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The Austrian municipality of Hallstatt has had enough. Every year it is flooded by about a million tourists from all over the world. The reason: The city is considered the template for the kingdom in the Disney movie “Frozen”.
The community of 750 inhabitants, which is part of the Unesco World Heritage, is shocked by the crowds. Residents have been complaining for years about the unsolicited attention for their village.
Measure also for safety reasons
Now the picturesque mountain village is getting serious. At what is probably the most popular vantage point with a deep blue lake and mountains in the background, a wooden wall has recently blocked part of the view.
This is to prevent crowds of tourists crowding at the viewpoint, which is located on a busy road, and thus obstructing traffic. The view can be admired despite the wooden wall, but taking pictures is more difficult. As a test, the privacy screen is initially only a few meters wide.
“It would only help if the photo point was no longer a photo point,” says Mayor Alexander Scheutz to the “Upper Austrian News”. The wooden wall is therefore a means to an end. “We said we would try now. And of course trying means we have to make it visible,” Scheutz continues.
Population against privacy screen
Should the privacy screen prove useful, it will be expanded to a larger area than the current test wall. However, it is by no means certain whether the measure will remain effective. According to the “Upper Austrian News”, the people of Hallstatt have already spoken out against the project. After all, she also loses part of the beautiful view.
The hype around the Austrian mountain village started in 2011, when a faithful copy of Hallstatt was built in China. This caused a huge tourist rush in the country. A few years earlier, a South Korean series made the place famous in Asia.
Economically, Hallstatt benefits enormously from the many tourists. The number of overnight stays in the municipality has doubled since 2010 from 70,000 to approximately 140,000. But the hype also has a downside.
Schweizer Ort also knows the problem
Three years ago, the mayor expressed his concerns in an interview with Spiegel. “The people of Hallstatt are suffering from the tree, the quality of life is deteriorating. Everything takes place on a road that runs along the water.”
The problem is also known in Switzerland. Due to a Korean Netflix series, Iseltwald BE has been flooded by thousands of Korean guests for months. Here too, the municipality has taken various measures to get the tourist flow under control. (ceded)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
