Photo Challenge # 5 - Name this Location

Here is another picture puzzle for you, in which city can you find this building facade?

Remarkable Relics of Communism #3 - Dresden, Germany

It is becoming harder and harder to find traces of the old GDR in today's modern Germany; the old Trabant and Wartburg cars have all but disappeared, the socialist housing blocks in the cities have been modernised and given a fresh appearance, and the few traces of The Wall still left have been carefully protected as historical monuments. However, a number of mural paintings have been preserved for their artistic and historical significance - this mural is found right in the historic centre of Dresden on a side wall of the Palace of Culture, a concert theatre built by the socialist government in 1969.

The mural features the old state seal of the GDR along with a large red star, and many other common socialist themes such as the role of teachers and the might of the working class. Both peasants and the proletariat raise hammers, sickles and weapons to symbolise their united strength and faith in the socialist cause. The woman at the centre of the mural holding the red flag is a particularly powerful image, representing the resilience and unbreakable spirit of Dresden's citizens when it came time to rebuild the city from the ruins of World War II.

Panoramic View #1 - Lviv, Ukraine

When I arrive in a new city or town, one of the first things I like to do is climb a tower or hill to get a bird's eye view of the place. It puts everything into perspective, so I can visualise where buildings and monuments are in relation to one another, and to understand how the town has grown and changed over time.

Many east European towns start with a medieval core that leads to concrete housing blocks which ring the centre; when viewed from above, these stages of architectural progression and the reasons for town planning decisions become clearer. You can watch as people on the street stop for a chat, an old man buys a newspaper from a kiosk, trams glide to a stop in a sidestreet, a shopkeeper sweeps the front steps - all manner of daily life going on, a grand spectacle to observe and interpret meaning from.

Viewing the city from the town hall tower in the market square or from the summit of High Castle hill provides an opportunity to see the different parts of the ancient city and the dozens of church spires from an ideal perspective.

One rooftop in the old town has been painted with the image of a horse, exclusively for the viewing benefit of visitors to the town hall tower. The highest point of Castle Hill has a large blue-and-yellow national flag flying high above this proudly Ukrainian city.

Beautiful Towns #3 - Brhlovce, Slovakia

Brhlovce is a small Slovak village found a few kilometres east of the city of Levice. The village is remarkable for its collection of cave houses carved out of the face of a cliff, many of which are still inhabited today. One of the houses has been converted into a museum, which consists of a stone house with an enclosed courtyard and several rooms carved out of the cliff at the back of the courtyard. According to local belief, during the Ottoman invasions of the 16th and 17th centuries the villagers decided that they would try to 'hide' their homes in order to make them less visible to the invading Turkish troops.

The soft volcanic-ash soil of the cliff-faces that surround the village were easy to carve out, and when the cave homes were completed they had the added advantage of being more easily defended than normal homes and more resistant to being burned down. The village is set in beautiful rolling countryside, and also features several folk cottages and a historic manor house. The village can be reached by bus from Levice, with several departures daily.

The Top 15 Places to Visit in Hungary

Hungary is a nation that never fails to surprise me - I've visited the country countless times, yet it still has a strong scent of the exotic about it for me. Perhaps it's the language, which seems completely bizarre to most other Europeans (Finnish and Estonian are mutually-unintelligible cousins), or the cuisine, full of spicy, meaty creations that stand apart from the foods of neighbouring countries due to the very liberal addition of paprika. Then there are the Hungarians themselves, who often refer to their people as 'aliens' in the European ethnic tapestry. Their ancestry lies among Central Asian horsemen and nomadic warriors such as Atilla the Hun (Atilla is a common name given to boys in Hungary even today). Here are some of my favourite destinations Hungary has to offer, from the backstreets of Buda to the tranquil village life of Takos.

1. Budapest - Everything in Hungary begins and ends in this city on the Danube, a place that seems to re-invent itself every time I visit. Tour the main sites of Buda Hill, walk the riverfront by night, and be sure to visit Margaret's Island and the Communist Sculpture Park.

2. Eger - A wine lover's paradise, with copious amounts of the famous 'bull's blood' red wine available in the many wine cellars that line the sides of the Valley of the Beautiful Women. A castle that resisted the Turks sits above an old town centre full of lovely Baroque buildings, and the Bukk hills are nearby for excellent hiking.

3. Esztergom - You can see the massive Basilica on the hill from 10km away in each direction, and it doesn't disappoint when you arrive. For over 1000 years this has been the seat of the Catholic church in Hungary; the nation's first king, St. Stephen, was born here in the year 975 and he introduced christianity to his subjects following his coronation in Esztergom in the year 1000. The basilica and castle complex sit on a hill above the Danube and the old town composed of baroque and neo-classical buildings.

4. Pecs - A city in the south of the country that has a feel of the Balkans about it. A number of Turkish monuments have been preserved from the time of the occupation, and UNESCO-listed mosaic-covered early christian burial tombs feature frescoes of Adam and Eve and Daniel and the Lion from the year 350 AD.

5. Holloko - A village with UNESCO status in the Cserhat hills near the Slovak border. The village is made up entirely of traditional wooden cottages with thatched rooftops and has preserved many elements of its traditional culture. The impressive ruin of Holloko castle sits on a small hill near the village.

6. Visegrad - The site of a castle high above the river Danube along one of the river's most beautiful stretches. Excellent walking routes lead in both directions from the Citadel to view the sharp bend made by the Danube as it passes below Castle Hill.

7. Sopron - A small city on the Austrian border with an old town packed with some of the finest medieval buildings in Hungary. The Turkish armies never conquered the town, so much of the centre remains as it appeared centuries ago. In 1921 the people of Sopron had to vote on whether they wanted to become part of Austria or Hungary, and they overwhelmingly voted in favour of remaining Hungarian. This has earned Sopron the nickname 'The most loyal city'.

8. Szentendre - A small town north of Budapest with lots of art galleries and cultural attractions, as well as an excellent skansen (outdoor museum) of historic folk architecture gathered from all over Hungary.

9. Kecskemet - A major city of the Great Plain, Kecskemet offers plenty of art-nouveau architecture, apricot brandy, and day-trip access to Kiskunsag national park on the Puszta (Great Plain).

10. Szeged - The largest city on the Great Plain and a major university centre, Szeged is famed for being the source of the nation's finest paprika spice, which is used heavily in the creation of Szeged Goulash and Szeged Halaszle (spicy fish soup).

11. Gyor - A city in the Transdanubia region with a well-preserved historical centre and a number of excellent restaurants serving the national cuisine. Baross Gabor street and the surrounding cobbled lanes of the old town are a pleasant place to stroll about and to sit outside in a cafe on one of the squares. The Turks only held the city for four years before being ousted in 1598, so Hungarians refer to the city as the 'Dear Guard' which has always been able to watch over the nation's well-being.

12. Sumeg Castle - A large and impressive ruin north of Lake Balaton, which sits on a high round hill of limestone. In the town beneath the castle the Church of the Ascension contains brilliant frescoes which have given the church the nickname 'sistine chapel of the rococo'.

13. Pannonhalma - A village south of Gyor featuring the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma high above on a hilltop. The abbey has been in continuous operation since the 10th century - it celebrated its millenium year in 1996, the same year it became a UNESCO listed site. The abbey is a mix of many architectural styles as a result of being rebuilt many times throughout history; during the Turkish occupation the abbey was turned into a mosque.

14. Takos - A village in the remote northeast, Takos contains the wooden Calvinist Church, which was constructed using the technique known as wattle-and-daub. The floor of the church is made of beaten earth, and above this is a ceiling beautifully painted with red and blue flowers. Next to the church is a wooden bell tower, considered one of the finest in the country. The church is called 'The Barefoot Notre Dame of Hungary' by the local villagers.

15. Koszeg - A small town near the Austrian border which is referred to as 'the nation's jewellery box' due to its collection of gothic and baroque buildings. The town's castle repelled the army of Suleiman the Magnificent in 1532, with just 50 Hungarians fending off 100000 Turkish soldiers. The town's main square, Jurisics ter, is one of the country's most beautiful.

Who is this? #1 - Statues and Paintings of Eastern Europe

I'm starting a new series of questions, to name the person featured in the picture. Does anyone know who these fellows are?

Wooden Churches of the Carpathian Mountains #3 - Plopis, Romania

This Romanian Orthodox church is found in Plopis, a village in the Cavnic river valley in the Maramures region of Romania. A superb example of vernacular wooden architecture, the church sits on a small hill above the rest of the village. It was constructed in 1796 by local village builders and consecrated as the Church of the Archangels. The interior wall murals were painted in 1811 by the local artist Stefan of Sisesti.

The murals include an evocative image of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, with the snake coiled around a tree. The layout of the church is rectangular, with a pentagonal chancel apse. There is a porch in front of the main door featuring six pillars supporting the beams that carry the weight of the roof.

The tall pyramid-shaped steeple on the tower is surrounded by four smaller pinnacles in each corner. These pinnacles indicate that the church once served as an official court of law for the surrounding region. The three-lobed ceiling vault of the nave is considered to be a unique feature among the Maramures wooden churches. The structure has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, one of eight wooden churches in Maramures region to receive this honour.

Photo Challenge # 4 - Name this location

Here is another destination in Eastern Europe for you to guess. Does anyone know where this is?