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The house of the Rožmberks was once one of Bohemia’s richest and mightiest noble families which at times even challenged the power of the king. The family controlled a large estate in southern Bohemia, its seat being Český Krumlov castle. The last member of the family died 400 years ago and was buried in a local monastery. But the location of the legendary Rožmberk family tomb remained a mystery for centuries – until new research into the monastery tomb produced surprising results.

On Thursday, November 17th, the Czech Republic marked 22 years since the start of the Velvet Revolution as well as the 72nd anniversary of the events of November 1939 which resulted in the closure of all Czech universities by the Nazis and reprisals against students and intellectuals. But many Czechs used the holiday to voice their discontent with the current government policies.

President Klaus has appointed Civic Democrat Martin Kuba to head the ministry of Trade and Industry, following the resignation of Martin Kocourek last week. Though Mr Kocourek’s tenure ended amid allegations of corruption, the new minister was clearly not chosen on the basis of a controversy-free political history, as Christian Falvey reports.

The Czech Republic’s national football team has secured a berth at Euro 2012 defeating Montenegro 1:0 on Tuesday in their second-leg matchup in Podgorica. It will be the fifth straight appearance by the Czech Republic in the European Championships.

The fate of three Czech nationals who are awaiting trial in Zambia on suspicion of spying, remains highly uncertain. The three face 25 years in prison for having taken photographs of an old plane displayed outside a military base in Lusaka. The Czech Foreign Ministry has tried in vain to intervene on their behalf and is now sending a special envoy to the country to present the case in person.

It’s the worst case of smog in recent memory. From east to west, the Czech Republic has been under a cloud for the last several days. As up to four times the permissible limit of pollution is being registered in various parts of the country, children and the elderly have been advised to stay indoors and factories have been forced to restrict their production. The city of Plzeň has even experienced the rare phenomenon of “industrial snow”. We spoke with Josef Keder of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, who told Radio Prague first of all where

The military section of Prague’s Olšany Cemetery filled with foreign uniforms on Sunday as soldiers of the Commonwealth of Nations marked Remembrance Day, and commemorated the sacrifices of their countrymen who lost their lives on Czech territory during the Second World War.

One of the legends of the Czech underground, poet Ivan Martin Jirous, died in Prague on Thursday at the age of 67. Ivan Jirous, or Magor – literally “the crazy one” as he was affectionately called by his friends – was perhaps best-known as the artistic manager and spiritual leader of the underground band The Plastic People of the Universe, but this eternal rebel was also a sensitive, contemplative poet and master of the Czech language.

In recent years, Saint Martin’s day has become a welcome opportunity for Czech winemakers to present their young wines. The revived tradition of Saint Martin’s wines has caught on, and November 11 has become a fixture in the calendar of Czech wine-lovers. One of the main wine festivals in the capital is held on Jiřího z Poděbrad Square, in the Vinohrady neighbourhood.

Prime Minister Petr Nečas accepted the resignation of Industry and Trade Minister Martin Kocourek on Wednesday evening, the sixth change to the cabinet in the last year. The resignation was preceded by several days of corruption allegations against Mr Kocourek and speculation as to the source of a 16 million crown payment made to the minister’s mother.