After screwing up a money exchange a Viennese small-time crook accompanied by a Russian hostess hits the road to the East.

The love story of students Jana and Tomáš begins in Prague just after the establishment of the First Republic. Their impulsive "escape to Buda" marks not only the liberation of the dissatisfied Jana from her monotonous life with her mentally unstable mother, but also the beginning of their fateful marriage. They settle in the picturesque Slovak foothills, on the sprawling estate of Tomáš's vital father, with whom Jana strikes up a deep friendship. Soon, however, she is visibly affected by Tomáš's surprising transformation. The marital crisis is deepened by the unstoppable decline of the estate. The family's efforts to establish itself in Vienna, which after the collapse of the monarchy is only a memory of its former glory, also fail. Jan's enterprising brother-in-law lends a helping hand. The return to prosperous Prague is their last chance, but it brings something different to everyone...