In this episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, we explore Obora Hvězda, a quiet park in Prague 6 that hides a remarkable story. From its origins as a royal game reserve to the striking Renaissance Letohrádek Hvězda, the site reflects centuries of history, ambition, and transformation. Today, it offers a calm escape — but beneath the surface lies a landscape shaped as much by human design as by nature itself.

In this special episode of Czechast, we take a closer look at Czechia’s defence readiness in today’s rapidly changing security environment. Our guest is Martin Sklenář, analyst and co-author of a new report by GLOBSEC, a respected Bratislava-based think tank focusing on security, geopolitics, and international affairs across Europe and beyond.

In Czechast, veteran journalist Petr Dudek looks back at the 1990s, a key period in shaping modern Czech society and politics. One of the editors that shapúe current affair programs in Czech Public Radio reflects on how the Czech media landscape and political communication have evolved since then.

Holešovická tržnice in Prague’s Holešovice district has undergone a remarkable transformation. What was once a modern slaughterhouse is now a bustling market and cultural hub. Today, it stands as one of Prague’s most intriguing places off the beaten track.

In Czechast, journalist Petr Brod draws on decades of experience at the BBC and Radio Free Europe to reflect on the past and future of international broadcasting. As funding pressures grow and audiences shift online, the role of global media is being redefined. The episode also asks what place remains for Radio Prague International in today’s world.

Easter in Czechia is often linked to folk traditions—but what about its spiritual meaning? In this Czechast archive special, Vít Pohanka speaks with Czech Protestant minister Miki Erdinger. Together, they explore faith, doubt, and the place of religion in modern Czech society.

In the latest Czechast, we travel to Olomouc, where a former railway waiting room has been turned into a small but vibrant cinema. The Waiting Room project offers films and community events just steps from passing trains. In an age of streaming, it shows how cinema can still bring people together.

In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track on Czechast, we explore Klanovice Forest — the largest continuous forest in Prague. Just on the edge of the city, it offers a surprising mix of deep history, quiet nature, and traces of ambitious plans that never fully materialised. From medieval robber legends to modern conservation debates, this is a place where the past and present meet in unexpected ways.

Joy Kadečková’s life reads like a 20th-century European drama shaped by war, love and political upheaval. After meeting a Czech pilot in wartime Britain, she made a promise that would bring her to Czechoslovakia—and keep her there for life. Her story, preserved by Memory of Nations and now featured on Czechast, offers a deeply personal window into history.

More than three decades after the Velvet Revolution, the legacy of the communist regime continues to shape debates in Czech society. In the latest episode of the Czechast podcast, Vít Pohanka speaks with Kamil Nedvědický, First Deputy Director of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes in Prague. Their conversation explores why the communist coup of 1948 was unconstitutional, why many crimes of the regime were never punished, and why understanding the realities of life under communism remains crucial for younger generations today.