Hungarian village for rent; you could be deputy mayor

Interim officials can rename the streets to their liking for the duration of their stay

If “king for a day” sounds too majestic, a small Hungarian village will let you become deputy mayor for a few days.

The village of Megyer, population 18, has put itself up for rent to companies and tourists.

For 210,000 forints (Dh2,865) a day, a prospective renter gets seven guesthouses that sleep 39 people, four streets, a bus stop, a barn, a chicken yard, six horses, two cows, three sheep and four hectares (10 acres) of farmland — along with the possibility of temporarily being named deputy mayor.

The deal aims to revitalise the hamlet, which dates back to at least the 11th century and is 190 kilometres southwest of Budapest.

Silent draw

Mayor Kristof Pajer said yesterday that the silence of the remote countryside was its main attraction.

“We offer all sorts of programmes to our guests, but most are simply captivated by the surroundings and the quiet,” said Pajer, a 42-year-old engineer. “Once they sit out in the meadow with a bottle of rose wine, nothing else matters.”

Still, Pajer says he also tries to get companies to use Megyer for team building exercises, for example, to include some village improvements in their activities, such as helping to paint the playground swings.

Among the privileges of deputy mayors, Pajer said, interim officials can rename the village streets to their liking for the duration of their stay.