Škoda Car Factory & Museum

Some places only make sense once you are inside. The Škoda factory in Mladá Boleslav is exactly that kind of place. From the outside it is an industrial town an hour from Prague. From the inside it is one of the largest and most modern car plants in Eastern Europe — where thousands of cars roll off the production line every day and drive away across Europe.

A private Škoda factory tour from Prague is not just a museum visit. It is a journey through 130 years of Czech automotive history and a chance to see how a modern car is actually built — with a licensed guide, door-to-door from your hotel.

Škoda Museum: from a bicycle workshop to a global brand

The story of Škoda did not begin with cars — and it began with an argument. In 1894, Václav Klement, a Czech bookseller from Mladá Boleslav, bought a German bicycle that promptly broke down. He wrote a complaint letter in Czech. The German company replied that they only read German and he should write accordingly. Klement, furious, went to a local pub to calm down. There he met Václav Laurin, a local engineer. After a few beers they decided to start their own bicycle company — and that was the beginning of what would become one of the world's oldest car manufacturers.

The company opened its workshop in 1895, moved to motorcycles in 1899, and in 1905 built its first car — the Laurin & Klement Voiturette A. In 1925 the company merged with Škoda Works — the Pilsen-based industrial group that was at the time the largest industrial concern in Central Europe — and took on the Škoda name. In 1991 Škoda entered a joint venture with the Volkswagen Group, becoming a fully owned subsidiary by 2000. Today it produces vehicles not only under its own name but components for Audi, VW and SEAT as well.

The museum is housed in the original factory buildings where cars were produced until 1928. Three permanent exhibitions cover the full history of the brand — from the earliest models to modern concept cars. Rare pre-war vehicles, multimedia installations and a short film about the company's history. After this, you will never look at the Škoda badge quite the same way.

The working factory: production up close

The second part of the tour is the rarest. You step onto the working factory floor and follow the various stages of car production — robotic assembly lines, the live conveyor, a real manufacturing process that most visitors never see up close. A Škoda factory tour from Prague is a unique experience that is simply not available as a self-guided visit without advance booking.

Please note: children under 10 years of age are not permitted on the factory floor.

The tour departs from your hotel in Prague and returns you there at the end of the day. For more unusual day trips from Prague, explore our full collection.