Spotlight | All stories

Vysehrad cemetery in Prague was established in the late 19th century as the final resting place of heroes of the Czech national revival. It contains the graves of some 600 important Czechs, from the composers Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana, to figures from the worlds of science and politics. Radio Prague's Olga Szantova knows a lot about many of the people buried there and she shares that knowledge with Ian Willoughby, as they take a leisurely stroll around the most important cemetry in the Czech Republic in this week's Spotlight.

This week, Rob Cameron travels to Zbraslav, a little town on the Vltava and Berounka rivers which became part of Prague in 1974. Zbraslav has retained its small-town character - it's just 15 minutes by bus from the centre of Prague, but feels a million miles away from the bustling Czech capital. Zbraslav is home to a renaissance chateau as well as traces of the biggest Celtic fortified settlement in Central Europe, and it's also the home town of Jaromir Vejvoda, the man who created one of the most famous pieces of Czech 20th century music - "Skoda

For this week's Spotlight we're in one of the most beautiful regions of the Czech Republic, the Krkonose or Giant Mountains, straddling the Czech-Polish border, a hundred kilometres north-east of Prague. These are the Czech Republic's highest mountains, rising well over a thousand metres, and at this time of year, they are decked with a thick blanket of snow. The Giant Mountains is a wonderfully poetic and evocative name... and indeed Krkonose does have its very own legendary giant, known as "Krakonos" in Czech and "Ruebezahl" in German.

Hello and welcome to Spotlight. This week I take you to a festival that comes just once a year to the Czech Republic, once a year around the world - that's right it's Carnival, or Masopust as it is known in Czech! In the Czech Republic, as elsewhere it is a time of festivity, drink, and revelry, playful flirting, and even the thumbing of one's nose at the establishment - all part of the fun. If you have never been to carnival, or have been and never forgot it, join me now to take part in this fascinating holiday...

In this week's Spotlight, meets a 250-kilo Amur tiger and a gorilla called Tadau, in the newly rebuilt surroundings of Prague Zoo. That's in this week's Spotlight.

The coming of the new year marked an anniversary for the Czech capital - it is 80 years since a law came into force creating Greater Prague. reports now on how the city has grown since then and wonders where will that expansion end.

Welcome to Spotlight. I'm . This week I take you to one of the jewels of southern Bohemia, the town of Cesky Krumlov, which boasts one of the finest Baroque theatres in all of Europe. The theatre is almost something of a secret at the town's famous castle complex, although it can be seen as part of Cesky Krumlov Castle tours in the spring and summer. For lovers of the Baroque I cannot recommend it more highly: as you will hear shortly the theatre offers one of the most splendid visions of the Baroque period one could hope to see: a wide candle-lit stage, made dreamy by the low light and wondrous hazy backdrops, inviting you to enter hidden playful worlds. Join me now as I talk to Dr Pavel Slavko, who is the head of Cesky Krumlov Castle administration, and is a man who certainly loves his theatre.

In this week's Spotlight Radio Prague's visits the northern Bohemian town of Teplice. Situated 90 km from Prague, between the Kruné hory mountain range and the foothills of the Bohemia Central Highlands it houses the oldest spa in Central Europe. Radio Prague visited the Teplice spa, famous for its hot springs, the Regional Museum, now housed in the Teplice castle and the Teplice theatre.

This week, goes on a beer odyssey to the West Bohemian city of Plzen, birthplace of the modern brewing tradition and home of the country's highly popular Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus beers. How small is the smallest barrel in the world? What's the Pope favourite brew? And what on earth is "beer money"? Click here to find out more...

This week, takes a stroll through the city of Vienna, the former hub of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city has lost little of its imperial charm, and is still famous for its opera, cafes and Wienerschnitzel. But what many people don't know is that Vienna has over the centuries attracted large numbers of Czechs: a quick glance at the Vienna telephone directory reveals thousands of Czech names.