With a population of 770, Hallstatt welcomes around 10,000 tourists, mainly Asians, every day! The village attracts 13 times more visitors than inhabitants, which demonstrates a real problem to manage, mainly for the locals, who cannot live peacefully in their village. However, until 1960, it was a haven of peace, accessible only by boat and of which no one knew the value and the beauty of the surroundings, except its inhabitants. It was the construction of the road that kick-started tourism. Then, in 1997, Hallstatt was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There is a replica of Hallstatt village in Asia, 100% identical. In 2012, a residential and tourist complex called "Hallstatt China" was inaugurated in Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China. This replica is a faithful interpretation of the architecture and picturesque landscape of the Austrian village of Hallstatt.

Hallstatt is a historic village located in the Austrian region of Salzkammergut, about 78 km from Salzburg. Surrounded by mountains and located on the shores of Lake Hallstatt (Hallstättersee in German), the village is thus at the center of a magical environment in all seasons.

However, it all really started when the village was proclaimed "the most Instagrammable village in the world" in Asia and it was reproduced identically in China, in Huizhou, in 2012. China is known for its many counterfeits of all kinds, including textiles, but we had never seen an entire village reproduced before. Although the inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of a delegation from the Austrian village, many inhabitants were indignant at this copy, having not been made aware of such a project.

This craze for the historic town has been even more poisoned since it seems that the creators of Frozen took the Austrian village as a model to create the fictitious town of Arendelle (many rumors about this, in itself we don't know not what it is). Considering the excitement that both installments of the Disney franchise have garnered, it's hard not to want to head to the hypothetical place of inspiration for your favorite cartoon.

The beauty of the Alpine landscape - with its high pastures used for the mountain pastures of sheep and cattle since prehistoric times during the process of transhumance which, even today, gives the communities of the valley the right of access to specific high-altitude grazing areas - was "discovered" at the beginning of the 19th century by writers such as the novelist Adalbert Stifler, the poet dramatist Franz Grillparzer and most of the renowned painters of the Biedermeier school. With the increase in the number of tourists, hotels and salt water baths have developed to accommodate visitors.

The landscape is exceptional, forming a set of great scientific interest and immense natural power that has played a fundamental role in the history of man, as evidenced by the imprint of the miners-farmers over the centuries, while mining transformed the interior of the mountain and that artists and writers described its harmony and beauty.

In conclusion, Hallstatt's worldwide popularity is fueled by its natural beauty, cultural and historical richness, as well as media exposure and social media impact.


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