Town that inspired Frozen puts fences up to stop tourists taking selfies
A small Austrian town has sent out a clear message that they don't want tourists – by putting up fences to ruin some of its amazing views.
The alpine village of Hallstatt is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, lush green valleys and sits right by a lake with crystal-clear waters, so it's no surprise that it's such a hit with visitors who want to take in the incredible views.
In fact, its storybook-worthy credentials have even seen it supposedly being used as the inspiration for the kingdom of Arendelle in Disney's Frozen.
Unfortunately, its ever-growing popularity is not a hit with the 750 or so locals who live in the tiny village, so it's become the latest destination to look at tourist rules.
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It's becoming inundated with thousands of tourists, and the village isn't equipped to deal with the crowds causing littering, local prices sky-rocketing and issues with drones from photographers.
The village has previously begged the Instagram crowd to stay away but earlier this month, they took more drastic measures.
Two ugly wooden fences were erected along the town, partially blocking out the views of the iconic lake and mountains, in a hope that tourists would be deterred from visiting.
Mayor Alexander Scheutz ordered a 'privacy screen' to be put up to block the views, however after the move garnered plenty of attention, the fences were taken down after just a few days.
The mayor told Upper Austrian News afterwards: 'It was just a tryout. We discussed it in the municipal council. But the plan has now been discarded, there will be no such privacy screen in Hallstatt.'
Still, it looks like the locals may not be done yet, as the mayor reportedly wants to push to build a permanent barrier, to remind tourists that there are people who live in the area.
It's not the first time this year that a holiday hotspot has taken drastic action in a war on selfies.
Portofino, in Italy's Riviera, will slap tourists with fees if they take a selfie or linger too long in the city's most popular beauty spots, as Brits on holiday are causing traffic jams.
The local government has introduced new no-waiting zones to stop tourists from "lingering" too long in certain areas – so if you take a selfie but spend too much time faffing around, you could be hit with a £242 fine.
The Mayor of Portofino, Matteo Viacava, said selfie takers had been causing "anarchic chaos" with blocked streets and traffic jams.
The new rules are expected to be in place until the end of the holiday season in October. However, there is a silver lining; the ban on selfies and lingering lifts at 6pm each day so a sunset shot could be feasible.
Do tourist rules put you off visiting a destination? Let us know in the comments below.
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