The old St Wenceslas Microbrewery (Svatovaclavsky Pivovar) was one of Olomouc's best places to try a good locally brewed unpasteurized pivo, until it suddenly stopped serving its own brew and removed many of the seats and tables to make space for electronic gambling machines.
Apparently the owners of the original microbrewery decided it wasn't worth continuing when their landlord radically raised the rent and started searching for a new location.
'St Wenceslas Microbrewery' (Svatováclavský pivovar) was never trademarked so now there are two very different businesses bearing the same name. The new brewery at Mariánská 4 run by the original founders is the one you want.
All the old beers are back. The 10º Vašek (25Kč) is the understudy to the stronger and more flavourful 12º St Wenceslas, 'Mr Brun's 13º dark beer', the wheat beer, cherry beer and flavoured beer (all 31-32Kč a pot) and 'Mr Jošt's half and half' (řezané) which goes for 28Kč.
St Wenceslas' new space has a real old-school beerhall ambience. The double copper boilers watch over the beerhall like a ship's bridge and for sunny days and cigarette smokers there's a big outdoor seating area on the poop deck.
Beneath the brewery is an old cold war nuclear fallout shelter which has been converted into a 'beer spa'. Spa-goers bathe in a large oak tub filled with dark beer and a special mix of herbs, and complimentary light beer is served. The two hour 990Kč spa package also includes a massage and a classic sauna.
