Hallstatt: village in Austria wants to expel tourists – and fails

hallstatt
Village in Austria builds selfie fence to drive away tourists – the attempt fails

In idyllic Hallstatt, the Alpine panorama attracts thousands of tourists every day. The Austrian village tried to keep visitors away with a fence – and buckled again.

Tourism actually plays a major economic role in the Alpine country. But not everyone is happy about the large number of visitors. The village of Hallstatt in Upper Austria is even actively trying to spoil tourists’ stay there.

The village with less than 1000 inhabitants is idyllically situated on the northern edge of the Alps and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many tourists are particularly drawn to the lake shore with the impressive Alpine panorama in the background. About a million people come to the village every year, many of them want to take a selfie at a certain point. This annoys many residents. So much so that Mayor Alexander Scheutz even had a wooden fence put up temporarily.

Hallstatt: Residents are annoyed by tourists

The wooden shack blocked the view of the mountains – and should therefore take away the very incentive that brought many travelers to the village. The view across the lake to the mountains is said to have inspired the setting for the Disney animated film Frozen. Also, the South Korean series “Spring Waltz” was filmed there, which attracts many Asian tourists.

To the displeasure of the residents, who feel increasingly disturbed by the visitors. Because every day hundreds of photo tourists populate the narrow path at the point. “It would only help if the photo point is no longer a photo point,” Mayor Scheutz told the “Öberösterreichische Nachrichten”. After complaints from citizens about too much noise, he had the wooden fence erected to set an example.

The fence has been taken down again

The project is now considered a failure, and the privacy screen was removed again after a weekend. The vantage point has been a problem for local residents for many years, but the fence “wasn’t even able to convince the immediate neighbors,” Scheutz told the Austrian “Kronenzeitung”. “A storm of indignation went through the place,” he describes the reactions.

For him it is clear: “Closing up is not a solution either.” Fewer tourists didn’t come either – on the contrary.” And so Hallstatt continues to look for a way to reconcile tourism and everyday life. The latest attempt: A large poster is hanging at the popular spot to draw attention to the fact that place people live.

Sources: “Crown Newspaper” / “Upper Austrian News”

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