Czechia in 30 minutes

Oscar nomination announced, Czechia unveils new national logo, escaped lion shot dead, hiking around Czechia 

In this weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, Vít Pohanka speaks with Julia Kňažková, a Slovak who has made her home in the picturesque South Bohemian village of Holašovice. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is famed for its perfectly preserved Baroque farmhouses and centuries-old village layout — and for the everyday life that continues behind its painted façades.

On today's Czechia in 30 Minutes show: The negative impact on Czech foreign tradedue to US tariffs; experts at Czech Academy of Sciences investigate sleep; and, for our feature, an interview with Aleš Březina, director of the Bohuslav Martinů Institute and co-curator of the festival ‘Martinů and His World', celebrating the legacy of the great Czech composer at Bard Music Festival. Enjoy!

News; Karel Zeman's Journey to the Beginning of Time turns 70 – a Cold War cinema classic; Czechia's iconic “Knödel Express” not being written off just yet; RPI visits Jihlava Zoo in the Vysočina Region.

Marlene Dietrich at Grebovka, Czech food at EXPO 25 and award-winning Czech writer Marie Dočkalová

Czechs abroad register to vote in elections, after 40 years Prague has a new railway station, brewing beer at home abroad and the story of Silvester Muller. 

The International Day of Remembrance for the Roma and Sinti Holocaust is marked on 2 August — the date when over 4,000 Roma were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944. In this weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, we speak to Michaela Küchler, Secretary General of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, about her family's Czech roots, her mission to preserve the memory of the Roma genocide, and the tragic history of the Lety camp.

News; Mendel's microscope now on display at London's Science Museum; Pardubice student fixes potholes with dazzling mosaics; Michael Tate, founder of UK-based Jantar Publishing, on Prague Talk.

On today's Czechia in 30 Minutes show: Czechia defies trend: No recognition of Palestine, yet; Brno unveils Milan Kundera's final resting place; and, in our feature, we look back at Ruth Franková's interview with Adam Plachetka, one of Czechia's foremost opera singers, who this year celebrates ten years since his debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Enjoy!

On today's Czechia in 30 Minutes show: World Esperanto Congress for 2025 meets in Brno; fireflies named insect of the year 2025, as their glow disappears from Czech summer nights; and, for our feature, we will explore another one of Czechia's ZOOs, in our summer series "Stories from Czech ZOOs" - this week from Olomouc. Enjoy! 

News; The US premiere of Smetana's opera Dalibor is being staged at Bard College with all-American cast; Prague Pride is “more important than Christmas” for Czech transgender activist Lenka Králová; Simon Rawlence shares the story of his father-in-law Věněk Šilhán: from Communist Party secretary for a week, to a banished dissident and signatory of Charter 77.

News; Envelope with Masaryk's last words to be opened in September; Velké Březno chateau holds possible oldest group photograph in the world; Prague as a 15-minute city? Interview with Zdeňka Havlová, a researcher at the Prague Institute of Planning and Development.

In the weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, journalist and podcaster Julie Urbišová talks about adapting to life in the U.S., raising bilingual children, and teaching school yoga. Born in the Hlučínsko region of Czechia, she now lives in New Orleans, where she helps children unwind in a world full of noise and pressure. Her story is one of resilience, cultural blending, and small daily acts of balance—told in her own voice in Czechia in 30 Minutes.

Today on Czechia in 30 Minutes: ‘Masters of avoiding humans', Golden jackals captured on camera in Pálava, South Moravia; Prague Pride returns to celebrate LGBTQ+ lives and ask “where my home is”; and, in our feature, Ian Willoughby is back with his Prague Talk series, where this week, he speaks to Czech-Vietnamese director Dužan Duong.

Today on our Czechia in 30 Minutes show: Holašovice Peasant Festival brings Czech traditions to life in South Bohemia; Japan to Canada, brewing own Czech-style beer is a global phenomenon; and, for our feature, another edition of our Prague Off the Beaten Track series, Where Prague feels like a village: exploring Kajetánka and its neighbors. Enjoy! 

For today's Czechia in 30 Minutes show: Czech-made Tour de France winner's trophy for 2025 features bold, new design elements; Hrádek u Nechanic: A piece of England in eastern Bohemia; Czech National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka, welcomes President Pavel, Alfons Mucha, Czech beer, music, and more; and in our feature, another instalment of our summer series, ‘Stories from Czech ZOO's', where this week, we take you to Zlín.

Social Democrats ally with Stačilo! for autumn elections, dividing opinion among Czech left, Four thousand participants attend 36th annual chess and games festival in Pardubice, Call of the Forest: Prague exhibition explores people's deep connection with trees

News; A new Czech air defence system has a range of up to 80 kilometres; As meadows in Krkonoše are threatened by invasive plant, the national park turns to the public for help; Pepa Vomáčka at 80 – Celebrating Prague's Legendary “Pábitel”.

In the weekend edition of Czechia in 30 minutes, we explore the story of a Czech clarinetist, recently deported from the U.S. for lacking proper work documents. His case made headlines, but Czech musicians, journalists, and even politicians have faced similar problems for years. This episode investigates whether U.S. border checks really got stricter—or whether Czechs are simply failing to understand long-standing rules.

On today's Czechia in 30 Minutes: Foreign Ministry receives Jan Masaryk's private art collection from London flat; Edmund's Gorge, star attraction of Bohemian Switzerland National Park, to reopen to visitors; and, for our feature, US historian Chad Bryant discusses his book Prague: Belonging in the Modern City, which has just been launched in Czech. Enjoy!

In today's Czechia in 30 Minutes: Brno's Masaryk circuit gearing up for Moto GP race weekend; Texas flood disaster: Czech rescue team joins search for missing; and, for our feature, another edition of our series, Prague Off the Beaten Track. This time, we bring you to Dívčí hrady. Enjoy!

Deported from the U.S.: Czech rock star and clarinetist learn tough lesson on work visas, From Iggy Pop to talks on AI: Colours of Ostrava 2025 kicks off rich lineup of acts, Lemurs from Madagascar, strange snakes, and extinct fish at Pilsen Zoo

Czechia moves toward regulated drug use with cannabis and psilocybin changes, Installation of playful mirrors to make Žižkov Tunnel entrance shine,  Stanley Cup returning to Czechia thanks to Florida Panthers duo, brief history of Jewish identity and belonging in Czechoslovakia

News; Documentary on two eccentric Czech brothers wins the main prize at the 59th Karlovy Vary festival; El Hadji Malick Diouf joins West Ham for €22 million, the largest fee ever for a Czech league player; 'Meanders through Prague', a family-friendly guide created by locals.

In this edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, journalist and yoga teacher Julie Urbisová reflects on living in New Orleans, raising bilingual children, and maintaining her identity between the Czech Republic, Turkey, and the United States. AN everyday life in today's divided America. 

Czech Army unexpectedly shuts down support helpline for soldiers and veterans, 25% of residents in Prague are foreigners, but is the city building fast enough?, Brutal murders and prostitution: The dark side of early 20th century Prague, From the RAF to a uranium mine: The lost story of Silvestr Müller

On today's show: Karlovy Vary Film Festival hosts stories from around the world; Czechia makes a high-tech statement at Expo 2025; and, for our feature, Vít Pohanka brings you “Off the Beaten Track” to Prague's central islands, urban oasis on the Vltava River.

On today's show: Franz Joseph's salons are final touches in Prague's Art-Nouveau train station overhaul; Staroměstská, Old Town's metro station, to be shut for one month after young men cause fire; and, for our feature, we are continuing in our series on Zoos in Czechia. Today, Dvůr Králové Safari Park: A slice of Africa in Czechia. We hope you enjoy!

On today's show: Water from the Vltava source sets off toward Prague; unique Celtic settlement discovered near Hradec Králové; and, in our feature, writer-director Ondřej Provazník has a film in the main competition at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, based on a real-life sex abuse scandal. Enjoy!

On today's Czechia in 30 minutes show: Star power arrives in Karlovy Vary; Czechia ends surgical requirement for legal gender change; and, for our feature, an episode all about the Laichter house family, in Prague. Enjoy! 

In this weekend edition Czechia in 30 minutes, we visit the town of Konstanz, where Jan Hus was tried and executed in 1415. A small museum now stands in the house where he may—or may not—have stayed. Whether fact or legend, the site continues to preserve the story of a man who chose death over denying his conscience.

Collection of children's drawings from Terezin ghetto added to UNESCO Memory of the World register, Pavel Bittner to compete in Tour de France, visit to Prague Planetarium

How well is Prague prepared for heatwaves, Olomouc hosting Para Athletics Grand Prix, moose on the loose in Czechia , Off the Beaten track -Kunratický les

 World War II hero Herman Geist dies at the age of 100, annual Author's Reading Month focuses on voices from exile, Prague Zoo 

We were liberators”: WWII hero Herman Geist dies at 100, Annual Authors' Reading Month focuses on voices from exile, From Przewalski's horse to Edwards's pheasant: Prague Zoo at the cutting edge of wildlife protection

News; Jakub Hrůša has been announced as the new chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic; US artist Noah Breuer honours his family legacy at an exhibition in the synagogue in Český Krumlov; Interview with Derek Cummins, a businessman who has helped develop the pet insurance business in Czechia.

News; Wimbledon and the Czechs: a love story that keeps growing; From Prague to Japan by car: seven Czech old-timers are en route to Osaka EXPO 2025; Iconic T3 Coupe sightseeing tram, equipped with a bar, making the rounds in Prague; Our interview with opera singer Adam Plachetka on 10 years at the Met.

Adam Holomoucký left Czechia to study on a sports scholarship at a university in North Carolina. Now, as a fresh graduate, he's looking west — to Colorado or Texas — not just for work, but to experience America's cultural diversity. In this weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, he shares why, despite the country's divisions, he still believes in the American dream — and why he's proud to stay Czech while building a future far from home.

Woman of courage Milada Horáková: “Her execution was meant to intimidate the nation”, NHL superstar David Pastrňák picks up 8th Czech MVP award, Architecture for Export: Brutalism, diplomacy, and the global legacy of Czechoslovak embassies

News, Where sculpture meets freedom: Australian curator recieves Czech Gratias agit award, Young musicians tour Czech churches, bringing the cornett back to life, From castles to concrete: The expanding story of Prague

For today's show: Rare Roman soldier's wrist purse discovered in South Moravia; unique collection of Franz Kafka's manuscripts sold in Paris; and, in our feature, our interview with American artist Noah Breuer about his Czech ancestry.

On today's show: Brno developers prepare soldiers for war with groundbreaking wargames; Neeraj Chopra on training with Jan Železný and more; and, for our feature, Jakub Ferencik's interview with Lea-Ann Germinder on AI regulation in Czechia.