Wender·Vista
Plzeň
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCzech Republic
in west Bohemia, where the pilsner began

Plzeň

— a tall spire and a slow amber pour.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A Bohemian city where the road from Prague slows. The cathedral spire keeps watch over a square that hasn't changed shape in six centuries. Below the cobbles, brewery tunnels run cool and long. The light here is the colour of unfiltered lager held up to a window in late afternoon.

from the studio
Plzeň
— bring it home

Plzeň, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Plzeň

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Plzeň sits in West Bohemia, about 90 kilometres southwest of Prague at the confluence of four rivers: the Mže, Radbuza, Úhlava, and Úslava. Founded in 1295 by King Wenceslas II as a royal trading town, it grew along the salt road between Nuremberg and Prague. Today the city counts roughly 170,000 residents and serves as the seat of the Plzeň Region. Its medieval grid still organises the old town, and Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky) remains one of the largest historic squares in Central Europe.

— informed by Wikipedia
— the stone

The Cathedral of St. Bartholomew rises from the centre of Republic Square on a Gothic plan begun in the late 13th century. Its spire, rebuilt and finished at 102.6 metres, is the tallest church tower in the Czech Republic, taller even than St. Vitus in Prague. Inside, the Plzeň Madonna (around 1390) stands on the high altar, a slender stone figure carved during the cathedral's first century. The surrounding burgher houses are largely Renaissance, painted in the warm chalks of the Bohemian palette.

— informed by Wikipedia
— the visit

Pilsner Urquell has been brewed in Plzeň since 1842, when Bavarian brewer Josef Groll combined local soft water, Saaz hops, and Moravian barley to produce the first pale lager. The brewery on U Prazdroje street runs guided tours that descend into nine kilometres of sandstone cellars cut beneath the city, where unpasteurised beer is still drawn from oak lagering barrels for tasting. Most tours last about 100 minutes and run daily in several languages.

— informed by Pilsner Urquell
— where
Czech Republic · Plzeň, Plzeň Region
— elevation
310 m · 1,017 ft
— position
49.7475° N · 13.3776° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
90 km E
Prague
capital city
80 km NNW
Karlovy Vary
spa town
140 km S
Český Krumlov
medieval town
N
Plzeň
Prague
Karlovy Vary
Český Krumlov
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Plzeň — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Plzeň sits in West Bohemia, about 90 kilometres southwest of Prague along the D5 motorway. It is the fourth-largest city in the Czech Republic and the seat of the Plzeň Region.

Pilsner Urquell was first brewed here in 1842 by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll. The clear golden lager he produced gave the entire pilsner style its name, and the original brewery still operates on the Radbuza river.

The Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, a Gothic church begun in the late 13th century. Its 102.6-metre spire is the tallest church tower in the Czech Republic, and the late-14th-century Plzeň Madonna stands on the high altar.

Yes. Pilsner Urquell runs guided tours from its U Prazdroje gate, descending into nine kilometres of sandstone cellars beneath the city. Tours typically last about 100 minutes and end with a tasting drawn from oak barrels.

King Wenceslas II founded Plzeň in 1295 as a royal town along the trade road between Prague and Nuremberg. The medieval street grid laid out then still organises the old town today.

A network of medieval cellars and tunnels, the Plzeň Historical Underground, runs roughly twenty kilometres beneath the streets. About 800 metres are open to guided tour from the Brewery Museum entrance.

— about the piece in your home

It travels well. Plzeň carries strong association for many Czech families: the cathedral spire, the square, the brewery name. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note often goes to someone whose grandparents emigrated from Bohemia.

The amber and stained-glass palette suits Old World Eclectic, warm Maximalist, and pub-library interiors. It also holds its own in a Modern Craftsman kitchen, especially near reclaimed oak or hammered copper.

For a standard sofa, a single Large reads at the right scale from across the room. For a longer wall, a 4-tile Mural balances the negative space; a 9-tile Mural carries above a console in an entryway.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any vertical kitchen or bar install: both are scratch-resistant and resist steam. The Glossy finish is best kept to framed wall pieces away from cooking surfaces.

A soft microfibre cloth, slightly damp with water, is all the tile needs. No cleansers, no abrasives. The colour lives in the ceramic surface itself, so nothing on top can dull or strip it.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is drawn by Reid Wender's eye and finished in our Knoxville studio. No outside licensing, no stock imagery: one studio, one signature across the whole atlas.

— if this one stayed with you

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