A Different Kind of Weekend in Pilsen

Last weekend, Pilsen didn’t look like the Pilsen I’ve known these past few months. The city center turned into something between a museum and a movie set, filled with old U.S. Army vehicles, re-enactors in uniform, and tents from another era.

I hadn’t planned to attend the Slavnosti svobody (Liberation Festival) in detail, but I ended up spending more time than expected walking around and taking it all in. The atmosphere was different. Calm, respectful, but also curious and open.

History on Display

In the main square, a large screen was set up in front of the cathedral, displaying the message “From Normandy to Pilsen - 80 years.” Around it, dozens of vintage vehicles stood in perfect lines. Jeeps with military police signs, troop transport trucks, and half-tracks with mounted guns, all detailed and clean, as if they had just come back from a mission.

Each vehicle had something unique to show. Some had crates and sandbags, others had maps and typewriters. You could walk between them freely, talk to the re-enactors, and ask questions. Some of them stayed fully in character, others smiled and shared a few fun facts.

A City That Remembers

Pilsen is one of the few cities in Europe that celebrates its liberation by U.S. troops on such a large scale. And you can feel that it means something. You see American flags on windows, messages of thanks, and even small memorials on street corners.

What struck me most was how natural it all felt. This wasn’t a forced celebration or a tourist trap. It was a moment where locals and visitors, families and veterans, students and kids, all came together to remember a part of history.

A Personal Note

I didn’t expect much. I thought I’d walk around for 30 minutes, take two or three pictures and leave. But I stayed. Not because it was flashy, but because it was real. Simple, well done, and respectful.

I’m glad I got to experience it, and if you’re in the Czech Republic around early May, it’s something worth seeing.

More details about the event: here

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