Search icon

News

19th May 2023

Austrian town builds fence around popular tourist spot to stop selfies

Fiona Frawley

Hallstatt fence

Brb, just building a fence around the Cliffs of Moher.

A small Austrian town that’s home to just 750 people has made headlines this week for erecting a fence in front of a well-trodden selfie spot.

Hallstatt attracts over a million tourists every year and is known for its fairytale-esque mountain views and glacial trails. Revered for its natural beauty, the town became a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997.

It’s also increased in popularity in recent years as it’s thought to have been the inspiration for Disney’s Frozen, and the fictional town of Arendelle.

The residents of Hallstatt struggle to cope with the regular influx of tourists. Image via Getty.

But it would appear Love is no longer an Open Door for fans of the film, as Hallstatt residents have fenced off the town’s most popular selfie spot.

“We live here”

Town Mayor Mayor Alexander Scheutz alleges that the town is taken over by an additional 7,000 visitors per day and in an effort to deter tourists, Scheutz implemented the wooden “privacy screens”.

“It was just a tryout,” said Scheutz in a statement. “We discussed it in the municipal council. But the plan has now been discarded, there will be no such privacy screen in Hallstatt.”

According to the mayor, the wooden screens have been replaced with a banner that reads “We live here. Please enjoy the view in peace.”

Images via Getty 

READ NEXT:

– A proposal to ban the use of private jets has been brought before the Dáil

– The best pub in Ireland for 2023 has been revealed

– 5 expert tips on how to avoid jet lag on long-haul trips

Topics: