Tyskie!
- Have you ever seen hops grow? If not, check out this “art installation” below. You will certainly pass it while walking between the museum and the factory. It is this string-climbing plant that is responsible for the relaxing and soporific properties of beer.
Tychy Brewery – opinions / reviews
- Patrix – 6/10. The museum part is not very interesting, but the opportunity to see the production line is great! Seeing with your own eyes how thousands of bottles are cleaned per hour and then filled with golden liquid is very impressive. Fresh beer after the trip tastes completely different than the one bought in the store! I recommend.
- Wiolczix – 7/10. I recommend visiting the Tychy brewery to everyone – not only beer lovers. The museum part is primarily characterized by atmospheric design elements: beautiful vats, lots of wood, the presence of brick. And the smell of hops coming from everywhere. However, since I have already been to several breweries / beer museums, it didn’t make a great impression on me (number one will always be the Żywiec Brewery Museum). The coolest thing about the Tychy brewery is that you can see the bottling. Fun fact: I had the opportunity to work in a factory and in factory offices, but if someone has never been to such a place, they will certainly be surprised at what it all looks like. The Guide was only a little funny, he treats his job rather seriously, but he really told us a lot of interesting facts, not only about the Tychy brewery, but also about the entire “art of beer”.
Tyskie brewery – frequently asked questions
How long does the Tyskie brewery tour take?
The duration of the visit to Tyskie brewery depends on the selected tour option. You can choose from: a guided tour covering only the museum part, which lasts about 60 minutes (shorter tour option); a guided tour including the museum part and the modern bottling plant, which lasts about 90 minutes (longer tour option); independent tour without a guide, which lasts about 90 minutes.
What group does Tyskie belong to?
Tyskie belongs to Polish company Kompania Piwowarska. This group currently includes three breweries: Lech Browary Wielkopolski, Tyskie Browary Książęce and Dojlidy from Białystok. Since 2017, the Company has been owned by the Japanese holding company Asahi Group.
Where is Tyskie bottled? Where is Tyskie beer produced? What city does Tyskie beer come from? Where does Tyskie come from?
Tyskie beer comes from, is bottled and produced in the city of Tychy, located in the Silesian Voivodeship. The tradition of brewing beer in this place dates back 400 years.
Are Tyskie beer and Książęce beer the same?
You could say that Tyskie and Książęce are the same. : ) The full name of the famous industrial plant producing beer in Tychy is Tyskie Browary Książęce. Both Tyskie and Książęce are produced here.
Who owns the Tyskie Brewery?
Formally, since 2017, the owner of the Tyskie brewery is the Japanese holding Asahi Group based in Tokyo. It also includes other European beer producers, such as: Grolsch, Peroni, Meantime, Gambrinus, Pilsner Urquell, Radegast, Velkopopovický Kozel, Lech, Dreher, and Ursus.
Tychy brewery – map
Tyskie brewery can be found in the center of the Silesian Voivodeship, in the city of Tychy in the Stare Tychy district.