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...

Ludvík tries in vain to ward off the daily grind and the onset of midlife crisis with adolescent infatuation for an unknown beauty. Katka rejects the puritanical morality of her loved ones and tries to live her own life. At the same time, she desperately searches for a life partner. Láďa is a former sports star experiencing a bitter end to his career. He is accompanied not only by the breakdown of his personal relationships, but also by the collapse of everything that makes life worth living. Helena and Richard are a childless, well-off married couple. Both try touchingly to hide their extramarital love affairs, without realizing that they are already an open secret...