Czechia in 30 minutes

News; Czech PM calls National Security Council meeting over suspect bitcoin transaction; The Netherlands send a bell made of Russian missiles from Ukraine to Prague's Old Town; Beavers' comeback: How a once-extinct species is reshaping the Czech landscape.

News; Bitcoin scandal shakes Czech government as opposition pushes for no-confidence vote; Czech leaders react to Nawrocki's presidential win in Poland; British comedian Mark Watson on Prague and performing comedy abroad.

In this weekend on Czechia in 30 Minutes, we hear from Martina Šmídová—a young Moravian woman born after 1990. She talks about building a new life in Thailand, what it means to belong to the Millennial generation, and how old labels like “Czechoslovakia” still follow her. A brief but insightful look at how younger Czechs see the world—and how the world sees them.

Born free, growing up wired: Meet Czechia's digital generation, Twenty years of baby boxes in Czechia: One adoptive father's perspective, Jeffrey Martin on mapping Prague's streets in 1.3 million photos, news 

For today's show: the News; Czech government holds China responsible for cyber-attack on Ministry of Foreign Affairs network; new mural at Prague's Letná pays tribute to Milada Horáková; an interview with Czech UN Youth Delegate Veronika Novotná on the mental health crisis of our time and what the UN can do about it. 

News; Čapek's Letters from England, signed by WWII paratroopers, exhibited; Prague celebrates specialty coffee at Filtruj! 2025 festival; Dr. Tomáš Páleníček on psychedelics in psychiatric treatment.

News, Africa Day highlights historic Czech-African partnership, Day of Czech returns to enthuse and educate about Czech language and literature, Beavers' comeback: How a once-extinct species is reshaping the Czech landscape, news

From tanks to sabotage: how Russia never left Czechia alone, To mark 100th anniversary, Sokol's Tyrš House unveils new mural, Martin Dušek maps anarchic Czech approach to construction in new film

Czechia has made a historic change to its election laws: citizens living abroad will now be able to vote by mail. As Czech women Marta McCabe, Julie O'Donovan and political scientist Petr Just point out, the reform comes after years of advocacy by Czech expatriates around the world. Weekend edition of Czechia in 30 minutes brings their views.

News; A major exhibition about the Czech animator and illustrator Jiří Trnka opens in Prague; Revealing the fate of Czechoslovaks in Soviet Gulags; Interview with Steve Gove as the 24th Prague Fringe Festival begins its rich programme of performances.

For today's show: the news; remains of Olomouc's Přemyslid rulers identified and laid to rest; researchers examine stains in medieval medical manuscripts to uncover ancient remedies; the Czech Anne Frank: Diary of Věrka Kohnová. 

For today's show: the News; how the Czech Army is reaching out to the public; are firefighters at increased risk of heart disease due to “eternal chemicals”?; and for our feature, an interview with political scientist Jiří Pehe on his career and life as he retires at 70. 

News; the iconic Říp Hill was once a lava lake, researchers have revealed; the future Via Silva Nortica: the cycle route from Vysočina through southern Bohemia and on to Melk in Austria; will bears disappear entirely from Czech castles?; former Slovak President Kiska speaks out on Fico, Orbán, Babiš and the EU.

On today's Czechia in 30 minutes show, we bring you: the news; Czechia's extreme drought and forecast for the summer; expats in London honor Czech and Slovak wartime stories; and, for our feature, over 24,500 walkers take part in 58th annual Prague–Prčice March. 

Australian couple Jean Svoboda and her partner Richard have returned to Czechia to continue a remarkable journey—one that began in online archives and led them across Europe. Jean, whose father was Czech and mother Latvian, has spent years reconstructing her family's past, piece by piece. Richard, himself of British origins and new to genealogy but moved by Jean's commitment, joined her in uncovering stories long forgotten. Together, they reflect on identity, belonging, and what it means to rediscover home—half a world away.

News; Czech voters are sticking to familiar choices as the election campaign begins; The top 4 real-life locations of the hit game Kingdom Come: Deliverance II; Dozens of rarely accessible buildings are set to welcome visitors during Open House Prague.

News; GLOBSEC poll shows 81% of Czechs would defend country; The Prague Transport Company celebrates 150 years with special documentary series; Prague off the Beaten Track goes to Rohan Island.

In today's Czechia in 30 minutes show, we bring you: the news; the chances of Adonxs winning Eurovision 2025 in Basel; Brno scientists develop monitoring system to keep pilots from nodding off; and, for our feature, I take you to an award-winning cafe in Prague, May Cafe, to speak to its owner about the inspiration behind the cafe.

News; interview with the programme director of Prague Spring music festival; Czech cavers navigate country's longest underground traverse in Moravia; Variety journalist Steven Gaydos remembers the late Jiří Bartoška.

News, Museum of Survivors opens near Brno, in the former factory of Oskar Schindler, Czechia beats Norway at World Ice Hockey Championship, and the geocaching craze in Czechia.

In Czechia in 30 Minutes, Czech fighter Jan Trčka explains why he defends Ukraine—and why the war matters to all who value democracy.

News; passing of Jiří Bartoška, actor and face of Karlovy Vary festival; selling precious stones of unclear origin may cost geogark its UNESCO status; POBT explores Grand Hotel International Prague.

Alex Rosenzweig talks to Holocaust survivor Felix Kafka who together with his brother was lucky enough to join a children's transport to Great Britain, organised by Nicholas Winton. Mr. Kafka, who will turn 100 in June of this year, shares his memories of the time. And later on Jakub Ferencik will talk to Ivan Puš, a historian at Palacký University in Olomouc about Jewish identity and belonging in 20th century.

Brno court blocks completion of Dukovany tender – what happens now?, Suffering not over for Terezín inmates, as liberating troops arrived to free them, Adam Stewart: Many Czechs don't believe Cimrman plays could possibly work in English, news

Science fiction in the spotlight at this year's Anifilm festival, Czechia shows greatest growth in EU of sales of electric cars, Martina Skála on working with Forman and Polanski – and dancing with horses, news 

Zelensky in Prague: “We see Czech aid as a joint fight against terrorism”, 80 years ago: Prague rises up against the Third Reich, “You absolutely have to use AI”: AI researcher on Czech-US alignment in AI regulation

Eighty years ago, World War II ended in Czechoslovakia with both celebration and uncertainty. In this weekend edition of Czechia in 30 minutes, historian Vít Smetana reflects on how the U.S. Army and Soviet forces divided the country—not just geographically, but politically. What did liberation mean in 1945, and how should we remember it today?

Landovský: “The agreement will help Kyiv. If the US is mining somewhere, security forces will be present”, Freedom Celebrations in Plzeň bigger than ever on 80th anniversary of liberation, Maya Kvetny's casting journey from L.A. to Prague

For today's Czechia in 30 minutes show, we bring you an exlusive interview with anti-fascist Sudeten German Alois Ullmann and his two grandchildren who sat down with us in our studio. Alois Ullmann was a key figure in the Sudeten German social democratic movement. He fled to Great Britain during the Nazi regime but later returned to Prague. After being imprisoned in concentration camps, he worked to rebuild his party, Seliger Gemeinde, but was thwarted by the expulsion of Sudeten Germans. He later organized the resettlement of Sudeten German anti-fascists, known as "Aktion Ullmann."  As the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War approaches, his grandchildren, Sally Bywater and Chris Ullmann, reflect on his legacy, with the help of historian Thomas Oellermann who sets the stage for this painful period of history. We will be back with our typical show tomorrow. Enjoy!

News, exhibition showing never-before-seen images of Antonín Dvořák, reconstruction of Prague square, the return of beavers to the Czech lands 

On this show: news; a UNESCO mission recommends the reconstruction of Prague's iconic Vyšehrad Railway Bridge; eighty years after WWII, Czech volunteers are defending Europe in Ukraine; Antonín Kokeš's career, from Albi to 'Antonín's bakeries'.

On today's show: News; plans unveiled for Prague's Philosopher Quarter; treasure worth unearthed in north-eastern Bohemia; and for our feature, we bring you another edition of our series, “Prague Off the Beaten Track” with Vit Pohanka.

Weekend edition of Czechia in 30 minutes reveals just how much—and how little—was known about the Celts who once lived in Czech lands. In the hills in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, a reconstructed Celtic oppidum stands as a reminder of the ancient Boii tribe who once lived in what is now Czechia. The site reflects a broader fascination in Czech culture with Celtic heritage—an interest that has persisted since the 1990s and continues today.

How is Czechia complying with EU's AI Act, bombing of Plzen in April 1945, an interview with Former Slovak ambassador to NATO, Peter Bátor who recently visited Prague. 

Excessive alcohol consumption in Czechia, new network monitoring health of trees around Czechia, what will Prague look like in 2050?

Prague Astronomical clock stops to commemorate road traffic victims, Life story of murdered Czech female novelist subject of new series, Czechs' quiet secularism

Czechia mourns and remembers Pope Francis, Adolf Loos villa reconstruction, interview with daughter of photographer Jan Lukas

When Tereza Porybná talks about culture, she doesn't mean a museum or a gallery — at least not in the traditional sense. For her, culture is a space. A space for dialogue, for connection, and yes, sometimes for surprise.

For today's show: News; an installation of a new pipe organ at St. Vitus Cathedral begins; Arnošt of Pardubice cruise ship is launched once more; and, for our feature, we bring you to Brno, where students from 22 countries attended Czechia's largest Model UN, held at Masaryk University. 

Prague hopes to attract more tourists from Japan, national parks concerned about proposed changes, visit to Telč

In the show today: news; Prague moves to ban shared e-scooters, resilience and strength coach Dominik Luks, Miloš Hroch on the Czech 'shoegaze' music genre in the 1990s.

News, designer Jan Černý and his EXPO 2025 outfits, Czech team wins third place at the world's first racing competition for autonomous drones and the disinformation scene in Czechia