The Austrian town of Hallstatt has reportedly shuttered its famous lake-front view due to the hamlet being overwhelmed by unwelcome tourists.
The Mayor of Hallstat dubbed ‘Frozen village’, Alexander Scheutz, has expressed concern at how the usually peaceful village, which is home to 750 people all year round, has drastically changed. It has been overwhelmed by thousands of visitors every day.
The excitement stems from the movie Frozen, a popular movie that was 'filmed' in the hamlet.
The sudden increase in visitors has caused significant disruptions in the village. In 2020 statistics indicated that up to 10,000 people were visiting the village daily.
Additionally, most tourists can't resist taking selfies, and these visitors are particularly interested in capturing selfies with Lake Hallstatt and the magnificent Dachstein Mountains.
These iconic locations are believed to have inspired the settings featured in the renowned Disney film. It's impossible to overlook the incredible beauty of this town, celebrated for its awe-inspiring natural landscapes.
Notably, it was officially recognized as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997.
Scheutz says the surge in pedestrian activity during peak travel periods has left residents yearning for the tourists to "let it go", and seek their adventures elsewhere, and relinquish their hold on this idyllic little town.
Some residents claim to have experienced health issues due to the noise level.
Additionally, a CNN report states that the village put up a wooden fence to turn off tourists who flock to the hotspot, but has since replaced it with a banner that reads “We live here. Please enjoy the view in peace.”
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