Kecskemét is a county-level city, the seat of Bács-Kiskun County and Kecskemét District. It is the eighth-largest city in terms of population and the seventh-largest in terms of administrative area in Hungary. Approximately 22% of the population of Bács-Kiskun County resides in Kecskemét. It is located halfway between the capital city Budapest and the country's third-largest city, Szeged, both about 86 kilometers away.
Interestingly, this county has only existed since 1950. According to our medieval administrative system, Kecskemét and its surroundings were once part of the historic Pest County. Kecskemét is the closest major city to the center of Hungary and the capital of Bács-Kiskun County. With a population of 110,000, it is the most populous settlement in the Danube-Tisza Interfluve region.
Between the two world wars, Kecskemét received half of Hungary's total revenue from fruit exports. During this time, the distinctive long-necked bottle of Kecskemét "whistling" apricot brandy became the city's trademark (when the old corked bottle was opened, it made a whistling sound). Kecskemét is still a center for food processing (e.g., Univer and Fornetti), and more recently, due to the Mercedes factory established here in 2012, it has also developed a significant automotive manufacturing industry. Our apartments are only 15 minutes from the Kecskemét Mercedes-Benz Factory. The development and increasing number of job opportunities have led to continuous population growth in the only major city on the Great Hungarian Plain since the political transition, with an increase of about 10,000 residents since 1990. As a university town, the presence of numerous high schools, university faculties, and the residential students of the Kodály Institute enriches the city's life. The main square and downtown area, which have become increasingly beautiful, serve as charming places for locals to stroll.
Kecskemét offers many other interesting sights. These include the Archaeological (Avar) and Modern Fine Art exhibitions in the Cifrapalota, the interior of the building itself, the Photography Museum, the Musical Instrument Museum, the Toy Museum, the Pálinka Manufacture Museum, the Visitor Center of Kiskunság National Park (House of Nature), the Kecskemét Wildlife Park, and the Municipal Arboretum.