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When the former Social Democrat government introduced European Union food hygiene guidelines none protested more loudly than Czech pub owners. They said the strict new standards would bring them to bankruptcy and the ban on serving cooked food which was two days old interfered with the country's "traditions". The Civic Democratic Party - critical of what it called "the government's conformist attitude" towards EU rules and regulations - promised to change things when it came to power. It is now making good that promise. But will the government's

I was trapped in this nightmare...Perhaps I'd seen too many Fellini movies. I was in a dining room...was I? - squeezing behind the seats of people eating...feasting. I'd adopted that sideways, crab-like creep that makes one believe one is paper-thin, but still I was passing uncomfortably close by these revellers...these strangers. Who were all these people? None of them seem to recognize me, or even acknowledge my existence. I felt I was intruding. No, it wasn't Fellini. Instead, more like something from that interminable film 'Last Year in

In the Czech Republic, summer is a time of fun fairs, day trips and also swimming and bathing in lakes and open air pools. Those events and locations are associated with a special type of food, or junk food, to be more precise. Without it the experience would not be complete.

Women's knickers have become the latest driving accessory for some Czech motorists! Czech zoologists are studying a unicorn-snail with only one tentacle, and most Czechs think that life is too short to eat health-food. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

Why are beer drinking competitions a thing of the past? The police in Opava are patrolling the town on in-line skates, and the litter bin that burps - the latest pub craze in the Czech Republic. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

Czech celebrities discover flower food -though most Czechs still prefer dumplings. Having trouble bending down? Jaroslav Kucera's sock-aid might be just what you need to start the day. And, the Vltava river is being prepared for a world championship in trout fishing! Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

If you are a cheese lover who has ever visited the Czech Republic you will probably already have heard of Olomoucke syrecky - famous semi-soft cheese cakes produced in the east of the country for centuries. Some would describe them as a culinary delight, others, as an acquired taste. Either way, they are a Czech pub staple and some say you haven't really lived till you've tried some.

Prague's Hare Krishnas are a busy bunch. The group operates the Govinda restaurants, which are known for vegetarian meals and relatively cheap prices, and also runs an ecological farm just south of the city. Perhaps they are more known for their brightly colored robes and energetic chants in demonstrations three to four times a week on Wenceslas Square. In this week's One on One, Brian Sabin meets with Ilona Nejkovova, also known by her spiritual name as Rasabihari Devi. She found Krishna consciousness shortly after the Velvet Revolution in 1989

This week the Chamber of Deputies struck down a bill amendment that would have banned smoking in Czech restaurants. Opponents of tobacco vow to continue their push to clear the air inside the country's eateries, however, a small number of cafes and restaurants have beat them to the punch. These establishments are completely smoke-free, which is perhaps a risky policy, since figures from the Czech Statistical Office show cigarette consumption has risen every year from 2001 to 2004, the last year available.

After the fall of Communism, a previously unimaginable range of food and drink began to appear on shelves in the Czech Republic. People had the opportunity to eat well and to eat healthily. But recently - as Western trends catch on and fast food culture grows - experts say there has been a noticeable worsening of the average Czech diet. In this week's Panorama, Chris Jarrett takes a look at how the Czech diet has changed since 1989.