Why do these two Hungarian regions have so many Dutch expats?
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The southern counties of Tolna and Baranya have a remarkable Dutch expat community, and as they say, low prices are not among the top reasons they had chosen Hungary as their new home.
Edit Horváthné Farkas is a real estate broker, mostly specialised in selling houses, both to foreigners and Hungarians, in the counties of Baranya and Tolna in southern Hungary. In an interview with Demokrata on Dutch people and other foreigners who have chosen to live in Hungary, she explains that
in the Netherlands, having even a small yard is a luxury, while in Hungary, they can easily afford a plot of thousands of square metres.
The interview also shares the story of a few Dutch expats who decided to leave their home country for good. Mostly what appeals to these people about Hungary is the beautiful landscape, peaceful life, public safety, and friendly Hungarians, “who are not as reserved as the Dutch”, and whom they feel they can always count on.
The power of community
A settlement with a remarkable expat community is Almamellék, a small town in Baranya County: here, over 30 houses are owned by foreigners today. The first house purchased by a Dutch was transformed into what is called Mambo Camping, and it has since attracted a large number of Dutch people.
According to the mayor, Erika Szilágyiné Kadiró, apart from the Netherlands, families have since moved here from Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Germany, too. She says that these people are mostly (but not only) pensioners. Some only spend a few months here, but it is very common that they “leave everything behind”.
Wil Casper and her husband moved to Almamellék three years ago, but they were regular visitors to Wil’s sister even before that. They especially like the people who surround them. “My neighbours bring me so many cookies I am not able to finish them,” says Wil. She especially likes mobile vendors as they remind her of her childhood.
In 2019 I had to stay for a couple of days in the Jahn Ferenc Korház and I was very happy with the high quality of the doctors and nurses but the hygienic conditions were far below normal standards. In fact the rooms and toilets were very dirty. It is better to pay more attention to this than to stadiums.