In the twenty-two years since Hollókö was inscribed on the list, the price of homes in the village has risen dramatically, topping out at more than HUF 25 million a few years ago, Éva Péter Ispán, a member of the local council and a tourism industry expert, told muemlekem.hu.
The unrealistically high prices shut out would-be buyers who want to move to the village. And although "many homes for sale can be found in the village", home owners would rather wait than lower their offers, Ispán said. The local council would like to purchase some homes that it could rent out to newcomers, but not at these prices, she added.
There was a time when the population of Hollókö dipped dramatically, but people started relocating to the village several years ago. Among them are new families with children whose arrival has prevented the local council from shutting down the pre-school.
Hollókö's World Heritage title has brought many, many tourists to the village, at the same time, diluting its original character. The shops in the village don't sell the local wine, but instead that from the Lake Balaton region, on the other side of the country. They offer a wide selection of hand-crafted pottery, although pottery was never a craft practiced by villagers. And they have mixed up folk arts from all over the Carpathian Basin, as well as from other regions of the world.
"Obviously we can't put the World Heritage sites under a bell jar, as this would mean their end in just a short time. But unlimited development is also bad, as it would destroy exactly that which we wish to preserve," said Tamás Fejérdy, who heads the World Heritage Hungarian National Commission.
The years of finding a path to follow after its inclusion on the World Heritage list have passed for Hollókö. In the future, village leaders have to rely on the past decades of experience.
Source: Múlt-kor
