(13 Mar 2015) Trying to find new ways to save his tiny Hungarian community from extinction, Mayor Kristof Pajer is offering the whole village of Megyer for rent.
For 210,000 Hungarian forints (730 US dollars) a day, amenities offered include seven guest houses that sleep 39 people, a bus stop, horses, chickens and four hectares (10 acres) of farm land.
Pajer said he fell in love with the peace and quiet offered by Megyer, which has a population of 18 and is located 190 kilometres (120 miles) southwest of the Hungarian capital Budapest.
Many residents moved away in the 1990s, after the fall of communism put an end to the collective farms that were the main source of employment.
Pajer, along with friends, purchased some properties in the village in 2005 and turned them into guesthouses. He was elected mayor in 2006 and is in his third term.
The village applied for funds to the European Union and has so far received nearly 70 (m) million forints (241,000 US dollars) to restore homes and buildings to their original "peasant style".
The funds have also been used to build a small community centre and a conference house.
"We got the idea, based on an Austrian example, to have the municipality and the owners contribute what they have to create a unified tourist package," said Pajer.
Since his advertisement on Hungarian websites gained international attention a couple of weeks ago, hundreds of reservations have been made from as far away as Australia, South Africa, Sweden and the US.
Pajer, an engineer who commutes between Budapest and Megyer and also manages a couple of rock bands, has been organising a week-long rock festival in Megyer since 2011.
Pajer also offers renters the title of deputy mayor to visitors, giving them the right to oversee peace and order, as well as the opportunity to rename several of the village's four streets for the duration of their stay.
But some local residents are unsure about Pajer's initiative.
Daniel Osvath, a 70-year-old retiree, told The Associated Press: "It remains to be seen how this initiative will develop. The mayor is taking care of things but we'll see over the long term how the village will profit from this."


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