Best cities for retirement in Hungary

This is a good question but so far I have no idea since we are in Budapest.
One thing to consider as a older person is access to medical care and what sort of care is in your area.
Also what sort of people are in your village/area.
We have heard tales of western Europeans buying and fixing up older homes and then vacationing  in their home countries only to come back and find they were ripped off blind.
Even their roof was taken.
If you move to a low income/depressed area then you can't leave home or you may get a shocking surprize on your return.
I heard of a UK lady who was invaded by Gypsies whenever she left Hungary.
They just liked her bathroom and kitchen better then theirs so helped themselves while she was gone.
She was actually lucky that a family of 10 with small children didn't move in and refuse to leave on her return.
If you buy a house you also have to consider what will or could happen if you must leave or if you are in hospital for months.
Not all neighobrs have your best interest in mind.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

This is a good question but so far I have no idea since we are in Budapest.
One thing to consider as a older person is access to medical care and what sort of care is in your area.
............
I heard of a UK lady who was invaded by Gypsies whenever she left Hungary.
They just liked her bathroom and kitchen better then theirs so helped themselves while she was gone.
She was actually lucky that a family of 10 with small children didn't move in and refuse to leave on her return.
If you buy a house you also have to consider what will or could happen if you must leave or if you are in hospital for months.
Not all neighobrs have your best interest in mind.

Best city for retirement...I think this is a strange question...as was said.....first question is "is there anything wrong with you?".  If so, it's got to be Budapest.  This country only has Budapest as the major city, all the others are too small to be of interest for retirement.  There are hardly any international airports - Budapest and Debrecen and maybe Sarmallek* (probably seasonally open again).  Hard to get in and get out from elsewhere.

There's a children's hospice (for kids terminally ill) not that far away from my MIL.  When they fixed it up, they put in a new heating system.  Some nice person took all the radiators as clearly they had a greater need than sick kids. 

If it's not nailed down don't leave it unattended.....

* my spell checker wanted to replace Sarmallek with marmalade.  Dunno why but I found that  amusing.

Wow, how could someone steal from ill children?
Lower then low scum...
Yes  there are several stages of retirement and everyone is different.
Active seniors, those with serious health issues and those who want to be near people and those who wish to be alone.
I wouldn't mind a seasonal place near one of the lakes but what about the other 9 months of the year?
If one is an ex-pat without close family or trusted people to look at your properties then that is a whole other headache.
The only reason we bought a flat instead of a house was because you can hopefully just lock up the flat and take off for months.
With a house you must worry about the yard, the house and any pets you may have .
If your in good health and have enough funds you can travel here and there every 6 months and skip out on the cold winter months.
Sooner or later sadly most people do get ill or too old to want to travel so again your back to square one, where to live.
We sort of plan in the back of our mind to move back to a nice senior , really senior apt. or condo in the states with swimming pool, game rooms etc.
Seriously when your elderly, like in your 80's most people are done with silly things and just want to take a nap in the mid day without hearing screaming kids or crazy neighbors.
I know they have some nice senior places here in Hungary but since communication in old age with slower minds and bad hearing isn't the best if you do not fully understand the language.
My husband is Hungarian and I American, we do not exactly have much in common overall with people our age here who never left Hungary and don't speak English.
I think it might be a nightmare to be really old, ill and be in a situation with no one to talk to or care about you.
Naw, going home sooner or later .. Like the song goes, I'll walk before they make me run.
Worst thing ever to be ill and in a strange place.
Wow this seems depressing but then again getting old isn't exactly a party either.

Of course it depends on you, but I wouldn't automatically rule out any cities other than Budapest. There's a lot to be said for settling in a smaller place that you can easily come to grips with, and where you don't get lost in the anonymity that always comes with big city living anywhere. If you do want the big city every once in a while, Budapest (and Vienna) aren't that far from anywhere in Hungary.

Myself, while I've never lived there, I have always enjoyed Szeged on the several trips I've made over the years. Lots of 19th century character. Trams that'll take you everywhere. Shopping is pretty convenient. And all the trains between Szeged and Budapest make a stop near Ferihegy, so catching flights isn't a hassle.

Can't quite put my finger on it, but Szeged just seems to have a good feel.

Pécs, not far away, is another possibility. It seems to have quite a large foreigner contingent, probably studying at the medical school. On the whole, I think Szeged is a bit nicer, but perhaps not quite as foreigner friendly as Pécs, I don't know.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Wow, how could someone steal from ill children?
Lower then low scum...
Yes  there are several stages of retirement and everyone is different.
Active seniors, those with serious health issues and those who want to be near people and those who wish to be alone.
I wouldn't mind a seasonal place near one of the lakes but what about the other 9 months of the year?
If one is an ex-pat without close family or trusted people to look at your properties then that is a whole other headache.
The only reason we bought a flat instead of a house was because you can hopefully just lock up the flat and take off for months.
With a house you must worry about the yard, the house and any pets you may have .
If your in good health and have enough funds you can travel here and there every 6 months and skip out on the cold winter months.
Sooner or later sadly most people do get ill or too old to want to travel so again your back to square one, where to live.
We sort of plan in the back of our mind to move back to a nice senior , really senior apt. or condo in the states with swimming pool, game rooms etc. ....
Naw, going home sooner or later .. Like the song goes, I'll walk before they make me run.
Worst thing ever to be ill and in a strange place.
Wow this seems depressing but then again getting old isn't exactly a party either.

Yep, scum for stealing from sick kids.   It was quite a time ago.  But strange place to put a hospice as it's in a large residential house in a leafy street.  I suppose it might as well be anywhere. Comings and goings by ambulances and nursing staff.  None of the kids come out of there alive as far as I know.  Not nice but an unhappy reality.

Back in the UK, my old Dad recognised that he and my late Mum needed a place they could get assistance if need be - emergency pull cords, warden checking on them, fully maintained etc. 

I was very much against them moving in there as I thought it was taking away their independence. But now I can see it was not such a bad move and they planned well.  They made friends there.  It looks like a travel motel but with 2 bedroomed apartments within easy reach of the doctors' place and the supermarket.  It's very pleasant but with zimmer frames, wheel chairs and electric scooters everywhere plus games room.  There's even an apartment for visitors to stay.   Quite expensive to live there but at least in the UK, they don't need to worry about affordability of medical care (lots of news stories about medical bankruptcies in the USA recently).

The only thing about it which is not great is that there's a turnover - basically the residents die as they are ancient and their twilight years.  People are found dead there or drop dead nearby or get collected and taken to hospital never to return.  So it's almost God's waiting room. 

That sounds bad but it's a community and people share their memories.  My 95 year old Dad is a senior person there and the youngest is early 70s.  Bit of an age difference. 

As the foreigner here, I can see the point of not staying here in HU if one was alone - I don't know what I would do right now.  If the kids were over 18, then maybe I would still stay here but fingers crossed I've got a few years before that would be necessary.  Keeping mind and body active has to be good - I've got a friend who is 70 years old and he's still working!

Back to the question, best city for retirement.  I cannot see anyone who is living and connected to one city retiring to another.  People would only move short distances in the area.  They still want to see their friends and family and travel is a burden.

This very afternoon my husband told me about one retirement place here in Hungary he read about.
It is located somewhere in the countryside, somewhere in western HU.
It costs about 200,000 a month for one person and another 180,000 a month for a second person.
Large room with laundry and towel service, 4 meals per day in a restaurant that is also open to the public.
The rooms have a sitting area, free cable and internet but no pool.
Located about 30 mins from a spa.
They also have a separate area for those suffering from health or mental issues for the same cost.
I know I am at least a decade or more away from that but interesting to know.
My sister who will soon be 72 is so busy with working ,volunteering at her local Minn. zoo and going out with friends that it makes me realize some people don't age, they just drop over.
Most all of my old school friends are better then Ok with money issues but their health or their partners   health is crap.
My older sister wants to leave me her home and everything she has minus her diving equipment, which I have zero use for if she departs first.
I think she will outlive all of us since she doesn't suffer from the stress of having children.
When I was "under aged" for the building complex in Las Vegas at age 51,  we knew the story of many of the other renters.
It was a 55 years old plus building, they also now have 63 plus building meaning you must be at least that old or the spouce of someone that old to move in.
A few times while we lived there we saw an ambulance come and go but strangely enough it was more like a senior social club then a old folks home.
I wanted to try out living in one of those for seniors only bulidings since it had everything, a huge swimming pool spa , libarary, movie room and exercise room and most of all, was quiet since I worked nights.
I really enjoyed it.
I was told that I was lucky I worked and didn't hang around all day in the complex.
Was told it was a huge gossip center and many people had issues with each other over this or that, so silly, think some of those old farts were going back into their childhood years and picking fights.
At 51 I was the baby of the building.
Funny thing was it was managed by an older women.
When we rented the apt. out and spoke with her she gave my husband a second look down her nose and told us her ex- husband had been a Hungarian. I always thought that was funny and lucky she took us as tenants since it appeared she wasn't too crazy about Hungarians.

I have to say that watching older people in Hungary is disheartening, and does make me think twice whether it's a good place for retirement.

Defeated. That's the word that always comes to mind when I see older -- and not that older -- Hungarians. They just look so defeated.

I understand why they have that look: life in postwar Hungary was very hard, and for many, especially the older, life remains very hard. Amidst the grandeur of Hungary's Age of Empire cities, it's sometimes easy to forget that by European standards, this remains a relatively poor country. But a look at the older population quickly reminds you of the poor truth.

Problem is, there seems to be a social convention in Hungary that once you reach a certain age, you're expected to adopt that tired, defeated look.

Over my dead body I will.

zif wrote:

I have to say that watching older people in Hungary is disheartening, and does make me think twice whether it's a good place for retirement.

Defeated. That's the word that always comes to mind when I see older -- and not that older -- Hungarians. They just look so defeated.

I understand why they have that look: life in postwar Hungary was very hard, and for many, especially the older, life remains very hard. Amidst the grandeur of Hungary's Age of Empire cities, it's sometimes easy to forget that by European standards, this remains a relatively poor country. But a look at the older population quickly reminds you of the poor truth.

Problem is, there seems to be a social convention in Hungary that once you reach a certain age, you're expected to adopt that tired, defeated look.

Over my dead body I will.

I think your answer is spot on.
I met a few elderly, like over 80 year old Hungarians who were not grumpy and defeated but they also had outlets such as a loving family behind them and they were not dirt poor.
Our 87 year old neighbor had so much fun and was always going here or there before her health got too bad.
Now she is stuck indoors with her daughter all the time, never leaves the flat.
I'd freak out if that was me!

The HU public personality is that of being inwards and keeping to themselves, comes off as grumpy.
Yes, life has defeated many people, bad health, taking meds , losing loved ones can make a person feel down.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

zif wrote:

.....
Problem is, there seems to be a social convention in Hungary that once you reach a certain age, you're expected to adopt that tired, defeated look.

Over my dead body I will.

I think your answer is spot on.
I met a few elderly, like over 80 year old Hungarians who were not grumpy and defeated but they also had outlets such as a loving family behind them and they were not dirt poor.
Our 87 year old neighbor had so much fun and was always going here or there before her health got too bad.
Now she is stuck indoors with her daughter all the time, never leaves the flat.
I'd freak out if that was me!

The HU public personality is that of being inwards and keeping to themselves, comes off as grumpy.
Yes, life has defeated many people, bad health, taking meds , losing loved ones can make a person feel down.

I agree with you Marilyn.  Perhaps the OP* maybe does not have older relatives and has not seen it first hand.

It's the reality that as you get older, unless you are blessed with beyond excellent health, things are going to go wrong with you and you may not be able to do the same things as you used to.  I'm not that old myself (late 50s) but I can certainly feel age effects creeping in - stuff hurts here and there, I'm not able to recover from injuries (strained muscles especially) so quickly, eyesight and teeth get wonky, get tired faster.   

Unless the medical boffins can reverse aging, it's just a fact of life that things aren't going to be the same as they were before. 

And this aging crap is incremental - maybe first your eyesight goes, then your hearing, then maybe your heart and it's age related (sometimes) illnesses like Parkinsons piling up bit by bit until they overwhelm you into a box. 

My poor old mother who was 90.  She was housebound really.  She could walk about slowly in her place holding on to the furniture but to go any distance she needed a wheelchair and someone to push her around.   She had half a pharmacy in pills to take each day.   And if there's no-one capable to help it's not a good thing and inevitably it means isolation...

Pretty depressing really so that's obviously why many people look so glum!  And it's the same in many other countries. No surprises!

*Update: OP is meant to be "zif" as per the quotes.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I agree with you Marilyn.  Perhaps the OP maybe does not have older relatives and has not seen it first hand.

The OP is/are question(s) asked on every country forum on Expat.com. So some might not apply to every country. Each week another question is asked. This is to generate interest and keep the forums following.

Retirement really means finally the gov. pays you to just go away.
Older people get down because people seem to look right through them like they are taking up space.
At least in most of the western world it seems that way.
I  know that if you get to a point where you can't take care of yourself then a retirement home, a good one is probably the best thing you can do.
My HU MIL worked so hard all of her life,. Her father who was a respected policeman died in the 1930's when she was still very young, her mom had to raise 8 children ( one had died) by herself with the help of her oldest son.
My MIL bought property and had her own business even n commie days, not lazy or stupid at all.
Finally retired at age 55 and moved to her new home outside of the city in Erd.
Had a nice double sized lot and the most beautiful set up ever, garden which produced more then they needed, animals everything was new and nice.
Well by the time she was elderly and a widow it was way too much work for her to keep up.
Everything went to crap.
She should of moved to a old folks home but was stubborn.
In the US many retirement homes are set up like country clubs.
Not sure they have the same here unless you're very wealthy.
When we shipped items to HU from the US my husband brought roller blades, skies, ice skates , he was finally going to have the time to do his hobbies.
Well, he used the roller blades just once, I had to hold him up most of the time. Skies were used once and ice skates one time as well.
Yesterday we went to windy Balaton we watched the sports people out on the waves, parasailling and windsurfing.
I asked him which one he was interested in since he had been a fantastic surfer on Maui, I mean he surfed the big waves with the locals everyday for a few years.
He said he was too old to enjoy those sports any longer, sort of sad to hear him say that.
I said why not just buy a canoe or something you can do... Still not a positive reponse.
You have to sometimes force yourself to do things when you age, even if you're not feeling it at least give it a go.
I knew a 86 year old HU lady in Vegas who kept up with the rest of the class even with hard standing poses.
OK, so she did some of the poses her own way but she never gave up or said she couldn't do something.
I respected how she tried so hard, she even wore cute little pink workout shorts and cute tops.
Her HU husband would pick her up everyday and he was a grouch.
She always told me how grumpy he was.
When he passed on she didn't break down too much and in the end she moved in with her single son and sold her home.She kept going to the gym and even took vacations by herself to visit her other son in HI. She drove herself all over Vegas too.
She had the right attitude about life, I think.
Always positive even though she had pain and heartaches.
Not everyone has that sort of way of living, not sure how she did it.
She told me they had run from HU during WW11 because they were Jewish and she had been 6 months pregnant when they escaped through rivers and hicked across Europe until they got into the UK.
She and her husband had the same experiences but she was positive and he negative.

SimCityAT wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I agree with you Marilyn.  Perhaps the OP maybe does not have older relatives and has not seen it first hand.

The OP is/are question(s) asked on every country forum on Expat.com. So some might not apply to every country. Each week another question is asked. This is to generate interest and keep the forums following.

Yes, sorry, I was referring to the poster "zif"  as the OP who said older folks here were rather glum.

I did do the quote thing!

I wasn't referring to the Expat.com staff posting.

I'm going to get some heat over this  opinion but I think most , not all Hungarians tend to drift into the dark side for one reason or the other.
I know more HU born people personally then I do my fellow country, "men" from the US. I honestly must say HU peeps are a bit more negative then us silly, spaced out , uneducated, Americans.
Can't explain it but in general the way Americans are raised they tend to have a more positive and devil may care attitude about life issues overall.
Hungarians tend to take everything personal.
Could be DNA or social pressure, not sure.
I tend to believe it is how one is raised since my DNA is very close to Hungarian.
I   know growing up in the US it was more like if anyone bothered you you either beat them up or walked away without giving them a second thought .At least that's how my generation rolled.
Seems so many people these days over think everything when most people are not real thinkers to begin with.
It's sad, we all have been lied to all of our lives from everything from going to higher education to the shape of the earth... OK, so I am leaning towards the flat earth theory... Why not, show me any photos that weren't from NASA and maybe I could dis the Bible and the Dome with the 4 corners of the earth.
My hubby thinks I've lost it but my son and I are starting to consider that the earth may be flat.
Why not , please prove me wrong with real science and honest people who do not work for the agenda.
I refuse to just age without knowing why on earth things are the way they are.
OK, enough insanity for now, just some thought s to ponder.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
Can't explain it but in general the way Americans are raised they tend to have a more positive and devil may care attitude about life issues overall.
Hungarians tend to take everything personal.
Could be DNA or social pressure, not sure.
....... OK, so I am leaning towards the flat earth theory... Why not, show me any photos that weren't from NASA and maybe I could dis the Bible and the Dome with the 4 corners of the earth.
My hubby thinks I've lost it but my son and I are starting to consider that the earth may be flat.
Why not , please prove me wrong with real science and honest people who do not work for the agenda.
I refuse to just age without knowing why on earth things are the way they are.
OK, enough insanity for now, just some thought s to ponder.

Hmmmm....well!!!   I'll give this a go.

Flat earth is impossible. It makes no sense for the earth to be flat. 

The lowest form of equilibrium from an energy perspective is more or less a sphere*.  That's because gravity - more or less - is equal across the surface of the planet.  If it was a cube say, then the corners would collapse towards the centre without some sort of bracing. 

Likewise when the Earth was forming, the coalescing of lumps of rock under gravity would naturally move towards creating a sphere.   

This is why rain forms into spheres when they are in space or falling.   It's the lowest form of energy.

Also when one looks at the earth from space, it's clearly a sphere unless that's a Nasa conspiracy (but why?).   

And planes that circumnavigate the globe take off fly in a direction and they return to the same place X hours later.

And even if it was flat, what's on the other side of the disk?

* it's actually an oblate spheroid - more an apple shape than a true "ball".

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

please prove me wrong with real science and honest people who do not work for the agenda.

Way, way, way.... 

Answer moved to :

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 13#4617728

My wife and I were planning to retire to Hungary towards the end of this year. Some of the stories have made me take a step back. Coming home to a house with no roof or maybe your bathroom has been half inched..... We have spent some time in Zala county, mainly Keszthely, Heviz area and did not see anything to cause concern. We are both in our early 60's and are, relatively, fit, having two active dogs tends to do that. I have seen scant mention of this area on the forum so any additional info would be appreciated. I know visiting is different to living but felt that living in a town like Keszthely seemed much like most other European towns. Does anyone have experience of this area?

Derek St wrote:

My wife and I were planning to retire to Hungary towards the end of this year. Some of the stories have made me take a step back. Coming home to a house with no roof or maybe your bathroom has been half inched..... We have spent some time in Zala county, mainly Keszthely, Heviz area and did not see anything to cause concern. We are both in our early 60's and are, relatively, fit, having two active dogs tends to do that. I have seen scant mention of this area on the forum so any additional info would be appreciated. I know visiting is different to living but felt that living in a town like Keszthely seemed much like most other European towns. Does anyone have experience of this area?

l live in this region (east over in the Tapolca Basin about a 20 minute drive away).

Keszthely is a tourist area. Including some dental tourism. So has some reasonable dentists. Has the Big Box Stores just east of town. A few decent restaurants. Decent train and bus connections. Can be very, very busy in the summer (almost annoyingly so). As you known the "down town" is tiny. The only real "coffee shop" in the region.

Heviz is very touristy. It can be quite expensive relative to other areas (And last time I was there had a surprisingly, lousy and crumbling bus station -- I hope they have renovated it by now).

Despite good health, you may want to check out the Keszthely hospital as that is where you will "end up" (it is a short walk from down down Keszthely, across the street from the church). Walk around, notice the crumbling exterior, go inside (not so bad, and fairly reasonable, but..... go into the bathroom and see if there is toilet paper that day..... ). 

But otherwise, the same issues apply: if you need any repairs or renovation done, it will be hard to find workers, etc. But if you DIY, there is that OBi just east of Keszthely.

Not sure about stories about not having a roof or bathroom issues. Do not understand. Can you explain?

have heard tales of western Europeans buying and fixing up older homes and then vacationing  in their home countries only to come back and find they were ripped off blind.
Even their roof was taken.
If you move to a low income/depressed area then you can't leave home or you may get a shocking surprize on your return.
I heard of a UK lady who was invaded by Gypsies whenever she left Hungary.
They just liked her bathroom and kitchen better then theirs so helped themselves while she was gone.


Thanks for your reply. The above was posted on the 25th of June by Marilyn.

Derek St wrote:

The above was posted on the 25th of June by Marilyn.

Ah!!  I totally missed that. Thanks.

Well, we had our roof redone and re-tiled. And we have tile left over. Sitting there. In the yard now. For a few years. Would not be "unhappy" if someone "stole it"......

Yes, sometimes if not nailed down, items here can "sprout legs and walk away". But, some stories are also just stories. And it depends on the region. The worst I know (and for a fact) were vacation house near us broken into for copper plumbing and copper wire. Caused a lot of damage. But the "criminal ring" was caught and that ended. So... yes, it can happen. But it can happen anywhere.

Sure there are people that "use" what we have. There is one person who comes by and takes water from our outdoor faucet to drink on his walks. What did I do? I bought a cup for him to use and left it by the faucet. That was the easy solution.

As an expat, you will be taken advantage of. In some way or another. It is a given. But it is also complicated. In some ways, it is expected and "okay" (e.g. you will over pay for property: call it an expat tax), in other ways it is because of being ignorance of local realities (no, not all the "nice Hungarians" that speak English are not really being nice, they may be simply trying to give you a "touch" in one way or another). Being expat savvy is like being street savvy... To avoid being taking advantage of "too much" will take time.

Derek St wrote:

My wife and I were planning to retire to Hungary towards the end of this year. Some of the stories have made me take a step back. Coming home to a house with no roof or maybe your bathroom has been half inched..... We have spent some time in Zala county, mainly Keszthely, Heviz area and did not see anything to cause concern. We are both in our early 60's and are, relatively, fit, having two active dogs tends to do that. I have seen scant mention of this area on the forum so any additional info would be appreciated. I know visiting is different to living but felt that living in a town like Keszthely seemed much like most other European towns. Does anyone have experience of this area?

If one of you is Hungarian, it might be OK as you'll be able to get by with the language difficulties.

But I would say, rent a house for a couple of years before you buy and see how it goes.   Don't burn your bridges back home.

Keszthely is not a bad town, it'll be pretty good in the summer, but come winter, it'll be very very quiet.

The closest airport would probably be Vienna rather than Budapest.

fluffy2560 wrote:

The closest airport would probably be Vienna rather than Budapest.

Vienna is better. Graz is also an option. There is also sometimes a seasonal shuttle to the Vienna or Graz airport from Héviz.

There is also a regional airport. But it is seasonal, a very limited flight schedule, and no longer has flights to the UK (use to have a Ryan Air schedule, but no more). But one can try to connect at one of the German Airports they serve. And if one is retired, one may be more tolerant of the rather eclectic flight schedule.

http://www.hevizairport.com/en

Thanks for the info, it is most appreciated,

We also sort of like the Keszthely area.
It's better to rent a first to see if you really are comfortable there.
Living in a apt. can be better if you plan on taking trips and not having to worry about things as much.
We have a nice neighbor who always picks up our mail when we are out of HU and she skypes us if there is any issues or concerns.
We are looking into  seeing if they have any nice active senior places in HU that are modern and have things to do.
Budapest is nice but we also enjoy nature and fresher air quality.
Neither of us wants to be tied down to doing yard work though.
My husband found a few retirement communities near Balaton.
They have a long waiting list to get in and you have to sign a contract and put down a large deposit to get in.
Haven't really looked seriously at them.
We are too young still and in good health to need any sort of care at all.
In fact, living too close to many old people may make you age .
No one wants to hear about someone's else's aches and pains when they have their own to deal with.
If our son lived here in HU we would probably buy a nice house so he could help out with it's care but for just 2 of us we really don't want to get into working much around the house.
I found a really nice and reasonable priced house that i could see us all in together.
Have 2 kitchens at either end of the home, 2 inclosed patios with a nice yard, hand made wooden fence around the home, 3 bedrooms and in a friendly but remote area, we visited the area and the people seemed nice and we spoke to a few locals.
It was near a nice spa and also a river and fishing lake.
I could see myself there but for 2 of us it isn't worth the hassle.
What would I do with 2 kitchens? It was a set up for a room mate or single child to live with their fmaily. Could be used as 2 homes instead of one.
Was not very expensive either since the location must have a limited amount of jobs but with the nice spa there it wasn't a depressed area either.
More like farming in the area.
I liked everything about the house even the tiles and widows but time will tell.
I'm sure it will sell fast as it was sweet, not too big and not too small.
Was only 45 mins from a larger city and about 10 mins from a mid sized town.
Even so, we would seriously look into the crime rates etc. before putting up any funds for purchase, can't be too careful about what area you buy in.
I'm open to moving but finding the perfect place is not so easy.

Thanks Marilyn for your reply. We liked Hungary and thought it may be a good place to retire. Keszthely  seemed to tick the most of the boxes. Not to large but large enough. We spent a week there last autumn exploring the area and felt comfortable. I came to this forum to gain some info from other peoples experiences as to what is a good place and where to avoid. I will fully retire later this year and am purchasing a motorhome so we travel around so any recommendations would be appreciated.

Derek St wrote:

We spent a week there last autumn exploring the area and felt comfortable.

A week is not enough. For example, you missed the tourist season in August (very different then -- hope you like crowds and loud music late into the night). My (Hungarian) wife and I bought a house and came here "seasonally" for years, but it took moving here and actually living her for a few years to really "get it" about this region.

It is indeed a lovely region. I just enjoy waking up and drinking my coffee looking at the lake.

But..... your own results will depend on how "engaged" you are in Hungary and the region in general and your capacity to deal with those issues (i.e. how large your expat bubble is).

For example, if you need to do anything significant in Hungary (such as owning a house, renovating a house, dealing with the local bureaucracy), things can get frustrating quickly. Some days even I can get pretty discouraged by it all, despite being overall otherwise pretty positive.

Know many retired people that summered in Hungary, and wintered in Spain, Italy or other Mediterranean country. So if you are mobile, that may be is best. At least till you find the "right place" from long time experience.

Thank you for your kind and honest reply.

klsallee wrote:

Derek St wrote:

We spent a week there last autumn exploring the area and felt comfortable.

A week is not enough. For example, you missed the tourist season in August (very different then -- hope you like crowds and loud music late into the night). My (Hungarian) wife and I bought a house and came here "seasonally" for years, but it took moving here and actually living her for a few years to really "get it" about this region.

It is indeed a lovely region. I just enjoy waking up and drinking my coffee looking at the lake.

But..... your own results will depend on how "engaged" you are in Hungary and the region in general and your capacity to deal with those issues (i.e. how large your expat bubble is).

For example, if you need to do anything significant in Hungary (such as owning a house, renovating a house, dealing with the local bureaucracy), things can get frustrating quickly. Some days even I can get pretty discouraged by it all, despite being overall otherwise pretty positive.

Know many retired people that summered in Hungary, and wintered in Spain, Italy or other Mediterranean country. So if you are mobile, that may be is best. At least till you find the "right place" from long time experience.

I second all of that.

A lot of expats retire overseas but they (sometimes) forget their circle of support back home.  When things go wrong, one could find oneself alone in a foreign land without anyone and worse, not speaking the local language.

Most of us prolific posters inhabiting this forum are long term married to Hungarians and have been here for years as residents.  So we have a support network here in Hungary as well (possibly) as back home.  We're not just posted here for short periods  (like 3 years) - we're here more or less permanently apart from short term absences.

In one's later years, one should not underestimate the ability to rely (hopefully) on friends and family back at the mother country and they might need to rely on you too.  I'm late 50s, been here in HU "forever" but I've still got my 95 year old Dad back in Blighty.  My siblings take care of him a lot but I still have to go backwards and forwards and it costs. It's not a chore and I'm not complaining about it as I enjoy my visits.  In fact, I'm at the airport now going back to see him. Not quite so simple.

I guess someone steeling your roof is pretty extrem, I have never heard anything like it. I was born in Hungary, lived half or more of my life in the USA and just returned to Hungary.
I was born  and raised in Budapest,  but I can't imagine living in a big city.  On the other hand I love living close to it.  Recommend the surrounding areas like Szentendre, this way you can have it both ways.  Miss the city ? jump in the car or on the train.
Honestly, I have great neighbors and even greater friends.  I do not see gloomy old people, I see loving, caring people whom are far more family oriented than in the US.
How do you see the world? it depends on you. You have to compromise everywhere.
It is no perfect place to live.
From here, you can travel to other parts of Europe very easily and cheaply.
Yes, people here had it harder than in the US. Are they bitter? it depends, I saw pretty bitter and self-centered people in the US also.
My advise live close to Budapest and enjoy the culture, save memories for your old age.
When you 90, you will be alone. My father who lived to be 93 always complained that he has noone to talk to, all his friends were dead.
It will happen to everyone, we were born alone and die alone.
I do think Budapest and and the surrounding areas  are great for retired people, especially with European rooted.

In terms of small places near Budapest, you might consider Esztergom. Beautiful setting on the Danube with the cathedral looming atop the hill. Almost magical at sunset. Frequent bus and rail connections to Budapest. Decent shopping, with more stores in a small town just a walk across the bridge in Slovakia.