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We planned to spend a day in Hallstatt, a picturesque town in Austria, but left after a few hours.
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In the last few decades, overtourism has become a rampant problem in the area and we felt it.
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The town’s beautiful, but I found the crowds too overwhelming and the tourists too rude to enjoy it.
Hallstatt, Austria, hugs the tight shores of an alpine lake against the backdrop of towering, snowcapped mountains.
For the few hundred people who live in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a salt-mining village. However, for the millions of tourists who visit — sometimes up to 10,000 a day during busy season — it’s a fairy-tale town with swan boats and picturesque views.
Before our trip, I’d read horror stories about tourism in Hallstatt, from visitors wielding selfie sticks and fighting for views to locals protesting against overtourism by blocking the main tunnel road into town.
Perhaps against our better judgment, my husband and I still wanted to see the town for ourselves. So, on a recent monthlong trip to Germany and Austria, we took a day trip from Salzburg to explore the village.
Hallstatt was beautiful, but our experience there was far from perfect.
We got there early, but crowds swelled shortly after
My husband and I had done our research, and we’re early risers, so we were in our rental car by 7 a.m. and parked at Hallstatt by 8:15.
The parking lot outside the city center was mostly empty, as many of the cars belonged to overnight guests.
We hightailed it into the city center so we could experience the quiet streets of the lakeside town before it exploded with people. We watched swans and ducks play on the water, grabbed an espresso, and took our time enjoying the architecture.
By 9 a.m., though, the place looked entirely different. Bus after bus arrived, dropping off gobs of people who flooded the streets.
By the time we left, you could’ve told me we’d left Hallstatt and were in Fantasyland at Disney World during spring break — and I might’ve believed you.
Many tourists seemed to be on their worst behavior in Hallstatt
During our short time in Hallstatt, we encountered rude tourists from around the world.
First of all, the streets in the city center are closed to traffic (and this is clearly marked). It creates a walkable area that’s primarily just for pedestrians and hotel shuttles.
However, we watched many people driving down the narrow streets anyway — and pedestrians had to quickly walk out of the vehicles’ paths each time.
Numerous signs on private residences asked tourists to be quiet and respectful since real people with real lives lived there. However, many visitors seemed to ignore these requests.
We saw dozens of tourists shouting in a range of languages and laughing as they snapped photos in town. Some even climbed up staircases to private homes to pose for pictures as if they lived there.
As we wandered, we frequently bumped into people who’d stopped in the middle of the walkway to snap photos. We often got stuck waiting for tourists to finish having photoshoots in front of buildings and fountains just so we could pass.
The famous viewpoint was filled wall-to-wall with tourists, but we found a better way to see the village
The panoramic viewpoint, also called Aussichtspunkt, offers stunning views of the lake, mountains, and village nestled in between.
Many famous pictures you’ve seen of Hallstatt were likely taken from this spot — but, in reality, it felt nearly impossible to truly enjoy this view.
This area was loud and packed with tourists swinging selfie sticks — this was not the peaceful, picturesque experience we’d imagined.
We fought our way to the front of the overlook, snapped a picture, and quickly moved out of the way to let another family have their moment.
Others didn’t quite seem to understand the etiquette, as they’d stand there and take photos for five to 10 minutes, despite the swelling crowds behind them.
Eventually, we headed nearby to a rental place with motorized boats and took one out into the middle of the lake to escape the crowds.
Here, we found peace and quiet — and stunning views not just of Hallstatt, but also of the castle across from it. It was the best, most peaceful hour we spent in town.
After, we found ourselves eating overpriced and underwhelming pizza in the town square. It felt outrageously expensive compared to what we ate in the other parts of Austria we’d toured.
Honestly, though, I couldn’t be mad at the prices — if tourists are going to wreak havoc on their city, locals may as well charge them a premium.
After 4 hours, we’d had more than enough of the city
We originally intended to spend a whole day in Hallstatt. By the time we left, we’d been there four hours — and that felt like more than enough.
Luckily, we found a nearby hike around Lake Gosausee. The flat loop hike offered stunning views of the water and surrounding mountains. We even found a spout along the trail that spit out fresh mountain water to taste.
Looking back, I’m still glad we stopped at Hallstatt. The place is so stunningly beautiful that you need to see it to believe it.
I can’t say I’d go back, but if anyone plans to visit, I suggest they arrive early, rent a boat to take in the views, and then, after a few hours, head to lesser-known alpine towns and mountain hikes nearby.
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