This weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes features something a little different: a short story by Karel Čapek, one of the most famous Czech writers. Written in the early 1930s and later published in his collection Apocryphal Tales, On the Decline of the Times humorously shows that every generation believes the present is worse than the past. It’s a witty reminder that many of our “unprecedented” worries may be as old as humankind itself.

On today's Czechia in 30 Minutes Show: Selected Czech pharmacies to offer flu vaccinations this autumn; the world hasn’t changed much since Hanzelka and Zikmund, says exhibition curator; and in our feature, we meet Brendan McNally, author of a book on Martha Dodd – a spy for the Soviet Union who spent decades in Prague. McNally learnt about her from a Czech colleague when he first moved to the city.

Martha Dodd was an American spy for the Soviet Union who spent her final decades in Prague. Dodd’s colourful life, and grim end, are the subject of the book Traitor’s Odyssey by Brendan McNally, a US journalist who himself lived in the Czech capital in the 1990s. And, as he explains, McNally first heard of the story of Martha Dodd from a woman who worked for Radio Prague International in the depths of the Cold War era.

On today's Czechia in 30 Minutes Show: Letní Letná festival offers Prague a carnival of the best new circus and theatre; Czech junior athletes among Europe’s best, breaking records; and, for our feature, another edition of our Prague Off the Beaten Track series, this time in Divoká Šárka. Enjoy!

On today's Czechia in 30 Minutes show: Foreign Minister Lipavský in Ukraine: Czechia backs Kyiv before Alaska Summit; Prague’s Lesser Town boasts 70 historic house signs, which once served in place of numbers; and in our feature, we look back at Jakub Ferencik’s interview with historian Ivan Puš about the history of Jewish identity and belonging in Czechoslovakia. Enjoy!

Oscar nomination announced, Czechia unveils new national logo, escaped lion shot dead, hiking around Czechia

In this weekend edition of Czechia in 30 Minutes, Vít Pohanka speaks with Julia Kňažková, a Slovak who has made her home in the picturesque South Bohemian village of Holašovice. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is famed for its perfectly preserved Baroque farmhouses and centuries-old village layout — and for the everyday life that continues behind its painted façades.

CzechTek was a free techno music festival that drew many tens of thousands and culminated two decades ago in clashes between riot police and participants. The annual unauthorised gathering and the culture that spawned it are the subject of a new podcast by Šimon Šafránek, CzechTek: The Story of Czech Rave. I discussed the background to, and fallout of, the events of 2005 and much more with Šafránek, a successful documentary filmmaker whose work regularly explores alternative culture.

On today's Czechia in 30 Minutes show: The negative impact on Czech foreign tradedue to US tariffs; experts at Czech Academy of Sciences investigate sleep; and, for our feature, an interview with Aleš Březina, director of the Bohuslav Martinů Institute and co-curator of the festival ‘Martinů and His World’, celebrating the legacy of the great Czech composer at Bard Music Festival. Enjoy!