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Slovenia's most north-eastern region is known as Pomurje and it shares borders with Austria, Hungary and Croatia. Around 6% of the population live in this mainly agricultural area which is also the country's poorest. The region is known for its flatlands, storks and its cultural heritage, but also for its lack of development.

Wroclaw in south-western Poland is one of the country's most dynamic cities. It's attracting major international companies and it has big ambitions to raise its profile. It will host EURO 2012 football championship matches and it's also in the race to host the EXPO Exhibition in the same year. Insight Central Europe took a look at what's happening in the Wroclaw region in the run-up to these events.

When the former communist countries of Central Europe began the process of joining the EU, most of them had to develop a new layer of government - regional administrations. The centralised communist system did not have such devolved decision making. Slovakia was one of the countries which quickly developed official regions in order to tap into development funds from Brussels. But you won't find the Spis region of Slovakia on any map. It's a place where cultural traditions, local dialect and food have been around much longer than the new regional

"The wine of kings - the king of wines" - is what Louis the 14th, of France is reported to have said as he popped the cork on another bottle of Tokaj wine. This is the delicious sweet wine produced in the north-eastern Hungarian region of Tokaj - with a little bit of it stretching into Slovakia. The region is World Heritage listed and the flagship of Hungarian wine production. It is now trying to regain its former glory.

It's one year since the young Austrian woman, Natascha Kampusch, escaped from a tiny cellar where she'd been held captive for 8 years. Her kidnapper, Wolfgang Priklopil, committed suicide shortly after her escape. The Kampusch story created headlines around the world and intense public interest in her story. This week she gave a rare television interview in which she talked about her attempts to regain a normal life.

The summer months are really festival months festivals in Slovenia. Film, dance, music, you name it and there's a festival for it. And right now it's time for the Middle Ages to return to Slovenia's capital Ljubljana.

US plans to build parts of its global anti-missile defence system in the Czech Republic and Poland are continuing to strain relations with America's old cold war foe Russia. The proposed military bases were again on the agenda when Czech officials met senior Russian representatives in Moscow last week - and the Russian side made no bones about their opposition. Indeed, the chief of staff of the Russian army Yuri Baluyevsky went so far as to describe Czech talks with the US as "a mistake".

The Swiety Krzyz or Holy Cross Monastery in southern Poland recently celebrated its Millennium. Through its history, this place has been a favorite pilgrimage center for Polish royalty, a retirement home for priests, and a grim Nazi-run prison for Russian prisoners-of-war. Since 1006 it has housed relics cherished by Catholic pilgrims, the cultural contributions of Benedictine monks, and the scars of Poland's historical struggle for existence.

Slovakia can't really claim a major a film industry - it's no Holly wood or Bollywood. But the country can boast one of the film industry's best best stuntmen and stunt coordinators. His name is Gustáv Kyselica - you may not recognise him but you will have seen him. Radio Slovakia International's Christopher George has been talking to him.

Since joining the EU in 2004 the former communist countries of Central Europe have been drawing on EU structural funds to improve infrastsructure, reduce poverty and support agriculture. However in the case of Slovakia there's a risk that some of that money - up to 11 billion euros - may never be allocated. The problem is a dispute over who gets to hold the purse strings - Bratislava or the regions.