BUDAPEST, Hungary — 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 ($750; 690 euros) 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 revitalize the hamlet, which dates back to at
least the 11th century and is 190 kilometers (120 miles) southwest
of Budapest.
Mayor Kristof Pajer said Wednesday that the silence of the
remote countryside was its main attraction.
"We offer all sorts of programs 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 using Megyer
for team building, for example, to include some village
improvements in their activities, like 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.
