Locals take extreme step to block tourists from Austria's picturesque town of Hallstatt

On Sunday, locals in a popular European town carried a protest against over-tourism as they blocked the main road in a bid to stop tourists.

The picturesque Austrian village of Hallstatt has a population of 800, but receives nearly 10,000 holidaymakers per day during the peak season, causing a chaotic environment. The lakeside village is believed to have been the inspiration for Arendelle in Disney's "Frozen", with a backdrop that will be recognised by any Disney loving children.

Locals block Hallstatt's main road

Around a sixth of the Hallstatt's population turned out to block the main access tunnel in a protest against mass tourism on Sunday.

The tunnel was closed for about 15 minutes as around a hundred people gathered for the protest. Locals were carrying placards with slogans such as "Now an emergency brake or we will be run over"; "Think of our children" and "Restrict Excessive Tourism."

Protest organisers Bürgerliste Hallstatt have claimed that locals are "regularly insulted and threatened by illegal parkers" and that traffic is blocking access through the town. Hallstatt's residents have argued that they are outnumbered by annual tourists from 1,800 to one.

"Nobody can handle the masses. Hallstatt is too small for the many people who come," said the town's mayor Alexander Scheutz.

As a possible solution, a cap on the number of tour buses and a curfew of 5 pm for visitors have been suggested.

Anti-Selfie fence in Hallstatt

Many holidaymakers visit Hallstatt with the aim of getting a perfect selfie, with the Alpine lake, the slim pale grey church tower and the stunning mountain scenery as a backdrop. While tourism has been great for Hallstatt's economy, it has not gone down very well with the residents.

Earlier this year, fed up with the tourists, the locals put up an "anti-selfie fence," blocking part of the mountain's view to disappoint tourists and reduce the noise pollution they create. However, it was later taken down. At the time, the mayor said he wanted to reduce the number of tour buses by a third.

Before Disney's "Frozen", Hallstatt first gained popularity through a 2006 Korean TV series, "Spring Waltz", which was shot there. Six years later, a replica of the Austrian village was opened in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.

Hallstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has witnessed tourism skyrocketing over the past few years. With its charming long-standing houses on the shores of a pristine Alpine lake surrounded by rocky mountains, the Austrian village has become the most popular hotspot in the country. Before the pandemic, the quaint village received roughly a million visitors a year.