The Entente Floral Europe is the success story of the past two decades. The nationwide competition was first announced in 1994 by the tourism sector and the horticultural profession, but its history dates back to 1990, when Hungary participated in the European Competition for Towns and Villages in Bloom, namely Entente Florale Europe. The European competition is a civil initiative involving 55 million residents living in 25,000 towns and cities. The Hungarian competition joins with 2 million people to show, to create a more livable environment, and a more likeable world.
Last month, the European Cities and Villages in Bloom jury visited Hungary, this was for the twenty-sixth occasion. In the blooming city category Mosonmagyaróvár and in the village category Dunakiliti will represent Hungary. These two settlements in 2015 participated and won first prize and the right to enrole in the “Flowery Hungary” at the forthcoming European competition.
The judging of those municipalities that applied is performed by experts from the end of June until August. The two national first-prize “winning municipalities can represent Hungary in the European competition in “city” and “village” categories. The final countdown of the competition will receive a prize forwarded to the municipalities showing their outstanding achievement.
If the streets are tidy, the front gardens are neat, and the balconies are decorated with flowers, the residents of the municipalities will have already made big steps towards to a more livable environment. If the brooks and ponds and the natural habitats surrounding the municipality are cleaned, then they can be preserved for the future. If flowers, trees and shrubs that are typical of the region are planted, then the rehabilitation of the land can be accomplished at the same time. However, if somebody takes care of only one potted flower in someone’s window, and can evoke a smile on somebody else’s face.
Respecting plant life means simultaneously respecting human life.
Previous prizes Hungary’s villages, towns and cities won were: The first and second prizes in the Entent Florale Europe competition furnish a good example, like Siófok (gold), Géderlak (gold), Kaposvár (gold), Nagyatád (gold), Eger (gold), Lipót (gold), Balatonfüred (gold), Gyula (gold), Balatongyörök (gold) Székesfehérvár (silver), Hévíz (silver), Tata (silver), Bük (silver), Sárospatak (silver), Győr (silver), Velence (silver), Paks (silver), Zalakaros (silver), Balatonszárszó (silver), Makó (silver), Tápiógyörgye (silver),Szombathely (szilver), Gelse (silver ), Sopron (silver), Paloznak (silver), Százhalombatta (silver,) Lövő (silver), Hévíz (silver), Csopak (silver), Zebegény (silver) and Siófok (silver).
If you go for a walk around the country, or even if you just look around where you walk, you would suddenly catch sight of well-kept, cultivated municipalities and on the other hand efforts should be made at those places where there still are things make the place look tidy.
Update by Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 