You should climb up the church tower to get that special view if you have a chance. It's not expensive but of course there's no elevator so be ready for a fitness exercise :-). You better check the opening hours it might not be open all day long during the off season. If you are afraid of heights don't worry, there's a fence. You can see the church bells on your way up.
In the middle of the town square across from city hall is St. Bartholomew's. You cannot miss it because it is the tallest church in the whole country. You are allowed to walk into the church and look past through a gate at the pews, stained glass, paintings and alter. It is attractive but I wanted to get closer to the artwork.
Directly to the left of the church entrance is the entrance to the tower. The first part of the ascent is up a stone spiral staircase. You take that up about three stories where there is a booth where you pay the 30 Korunas entry fee. There are also some old postcards for sale and some odd artwork on the walls. This is where the adventure really starts as you start walking up the old wooden staircase. After about 8 stories, you continue on much steeper and narrower steps. I needed to stop a couple of times to catch my breath since there were more than 250 steps! When you get to the church bells, you are almost to the top. Finally there is a room and outdoor walk-around view. The view is worth the climbing as you see for miles in every direction including other churchs and the huge synagogue, the spawling Pilsner Urquell and Skoda factories and the endless about of "soviet", concrete houses in the suburbs. I enjoyed it.
Well, I am an original pilsner, so I can appreciate your recommendation for possible pilsner visitors. All you mentioned is worth seeing and visiting. The cathedral of the St. Bartholomew is really impressive with its 102 metres high tower (the tallest in CZ) and its madonna statue. Man can step up to the 50 metres high balcony of the tower and look at the city centre from a birds view. The main square below was a year ago equipped with three new and modern water fountains that were built at the place where the original town fountains were situated in the middle ages and which remind the three parts of the pilsner coat of arms: a camel, a greyhound and an angel. Visitors can in the very close places (100 metres) to the main square visit the famous pilsner beer museum, the Parkan pub, the Salzmann beer restaurant (where the first „pilsner beer“ was delivered to Prague. It should be mentioned that the first „pilsner“ was produced in Pilsen and after had become popular all over the world the „pilsner-like“ beer is produced all over the world. The „Parkan pub“ is well known due to its not pasteurised beer which is worth tasting once in your life at least!!!
The Pilsen town centre is also well known by its historical underground which is accesible from the close vicinity of the brewary museum and the Parkan pub and is interesting by its several undergound levels and dwells that served in the middle-ages as shelters, refrigerators, sources of fresh water etc.
The other place worth visiting is the Pilsner brewery establishe in the middle of the 19th century. You can take part there in the sightseeing tour and of course to visit the brewery restaurant where you can drink the pilsner from the very source! And to taste the pilsner/bohemian meals.