Two Hungarian towns ranked among world’s safest places: you can walk freely at night here
Our quality of life is fundamentally influenced by how safe the place we live in feels. Can kids play outside unattended? Can they walk to school alone? Can we go out for dinner or a night on the town without fear?
According to Numbeo, a crowdsourced global statistical database, two Hungarian towns have made the list of the world’s safest places, and both are located along Lake Balaton, which is great news for tourists.
This is Hungary’s safest town
Hévíz, ranked as the safest, has been a cornerstone of Hungarian tourism for decades. Despite having only around 5,000 residents, the small town in Zala County welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, including many from Austria, Germany, Ukraine, the UK, and formerly Russia. A number of them have even purchased property in town.
Mayor Péter Naszádos says the town’s legendary safety can be attributed to several factors. It has long been a safe place, with residents known for their strong sense of community, attentiveness to one another, and ability to communicate in multiple languages, helping them warmly welcome visitors and defuse potential conflicts. “We grew up in an environment where everyone spoke German and Russian. Then in the ’90s, English entered the picture. It became standard for the entire town to speak several languages,” he told Inforádió.
The town’s safety is also bolstered by concrete measures, including its own police department, a comprehensive network of public surveillance cameras, and a dedicated team of neighbourhood watch volunteers, all of which are actively supported by the local government to enhance public safety.
The secret behind Siófok
Siófok has been ranked as the second safest town on Numbeo, based on user feedback. The popular South Balaton tourist destination recently made headlines due to a midge outbreak, but when it comes to public safety, it’s top-notch, largely thanks to Mayor Róbert Lengyel, a former police chief.
According to him, the local police force, supported by the town government, is well-equipped to quell minor disturbances and manage the additional demands brought by hundreds of thousands of tourists. Traffic safety is also improving steadily; in fact, the current municipal administration plans to convert all major crosswalks into smart crossings during this term.
Read more Balaton-related news on Daily News Hungary!
Read also:
- List of the safest Hungarian villages where no crimes happened last year revealed
- Crime statistics: The most dangerous places in Hungary
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