Austrian town puts up fence to stop tourists taking photos

An Austrian town believed to be the inspiration for Disney's Frozen has put up a fence to stop tourists taking photos of the view.

The wooden barrier partially blocks the beautiful scenery in Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where traditional Austrian houses sit along the water's edge, against a dramatic backdrop of mountains.

Hallstatt's mayor Alexander Scheutz said residents had grown tired of all the visitors taking selfies and making noise in the town.

It was hoped the fence would cut numbers, but it has now been taken down following a backlash on social media, reports Euro News.

Hallstatt has already introduced daily limits on the number of buses and cars that can enter the town, which gets around one million visitors a year, and regularly reaches its cap.

Mayor Scheutz has now said he wants to put up a banner at the spot reminding tourists that people live in the area.

Hallstatt is thought to have been the inspiration for the fictional village of Arendelle in Frozen.

The area is particularly popular with tourists from east and south east Asia - a replica of the town was even built in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China in 2011.

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Hallstatt isn't the only town in Europe coming up with ways to prevent hoards of tourists taking photos.

Portofino on the Italian Riviera recently introduced no waiting zones on their quay to stop people lingering. Anyone caught hanging around too long between 10.30am and 6pm can be fined around €270.

The rule will only apply during the peak season, which ends on October 15.

Around 400 people live in the town, but visitors at any one time can reach a staggering 10,000.

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