Many Hungarians move to Lake Balaton due to the coronavirus

As a result of the coronavirus epidemic, many people are moving to rural areas from larger cities. In this respect, Lake Balaton and its surroundings are a perfect destination. Many people in Hungary thought similarly. The population of some settlements has grown by more than 5 per cent.

According to real estate agents’ data, many people are looking for real estate in the Lake Balaton area. Most of them would move to the shores of Lake Balaton from big cities and country capitals. Those moving to the lakeshore can be divided into two groups. Some have only temporarily fled the virus, while others have permanently moved to their Balaton settlement. The latter group can be known because the change of address was also announced in the Interior Ministry.

The south-western basin of the lake is one of the most upscale. Also, the villages near Veszprém and the surroundings of Badacsony are popular. The top three settlements were Örvényes, Felsőörs and Balatonmáriafürdő. There are several settlements where the number of permanent residents has increased by 3 per cent, writes Népszava. The population analysis compares January 2020 and January 2021 data.

According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, the population increased by more than 1000 people.

This number does not seem like much at first glance, but it only applies to 45 settlements. Moreover, it is important to point out that this 1000 people is only the number who have officially changed their address. Many have only moved to Lake Balaton seasonally.

“So far, there have been examples of similar population growth only during elections. We haven’t got any problems. We’re glad they are coming as ours is an ageing settlement, meaning there’s plenty of room for younger generations. Unfortunately, the middle age or even older people moved here. Still, hopefully, as soon as the optical internet cable would be built next year, Örvényes will be attractive even for young people. There are plenty of jobs in the area. There is a permanent shop in the village. There is a doctor three times a week, and Veszprém, Balatonalmádi, Balatonfüred and Tihany are also close, ” said Zoltán Huszár, mayor of Örvényes. The virus has a dual effect on moving to the countryside.

In the countryside, there is less chance of someone catching the virus, and life is cheaper than in a big city.

This is supported by the fact that smaller settlements are more popular. György Galácz, the mayor of Máriafürdő, said that the town has a 7-kilometre stretch of coastline and 6 per cent population growth: none of these is a problem. Most settlements are happy to thrive, and there is no virus threat yet.

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Source: Népszava