Fairytale village which inspired Frozen begs Instagram tourists to stay away

The alpine village of Hallstatt in Austria looks like the stuff of fairytales.

Located on the shores of Lake Hallstatt itself, the UNESCO World Heritage listed village boasts 16th century architecture, cosy lodges and charming cafés and shops.

It's even believed to have been the inspiration for the kingdom of Arendelle in Disney's Frozen.

In fact, it's so picture-perfect that it's been dubbed one of the most "Instagrammable" towns in the world, causing hordes of tourists to flock there for that like-inducing photo.

But the locals can't cope with the surge of popularity.

Hallstatt has a population of just under 800 people, yet according to the Guardian it's being inundated with nearly 10,000 tourists a day.


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The village isn't equipped to deal with these types of crowds, leading to a number of issues including littering, local prices sky-rocketing, and even a growing issue of drones by photographers becoming a nuisance.

Then of course there are the large hordes of people filling the streets, landmarks and cafés – not exactly an idyllic setting.


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Hotspots such as the local squares and waterfront promenades are now packed with crowds trying to capture the perfect selfie – a far cry from the peaceful setting which these spots once provided.

It's not that the locals want to stop tourists from visiting altogether, but the mayor is trying to reduce the number of tourists by a third, in a bid to try and combat overtourism.

Unfortunately, the town's Instagram credentials mean that tourists are continuing to flock to the alpine hotspot, despite locals attempting to limit the crowds.

The village's links to Frozen have only served to increase its popularity, as is often the case with real-life places which inspired Disney films .

Other tourism boosts arose after the village featured on TV shows in the likes of China, Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong, which only further established Hallstatt as a must-visit for those picture-perfect views.

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