‘Frozen’ town Hallstatt, in Austria, builds wooden walls to stop tourist selfies

Hallstatt in Austria trialled the use of a wooden fence to block a picturesque spot and deter tourists. Photo / Unsplash

An Austrian town that inspired the Disney film Frozen, has given selfie-taking tourists a clear message: stop.

The UNESCO World-Heritage-listed village of Hallstatt gained global attention after serving as inspiration for the fictional kingdom of Arendelle in the hit children’s movie.

However, it recently re-entered the spotlight for a slightly less charming reason; building a wall to partially obstruct a popular viewpoint.

Hallstatt: Town in Austria puts up fence to stop selfies via /r/nottheonion https://t.co/gs78PXLDqF pic.twitter.com/ulbrB9NHeq

— Lost At Home Podcast (@TheLostAtHome) May 19, 2023

The temporary wooden fence was placed at the bottom of the Salzkammergut Mountains last week, a spot that is well-known for its Instagrammable view of Hallstatt Lake and the village. This was in response to resident complaints about the disruption caused by visitors crowding in the spot, a community official told AFP.

With fewer than 800 permanent residents, the town has often been outnumbered by tourists and can see up to 10,000 visitors a day, according to CNN.

However, just days later, Hallstatt’s mayor, Alexander Scheutz, called for the barrier to be removed following harsh criticism on social media.

Critics claimed the wall interfered with the town’s natural beauty. Instead, Scheutz told local media they would put replace the barrier with a banner reminding visitors to be considerate of locals living in the area.

Additionally, the town has also placed daily limits on the number of cars and buses allowed into the town, in an effort to prevent over-tourism.

European towns introduce ‘no waiting zones’ to curb over-tourism

The return of tourists following the worst of the pandemic has seen many cities around Europe put barriers or restrictions in place.

Portofino, a fishing village in Italy, is enforcing a “no-waiting zone” during peak tourist season. People who linger too long around designated areas between 10.30am and 6pm can be fined approximately €270 ($464).

One of these areas is the pier, where many tourists like to stand for photos in front of the town’s vibrant buildings. Similar to Hallstatt, Portofino’s permanent residents are often outnumbered by tourists, who block narrow streets and pathways.

The “no waiting” rules will be in place until October 15.