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South Moravia is well-known for its wine, which has been produced there at least since thirsty Roman soldiers far from home began doing so in the 2nd century. Move forward a thousand years or so, to the 13th century, and wine trading had become one of the most profitable businesses in the region. Those are the days that our destination for today stretches back to.

In today’s Spotlight we take a trip to a hidden gem of a museum in a Prague suburb which traces the often surprising history of coffee. The private Coffee Museum Alchymista takes you through coffee’s history, cultivation, production and industry covering the many different strains and its progress from a devilish concoction to everyday drink.

For today's Spotlight we have come to the countryside of west Bohemia to visit Kozel Chateau. Kozel was originally a hunting lodge, and when it was built in the late 18th century bore the German name Waldschloss or Jadgschloss, meaning Forest or Hunting Chateau. Why is it now called Kozel (Goat in Czech)? Apparently, the ancient Slavs used to sacrifice a goat on this site at the spring equinox. Their aim: to win the favour of their pagan gods and, hopefully, a good harvest.

Tucked away on Řetězová street in Prague’s Old Town, Café Montmartre is one of the city’s oldest coffeehouses. While it looks rather unassuming from the outside, the former cabaret has a fascinating history. Famous writers such as Franz Kafka and Egon Erwin Kisch are said to have spent many a wild night here, and Café Montmartre continues to draw artists, writers and actors. We spoke to its manager, Iva Nesvadbová, about the café’s history, its guests and its upcoming anniversary.

Tucked away in a former monastery in Prague’s Nové Město, the Czech Police Museum boasts a fascinating permanent exhibit exploring the history of Czech police, the development of criminology, infamous murder cases and much more. Sarah Borufka went along and has this report.

434.2186 is the number of a famous historic locomotive that has appeared in countless Czech films including "Páni Kluci" about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, a favourite among children and adults. Last Saturday visitors to Prague's Main Station were able to see the jet-black steam engine prepare for a rare but much anticipated journey along part of one of the most picturesque routes in the Czech Republic.

Forget the Blue Danube, it’s the greeny-brown Vltava which is the watery muse of artists and musicians in this part of the world. The Vltava is the Czech Republic’s longest river, stretching more than 400 km. It is also the main waterway through the Czech capital Prague, and has been most famous in recent years for bursting its banks in 2002. The floods caused billions of crowns’ worth of damage to the capital alone, and put the city’s metro out of action for several months.

The rumbling railroad track that used to pass through Žižkov in Prague was completely natural to the gritty-but-chic image of the 19th century proletariat quarter. The main western entrance to Žižkov was arched by three foreboding railway bridges, and the noisy, spray-painted cars passed alongside Vítkov hill to the cargo station. Four years ago the trains were still rattling the plaster off that lower end of the neighbourhood, just as they had been since the late Industrial Revolution, and then the route was cancelled for a higher-capacity

Many will remember the joy of getting toy trains as children and watching them zoom down the electric track. Now, somewhat unusually, that innocent excitement can now be relived at a popular Czech restaurant. Located in Brno, Prague and elsewhere, Výtopna is a venue like no other where toy engines – not waiters – deliver drinks to your table. For a country not big on theme-restaurants it has become surprisingly popular: a big hit especially for families with young kids.

Spotlight this week comes from Pardubice, which lies about an hour away from Prague in east Bohemia. The pretty Renaissance buildings on Pernštýnovo náměstí and the impressive chateau nearby give an indication of this town’s long and rich history, which saw it evolve from a prosperous hamlet in the Middle Ages to an industrial powerhouse by the start of the 20th century.