These are Hungary’s favourite brands in 2019!
Again, Google has been top-ranked in the 2019 national research carried out by the VMLY&R advertising agency, observing brand preferences of Hungarian consumers. Google is followed by Samsung in the ranking, along with one Hungarian brand, ’Pick,’ reported the researching company to MTI on Tuesday.
The list is overwhelmingly dominated by the technology sector: after Google and Samsung, Youtube has been ranked in the fourth place, followed by Microsoft and Facebook.
It is not surprising that Hungarian consumers associate innovativeness with technology brands; however, interestingly, the refreshing drink Fuze Tea, which was introduced last year, also managed to get on the list of innovative brands, thanks to its media presence and strong launch campaign.
As Portfolio reports, the greatest development was realised by Huawei and Aldi. Despite its scandals, the Chinese telecom giant has doubled its scores compared to 2017, while Aldi has improved by 300 places.
However, Hungarian brands were excluded from the top-ranking: besides Pick salami, only Gyulai (38th) and Pöttyös (42nd) were ranked among the TOP 50.
In the last few years, Hungary achieved better results – in 2017, Béres was ranked among the TOP 10, while Boci, Herz, Gyulai, Gyermelyi, Pöttyös, Sió, Piros Mogyorós, Magyar Posta, and Mol were listed among the TOP 50.
Since 1993, the VMLY&R advertising agency has been carrying out the world’s largest independent brand-perception research (BrandAsset Valuator, BAV) in 50 countries. The biannual study has been repeated 10 times in Hungary. Within the framework of the survey, the perception of nearly 700 brands was examined. The research was carried out along the dimensions of uniqueness, relevance, appreciation, and awareness, which were complemented by brand attributes and consumer behaviour, providing a more accurate overall image. The survey was conducted by GfK.
WOW! Hungarian woman among the world’s most influential persons
A Hungarian woman with Hungarian ancestors got featured amongst the most influential people of all time. The list features the most important women of all time from nineteen different countries.
According to Napi, Linda Hasenfratz is in the 47th place, and she is the executive director of the company Linamar. The 53-year-old Hasenfratz became the leader of the company in 2002 when her father gave her the position. The company, which has a Canadian centre, deals and produces parts for vehicles and was going through hard times.
Hasenfratz took control and brought along intense development for the company, which now has 53 factories in 13 countries with 23 thousand employees. The revenue of the company reached 6 billion dollars last year.
Frank Hasenfratz, who established the company, left Hungary after the revolution and uprising in 1956, and now (84) retired, he lives at his own home. After emigrating from the country, he started a brand-new life in Canada and established the company.
See the full list HERE
WOW! Three Hungarian companies among the fastest developing ones of Central-Europe
This year, three Hungarian companies got featured on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 list which ranks the fastest developing associations and companies of Central-Europe. To be featured on the list, these companies needed to earn a 432% income-increase or more.
Forbes reported that on the list ranking 50 companies, the Hungarian Dyntell got the 6th place with a 2537% increase. The company deals with corporate governance (ERP systems) and with its development. Dyntell has more than a hundred clients in Hungary and other countries as well. The iERP system, developed by the company, is the newest generation of the concept of leadership, which was born by uniting corporate systems and business intelligence.
This is the reason for the company’s name, which is a combination of the words dynamic and intelligent.
The 43d place was earned by Supercharge which has been featured in this list before. This year, the company made a 485% increase. Supercharge was established in 2010, and besides Budapest, the leadership has an office in London as well.
The company develops and creates mobile applications for big companies like OTP Bank, Santander Bank, Deutsche Telekom or NetPincér.hu’s (online food delivery) brand called Delivery Hero.
The third Hungarian company which got featured among the best fifty is Gremon Systems. The company offers innovative computer solutions for gardening companies putting a significant emphasis on glasshouses. The company was established by the University of Szeged six years ago. Their offers help gardening companies to find the most beneficial investments and business-related matters.
CLICK HERE for the full list!
A Hungarian start-up company is the new favourite of Apple
Dóra Pálfi’s start-up company called Imagilabs does not just provide electronic devices for young women to learn to program but at the same time builds an active community. To invest in their unique app, the Imagicharm, she not only got money from donations but at the same time co-operates with several multinational companies and a Swedish pop star.
WOW! – Budapest is the 2nd ‘Best Value Destination’ in the world!!! – VIDEO
Concerning price-value ratio, the Hungarian capital is preceded only by one Indonesian province – according to the newly released travel brochure of Lonely Planet.
Within the framework of the freshly published ranking, travel destinations are classified into four categories. ”Best In Travel 2020” includes the TOP 10 countries, cities, regions and the best value destinations. In the latter category, Budapest is preceded only by one Indonesian province, Eastern-Nusa Tenggara.
According to szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu, the Hungarian capital has been awarded for its excellent, but cheap thermal baths; besides these, its wine bars and ruin pubs have also been pointed out, along with the city’s coffee houses. Travel brochure mentions Budapest’s Art Nouveau buildings – highlighting Keleti railway station – which is described as the best place to start and finish a trip in Budapest.
The third place of the ranking is occupied by an Indian state, Madhya Pradesh; followed by Serbia, Tunisia, Azerbaijan and the Greek capital city, Athens.
The best travel destinations in the category of the price-value ratio are presented in a short video:
As Lonely Planet reports –
-
Bhutan, England and Northern Macedonia are unmissable travel destinations in 2020.
-
In the list of cities, Salzburg wins the palm; followed by Washington and Cairo.
-
Considering the category of regions, we should not miss the Asian Silk Road, the Italian Marche region and Japan’s Tohoku either.
Video: www.youtube.com
Budapest has one of the cheapest transportation systems in Europe!
According to a study conducted by taxi2airport.com, public transport in Hungary is cheap by European standards.
As reported by travelo.hu, the study investigated public transport across 80 cities around the world. Globally, the average cost of a one-way ticket is €1.68.
Unsurprisingly fares are cheapest in Africa, where on average you can travel for as little as €0.28 in the city.
On the other hand, the cost of a single ticket in Stockholm costs €3.25. In general, the cost of travel in Europe is more expensive. The average fare price in Europe was €2.74, which is actually pushed up by higher ticket prices in Western and Northern Europe.
Indeed, the cost of travel in Hungary is very cheap compared to the rest of world; a single ticket in Budapest costs a mere €1.05, which is below world and European averages. This price can be lowered even more if we consider buying a 10 journey ticket, which can decrease the cost of each fare to €0.90.
However, this cheap fare is only true for single short rides. Buying passes and tickets for longer journeys will increase the cost relative to other cities that also offer discounts in similar categories.
Nonetheless, 24-hour, 72-hour and 7 day tickets in Budapest cost €5.00, €12.50 and €14.90 respectively, making public transport a cheap and efficient way of getting around the city. These prices are still lower than the European average, thus lowering the cost of visiting the Hungarian capital.
This week we reported that a range of new destinations will be accessible from Budapest Airport in 2020. Budapest has also been listed among the best European cities for single people.
WOW! – 6 Hungarian towns among Europe’s most cultural and creative cities
Six Hungarian towns – Budapest, Győr, Veszprém, Pécs, Szeged, and Debrecen – have been ranked on the list of Europe’s most cultural and creative cities. The ranking was carried out by the European Commission; the body awarded 30 towns from 190 European countries.
Budapest
Budapest achieved outstanding results in the area of job creation in the creative sector – 87.3% – which is a remarkable percentage not only in its own category (population over 1,000,000), but it highly exceeds the 37% EU average as well. According to the report of Cultural and Creative Cities’ Monitor,
in the area of creative economy – namely, how creative industries contribute to the employment capacity of the city – Budapest (47.3%) also outperformed the EU average (34.5%).
Győr
As far as Győr is concerned, the city’s dynamic development and its innovative features have been emphasised, by which it has become one of the largest economic and industrial centres of Hungary. Besides several cultural events and festivals, they highlighted The Ballet Company and The National Theatre of Győr due to their outstanding role in the region.
Pécs
In the case of Pécs, the city’s multi-ethnic and multicultural composition has been emphasised, which “opens the door” to non-EU Balkan countries. They acknowledged the city’s effort to protect the cultural values of minorities and its attitude towards refugees of the Balkan wars. Besides this, the city’s Early Christian monuments listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been highlighted as well, along with the well-developed Zsolnay Cultural Quarter.
Szeged
Szeged was described as a significant historical heritage and a university city with numerous cultural treasures.
Among several cultural festivals, the 85-year-old Szeged Open-Air Games has been pointed out as one of the most outstanding cultural scenes of Hungary.
Veszprém
Veszprém – designated as European Capital of Culture until 2023 – has been ranked on the list of cultural and creative cities for the first time. Several cultural institutions can be found in the city, including museums, art galleries, and theatres, as well as numerous world-famous music festivals, including VeszprémFest and Street Music Festival of Veszprém.
Debrecen
Debrecen was also ranked for the first time – described as one of the most important cultural centres of Hungary. Here, they highlighted the largest exhibition space of Hungary – MODEM Modern and Contemporary Arts Centre – and several cultural events, including the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition, Debrecen Flower Carnival, and Campus Festival.
According to nullahategy.hu, the report also revealed that within the cultural and creative sector, employment has grown particularly in Northern and Central-Eastern European cities.
On average, an annual growth of 12% has been experienced in Budapest (Hungary), Tallinn and Tartu (Estonia), Vilnius (Lithuania), Krakow and Wroclaw (Poland).
They pointed out that the cultural venues of the cities are perfectly accessible from the residential area – 30 minutes by walk, or only 5 minutes by bike. However, they also noted that future EU cohesion funds should promote further convergence of socio-economic and territorial cohesion by focusing on creative jobs, innovation, and transport connections. The latter areas experience the biggest deficiencies.
They also added that the listed settlements are characterised by prosperity; in the case of these cities, a positive correlation can be observed between cultural and creative indicators and the income level.
Hungary ranked 47th on WEF Global Competitiveness Index
Hungary has placed 47th among 141 countries in an annual competitiveness ranking compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Hungary moved up one spot on the index from last year, when the ranking included 140 countries.
Hungary’s score on this year’s Global Competitiveness Index was 65.1 on a scale of 0-100, up from 64.3 a year earlier. The country’s score for institutions rose to 55.7 from 54.2, its score for infrastructure climbed to 80.7 from 78.4, and the score for macroeconomic stability was unchanged at 90.0.
Hungary’s score in the area of human capital rose to 74.8 from 73.3, and its score in the area of markets edged up to 58.8 from 58.4.
Hungary was behind the Czech Republic (32nd), Poland (37th) and Slovakia (42nd) in the fresh ranking. It was ahead of Bulgaria (49th) and Romania (51st).
Commenting on the ranking, the Hungarian finance ministry said the score is an acknowledgement of Hungarian economic policy which aims to further improve competitiveness while maintaining macroeconomic stability. The improved ranking was chiefly thanks to improvement in the corporate environment, macroeconomic stability, the labour market and infrastructure, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
- Budapest is safer and more livable than London
- Budapest ranked underdeveloped in the latest SMART cities ranking
The ministry noted that the Programme for a More Competitive Hungary, accepted in 2018,
identified six sectors to improve competitiveness: taxation, employment, the public sector, health care, education and corporate environment.
The most important aims in economic policy in the coming years will be to further improve competitiveness and productivity, the ministry said. The government’s economy and family protection schemes, while having a beneficial effect of society, also boost economic growth, the statement said.
Budapest ranked underdeveloped in the latest SMART cities ranking
Budapest came 83rd in a ranking of SMART cities by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland and by Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
As reported by turizmusonline.hu, while Budapest was ranked ahead of Bratislava and Bucharest in the 102 cities investigated by the study, it was behind Krakow, Vienna and Ho Chi Minh. Using a range of surveys and indicators, the IMD Smart City Index shows the extent to which residents believe that their cities’ smart solutions are successful. It is important to note that the results reflect the residents’ subjective opinion and the minimum number of participants for each city was at a lowly 120 indivudals.
The indicators include the use technological solutions to makes life in cities more SMART, which involve urban planning policies, transport, renewable energy use, and a city’s ability to attract highly educated individuals.
The top 3 cities were Singapore, Zurich and Oslo. Central European cities Vienna and Prague were ranked 17th and 19th respectively.
Hungary performed poorly in categories which investigated corruption, openness to minorities and the levels of congestion on the roads.
According to the Index, Budapest has a very poor health care system and there are very few green spaces in the city as well. However, on average Budapest has more employment opportunities than the other cities that were ranked.
Survey respondents believed that the three biggest issues that Budapest needs to overcome are high property prices, corruption and congestion.
While the index does not reflect well on the city, it is important to note that Hungarians are traditionally very pessimistic people. Could that have played a role in Hungary’s poor performance in this ranking?
Earlier this year Hungary was ranked very low in the World Press Freedom Index. In another ranking last year, Budapest came 32nd for the best city for expats to live in.
The World’s 50 best cities for street food-obsessed travellers
Budapest is safer and more livable than London
As far as security is concerned, Budapest has triumphed over London, reveals the latest research of Századvég. As a result of international and European actions – including the Hungarian governance change in 2010 and London’s leadership adjustment in 2016 – the two European capitals have developed differently in the last few years, which has become noticeable by now not only for citizens but even for tourists and foreigners as well.
As Hungarian news portal Origo reports, in the brief analysis, the two capitals were compared according to several criteria. At the beginning of the study, the most important pieces of information were presented:
Budapest
- The 10th most populous city in the European Union;
- In 2017, its population exceeded 1.7 million – including the suburbs with 2.5 million people;
- It has an area of about 525 km2, by which it is the largest settlement of the country;
- The Hungarian capital is a popular tourist destination – in 2012, 4.8 million tourists visited Budapest; according to Euromonitor International, it is the 27th most visited city in the world and the 7th most popular European settlement;
- Budapest is a Central European financial centre and the world’s 100th largest city in generating GDP;
- According to the American Forbes magazine, Budapest is the 7th “most idyllic city in Europe.”
London
- According to the 2009 census, its population was 9,675,567, by which it has become the most populous settlement in the European Union;
- The agglomeration is estimated to be between 12 and 14 million people; a wide variety of ethnic groups, cultures, and religions can be found in the city – more than 12% practice the religion of Islam, and 300 different languages are spoken in London;
- One of the world’s leading global cities;
- In 2014, it was described as the world’s most influential cosmopolis by Forbes magazine.
Security
Századvég emphasised that Budapest has realised a remarkable development in recent years, thanks to the effective cooperation between the city administration and the government, along with the improvement of tourism indicators.
According to the research centre, this can be explained by the fact that Budapest has become one of the safest cities in Europe.
The Hungarian capital has been marching forward on the list of the safest cities, unlike the British metropolis that is steadily dropping behind in the rankings. In London, since Sadiq Khan’s leadership (2016), the number of stabbings has increased by 52%, robberies incremented by 59%, while the number of murders grew by 26% in the British capital. In contrast, homicides in Budapest decreased by 35.5% – from 45% to 16% – during the same period.
This phenomenon can even be proven by the fact that according to the Budapest Police Headquarters’ (BRFK) latest annual account, in 2018, the number of registered crimes decreased by almost 10% compared to the previous year.
Foreign offenders
The number of foreign offenders in the Hungarian capital also show positive results. Foreign criminal activity in Hungary cannot be considered significant, either – it has not been affected by the 2015 migration crisis. According to Századvég, this is closely related to the government’s consistent immigration policy and the partnership of István Tarlós.
On the other hand, London experiences a significant increase in the number of crimes which seems inseparable from the phenomenon of mass immigration (according to the latest 2011 census, only 44.9% of London’s population is of British nationality), and show over-representation in the cases of perpetrators as well.
Summary: Peace = Security
The research centre emphasised that, due to recent years’ terrorist attacks, the role of security has been prioritised from both citizens’ and tourists’ perspectives. Improvements and tourism development yielded positive results:
according to The Economist, Budapest is the world’s 54th most livable city, by which it occupies the top of the list within the Central European region.
As Századvég describes, in the last few years, Budapest has realised remarkable development and has turned into one of the most popular tourist destinations.
“Despite the fact that London continues to show significant results in tourism, the British capital is becoming less livable for locals, while Budapest has become one of the safest cities in Europe over the past decade, providing a promising future for the next generations in the dynamically developing Hungarian capital.”
These are the most-listened-to broadcaster in Hungary
Retro Radio, which plays a mix of classic popular music, was the most-listened-to broadcaster in Hungary in the second quarter, data compiled by the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) show.
About 1.7m Hungarians over the age of 15 listened to Retro Radio on a daily basis during the period, NMHH said.
Runner-up during the quarter was Petőfi Radio, a public radio station that plays new popular music, with 1.3m listeners a day.
In third place, with 1.2m daily listeners, was Kossuth Radio, another public station that broadcasts a mix of news and talk.
Popular music station Radio 1 was in fourth place with 1m listeners a day, and Dankó Radio, which plays popular 19th-century Hungarian songs, Hungarian folk, world music and operetta, was in fifth with 245,000 listeners.
Classical music station Bartók Radio was in sixth place with 105,000 daily listeners, and talk radio InfoRadio was in seventh with 60,000 listeners.
Alone in the capital, Retro Radio was also the most-listened-to radio station with 207,000 people tuning in a day.
Runner-up was Radio 1 with 205,000 listeners, and Kossuth Radio was in third place with 170,000 listeners.
As we wrote few weeks ago, the percentage of Hungarians over the age of 14 who listen to the radio every day fell to 37 percent in 2018 from 42 percent in 2017, a survey shows.
Also we wrote before, Washington is apparently considering relaunching Radio Free Europe in Hungarian once again. The US-based radio station, also known as Radio Liberty, has not had Hungarian words spoken on it since 1993. Read more HERE.
Hungary is the 5th safest place in terms of card transactions!
There are still people in this world who are reluctant to pay for anything with cards due to a lack of trust, and being afraid of getting involved in some kind of a fraud. As it turns out, Hungary is the 5th safest place in terms of card transactions.
Hungary is the 5th safest country in terms of paying by card, Világgazdaság reports.
On average, out of one million forints paid by card transactions, only 113 forints were involved in fraud, and there was only 9 forints of deficit,
according to a survey conducted by the National Bank of Hungary (in Hungarian: Magyar Nemzeti Bank). The data was collected between 2010 and 2018.
The number of misuses was among the lowest compared to the number of transactions in Hungary. Only Romania, Greece, Latvia, and Poland did better than Hungary on this list.
The ratio of misuse in Hungary was about 0.001% while the average ratio in the Eurozone was above 0.003%, and around 0.004% in the SEPA zone.
The statistics are great. However, the number of misuses in fact increased in Hungary over the last couple of years: there were 39,355 instances in 2017, and 66,037 instances in 2018, which is two-thirds more.
Even though the number of misuses increased, the amount of money involved in fraud decreased. The amount was around 1.712 billion forints in 2018 while over 15,070 billion forints were paid altogether through those tiny little plastic cards. Statistically, it means that out of every million transactions, there is misuse in only 7 of these. In other words, out of one million forints, only 113 forints tend to be involved in fraud or misuse.
Featured image: Illustration/Pixabay
Hungary’s passport ranked 11th in 2019!
Hungarian water park among top 10 in Europe
TripAdvisor has released their list of top 25 water parks in Europe, and the Hungarian Palatinus Strand occupies the 5th place on the list!
All of these parks offer fun – or even extreme – water slides, multiple pools – some indoors and outdoors as well – other water activities for families and children, sunbeds and wellness treatments for those who desire some relaxing, and many more amazing features which will guarantee that anyone who goes will have a grand time.
Top 10 best water parks in Europe
- Siam Park – Adeje, Spain
Photo: Wikimedia Commons - Water Park – Faliraki, Greece
- AcquaPark Odissea 2000 – Rossano, Italy
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/acquaparkodissea2000/photos/ - Aqua Dome – Tralee, Ireland
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/aqua.dome.1/photos/ - Palatinus Strand – Budapest, Hungary
- Therme Bucuresti – Balotesti, Romania
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/thermebucuresti/photos/ - Druskininkai Aquapark – Druskininkai, Lithuania
Photo: Wikimedia Commons - Aquapark Aquamania – Albena, Bulgaria
- Aqua Fantasy Aquapark – Selcuk, Turkey
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/AquaFantasyAquapark/photos/ - Aquashow Park – Quarteria, Portugal
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/AquashowParque/photos/
To check out the full list on TripAdvisor click HERE.
Palatinus Strand
The water park has a 4.5 rating on TripAdvisor, and is on the beautiful Margaret Island, in Budapest, Hungary. It offers its visitors indoor pools – including thermal baths, children’s pool – outdoor pools – in the winter: thermal spa and swimming pool, in the summer: wave pool, children’s pool, swimming pool and many more – saunas, health services – such as therapeutic massage – rentals, restaurants, and ATMs.
The park was upgraded and renewed two years ago, read more about the upgrades HERE.
You can even take a virtual tour of the whole water park on its website, which will surely convince you to visit.
Whether you would want to go to relax and have a spa day or to have a fun-filled day with family, this water park has everything your heart might desire, not to mention the beautiful island it is on.
Before leaving you might want to go on a romantic stroll on the island with your significant other in the sunset, or take the children to see the Music Fountain if they are not tired after a day of playing in the water.
Fastest Growing Festivals of All Time Revealed!
Been to a festival this year yet? Perhaps there’s one in your diary you are counting down the days until? That’s right, festival season in full swing, with Glasto already flying by and Y Not and Kendal Calling kicking off this very weekend.
There’s no doubt that festivals are a powerful medium, bringing all walks of life together for sheer enjoyment. With that, it’s no wonder they have only grown in popularity.
While some of these events have always had pretty large crowds, others started from much more humble beginnings. The team at StubHub love the festival-buzz, so decided to find out which festivals have become the all-time faves since they started out. Just who has taken the world of festivals by storm?
Top 10 Fastest Growing Festivals (& Growth Since First Year)
-
Amsterdam Dance Event, Netherlands- 23,233%
-
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival -17,043%
-
Glastonbury Festival, UK – 8,900%
-
Boomtown Fair, UK – 6,500%
-
Green Man Festival, UK – 3,233%
-
South by Southwest, Texas – 2,757%
-
Electric Daisy Carnival, Vegas – 2,600%
-
Dour Festival, Belgium – 2,320%
-
Strawberries & Creem, UK – 1,775%
-
St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Australia – 1,329%
The Fastest Growing Festival Genre – EDM
The Oldest, Most Popular Festival – New Orleans Jazz Festival, US
The Fastest Growth in The Shortest Time – Mad Cool Festival, Spain
Biggest Growth in Past Decade – Boomtown Fair, UK
Most Common Festival Location – USA
Decade of The Festival Start-Up – 2000
Festivals With No Growth – Secret Solstice & Wilderness Fest
The Most Attended Festival – Summerfest
The Most Popular UK Festival – Capital FM Summertime Ball
Sziget Festival – Budapest, Hungary
Genre: Various
First year: 1993
Original capacity: 40,000
Current capacity: 90,000
Growth numbers: 50,000
%Growth: 125%
First year: 1993
Original capacity: 40,000
Current capacity: 90,000
Growth numbers: 50,000
%Growth: 125%
To see the full list of festivals and find out the growth of other festivals, simply click here.
WOW! Semmelweis University among the best fifty universities in Europe
According to Times Higher Education, the Hungarian Semmelweis University made an incredible success again as it has become one of the best fifty universities in Europe. Besides Semmelweis, another three Hungarian institutions are featured on the list.
Daily News Hungary reported before that Semmelweis University of Budapest was featured in the top 200 on the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, which was published for the first time. Altogether two Hungarian higher education institutions were featured on the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings: Semmelweis University and the University of Szeged. This ranking assesses universities on a global scale, comparing their achievements to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
The first edition of the THE University Impact Rankings features over 450 universities from 76 countries, and the list is led by the University of Auckland, New Zealand. The most represented countries are Japan (41 institutions), the USA (31 institutions) and Russia (30 institutions).
Forbes reported the ranking features 258 European universities, and four of them are Hungarian. Different universities across Europe are chosen by students’ opinion, educational statistics, in which 125,000 students were asked from eighteen countries. The ranking takes into consideration their opinions about the university, skills, and practices to provide an exceptional education for students, statistics about how many students get a degree each year and the educational environment.
Semmelweis University is the 41st on the list. It reached the best score with its educational environment.
The three other universities are the Szent István University (126–150th), Debreceni University and Eötvös Lóránd University (151–200th).
Learn about Ignaz Semmelweis, the saviour of mothers
One of the most important figures of Hungarian medical history, Ignácz Semmelweis, was born 100 years ago, on 1 July 1818. Learn about the doctor who is commonly referred to as the “saviour of the mothers” in Hungary, as he discovered the cause behind a raging childbed fever epidemic that was taking the lives of mothers in Vienna in the 19th century: the lack of hand disinfection. In other words, he realised the importance of washing hands before the existence of bacteria was discovered, years after his death.
The 50 best ice cream parlours in Europe – Budapest #20th
With the temperatures rising all over the European continent, there is only one sensible way to cool down: a scoop or three of delicious ice cream. But where are the best Europe ice cream parlours? Time to find out!
According to bigseventravel.com, from Italian gelato to refreshing ice pops; from small farms to coastal seaside towns. The seriously Instagrammable stores and scoops that have been served for generations.
We’ve got the very best Europe ice cream parlours…
The judging criteria:
- Finalists were selected from the countries of the European Union
- Every country has at least one entry; some have more than one entry
- Votes were cast in poll of Big 7 readers, across our 1.5million community on social media and by a panel of food experts
- Online reviews, previous media coverage and notable blogs were also included in the overall rating
1. Zanoni & Zanoni – Vienna, Austria
A wonderful place to come for those of you with a sweet tooth. They do great breakfast, cakes and sweets but in reality you are only here for the ice cream.
They’ve been going storng since 1971 so you know they are doing something right. A huge choice of fresh and colourful flavours.
2. Veganista Ice Cream – Vienna, Austria
They’ve tapped right into the biggest trend of the moment, which is of course veganism,
All ingredients are plant based, totally vegan and if possible they try to only select ingredients that are organic and sourced locally.
So, everything here is more healthy for you than normal ice cream but you lose none of the flavour. A win-win.
3. Gelateria Da Vinci – Bruges, Belgium
They’ve been serving up their delicious ice cream now for 18 years and everybody leaves a happy customer.
You can either sit in and have a “coupe” (a large selection with fruits and sauces) or grab a cone and go and wander this stunning city.
4. Gaston – Brussels, Belgium
5. Gelato & Latte Este – Sofia, Bulgaria
6. Luka Ice Cream & Cakes – Split, Croatia
7. Fabio’s Gelato – Cyprus
8. Crème de la Crème – Czech Republic
9. Angelato – Prague, Czech Republic
10. Ismageriet – Copenhagen, Denmark
11. Siciliansk Is – Copenhagen, Denmark
12. Gelato Ladies – Tallinn, Estonia
13. Helsingin Jäätelötehdas – Helsinki, Finland
14. Glace Bachir – Paris, France
15. Arlequin Gelati – Nice, France
16. Cuore di Vetro – Berlin, Germany
17. True & 12 Handmade Ice Cream – Munich, Germany
18. Bizziice Ice Cream Parlor – Frankfurt, Germany
19. DaVinci Gelato – Athens, Greece
20. Gelarto Rosa – Budapest, Hungary
Gelarto Rosa is a small independent chain of artisanal ice cream stores in the heart of Budapest, Hungary.
All their ice cream is made using traditional Italian techniques and their products are all organic. They serve it up in the prettiest little rose shapes you have ever seen.
Check out the full list here
Hungary’s passport ranked 11th in 2019!
Moving into the third quarter of 2019, Japan and Singapore hold onto top spot on the Henley Passport Index, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 189. This latest ranking of passport power and global mobility – which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – marks the culmination of an 18-month long winning streak for both countries, after they unseated Germany from its long-held 1st position at the beginning of 2018.
According to Henley Passport Index, falling from the 1st place spot it shared last quarter, South Korea now sits in 2nd place along with Finland and Germany, with citizens able to access 187 destinations without a prior visa. Finland’s ascent is due to recent changes to Pakistan’s formerly highly restrictive visa policy. In the hope of attracting tourists and boosting its struggling economy, Pakistan now offers an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) to 50 countries, notably excluding the UK or the US.
With a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 183, the UK and the US now share 6th place – the lowest position either country has held since 2010, and a significant drop from their 1st place spot in 2014.
Denmark, Italy, and Luxembourg sit jointly in 3rd place on the index, each with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 186, while France, Spain, and Sweden are in joint 4th place, each with a score of 185. In significant shifts elsewhere in the rankings, the United Arab Emirates has entered the index’s top 20 for the first time in the index’s 14-year history, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 165. Over the past five years, the UAE has more than doubled the number of destinations its citizens are able to travel to without a prior visa. Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the global mobility spectrum, with its citizens able to access only 25 destinations worldwide.
Brexit, the EU, and the Link between Visa-Openness and Progressive Reform
Throughout most of the index’s history, the UK has held one of the top five places in the ranking. However, with its exit from the EU now imminent, the UK’s once-strong position looks increasingly uncertain. The Brexit process has not yet had a direct impact on the UK’s ranking, but new research using exclusive historical data from the Henley Passport Index indicates that this could change, with consequences that extend beyond a decline in passport power.
Political science researchers Uğur Altundal and Ömer Zarpli, of Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh respectively, have found that that there is a link between visa-openness and progressive reform, and that a county’s ranking on the index reveals far more than simply the number of destinations its holders are able to access. Altundal and Zarpli’s unique research shows that even short-term travel mobility, which represents 85% of all cross-border movements, can positively influence political liberalization and democratization. Conversely, countries moving towards nationalist isolationism and away from policies that encourage visa-openness are likely to drop in the Henley Passport Index rankings and incur geopolitical consequences for themselves and their neighbors.
Altundal and Zarpli observe that “the prospect of visa-waiver agreements with the EU has encouraged neighboring countries to adopt important reforms in areas such as civil and political rights, rule of law, and security,” and note that freedom of movement appears to be a vital pre-condition not only for economic growth, but also for social integration and progressive political change. With nationalism on the rise, and global powerhouses like the UK and the US embracing policies that limit freedom of movement, this new research indicates that associated impacts on political rights, rule of law, security and democracy could be profound.
Commenting on these developments, Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the creator of the passport index concept, says: “With a few notable exceptions, the latest rankings show that countries around the world increasingly view visa-openness as crucial to economic and social progress. Discussions of passport power and global mobility tend to focus on the benefits for the countries with the strongest passports. However, this latest unique research appears to confirm something that many of us already knew intuitively: that increased visa-openness benefits the entire global community, and not just the strongest countries.”
Integration and Economic Progress: Africa, the Middle East, and Brazil
The connection between visa-openness, economic control, and social progress is exemplified by changing attitudes in African countries regarding strengthened diplomatic relationships on the continent and beyond.
Discussing the shift towards visa liberalization within the African continent, Ryan Cummings, Director of Signal Risk, says: “The nexus between border openness and economic performance on the African continent has been exemplified by Rwanda. Last year, it was one of the countries to receive the highest degree of foreign direct investment. The country’s Trade and Industry Minister links this to their robust visa openness policy, noting that Rwanda – which initiated a visa-on-arrival policy for citizens of all African countries in the beginning of 2018 – views freedom of movement as a vital component for economic integration.”
Commenting on this approach in light of the growing connections between African countries and Middle Eastern states, particularly in the Gulf, Froilan Malit, an Associate at the Gulf Labour Markets, Migration, and Population (GLMM) program and a Fellow at Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders (CIFAL), says: “By establishing deeper relationships with these states, African countries are not only able to secure trade and investment benefits and employment opportunities for their nationals locally and in the Gulf countries, but also to develop stronger diplomatic relations. These particular strategies can have transformative effects on Africa’s economic growth and development and may play an essential role to rapidly modernize their economy, trade, and investments in the long term.”
Experts predict that recent changes to Brazil’s visa policy are likely to have similar effects – the country has implemented a visa waiver for citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, and the US. Dr. Parag Khanna, Founder and Managing Partner of FutureMap and author of The Future Is Asian: Global Order in the Twenty-first Century, says, “Brazil’s new government has come in at a time of economic crisis and seeks to accelerate an economic rebound. It needs to send a signal that it is open for business and cleaning up. Despite years of opposition to visa waivers for countries such as the US on a non-reciprocal basis, it seems Brazil has now caved in. To attract the capital and investor interest the country needs as part of its turnaround, it has taken this step to open up to important capital exporters such as Canada, Japan, and the US.”
Investment Migration Countries Secure Strong Positions
Countries with citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs continue to perform strongly on the Henley Passport Index, and demonstrate a similar connection between passport power and economic and social progress.
Moving up from the 8th place spot it held last quarter, Malta now sits alone in 7th place with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 182, just one spot behind the UK and the US. Cyprus retains its 16th place on the index, with a score of 172, while the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is now in 29th place, rising 11 places over the past decade.
Dr. Juerg Steffen, the CEO of Henley & Partners, says: “Citizenship- and residence-by-investment programs are becoming more sought after, and these latest results make it easy to see why. Look at Malta’s position on the index, for example. For wealthy investors, the acquisition of a passport that gives its holders visa-free access to 182 destinations around the world is genuinely life-changing. And we know now that the benefits of these programs go both ways. Since the introduction of its citizenship-by-investment program, Malta has attracted significant foreign direct investment, dramatically reduced its overall debt levels, become one of the most financially dynamic countries in the EU, and created employment opportunities that have improved the lives of all its citizens.”
Hungarian voted 20th sexiest nationality in the World – Complete rank here
Look, some countries are sexier than others – at least, that’s what the results of our latest survey of the sexiest nationality in the world is proving. Big 7 Travel surveyed a sample of our 1.5 million social audience to get an insight into where you’ll find the world’s most beautiful people.
Survey respondents were given no further specifications of the term ‘sexy’, so interpretation of the word was up to them.
‘Sexy’, according to the fail-safe Merriam-Webster dictionary, is classified as “generally attractive or interesting”. While beauty may be only skin deep, it’s probably little consolation to the unlucky countries that have been voted as the least sexy in the world. Sorry, Ireland. Hungary placed at No.20.
- The sexiest Hungarian policewoman to be fired? – Photo gallery
- Incredibly sexy plus-size Hungarian girl taking over Instagram! — PHOTOS
Top 10 sexiest nationalities accents 2019:
10th. Canadian
9th. English
8th. Armenian
7th. Italian
6th. South African
5th. Australian
4th. Brazilian
3rd. Filipino
2nd. Danish
1st. Ukrainian
Catch up with Barbara Palvin, the first Hungarian Victoria’s Secret Angel – Photos, Videos