Hallstatt
Hallstatt is a small Austrian town in state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich). Situated between the southwestern shore of Hallstätter See and the steep slopes of the Dachstein Massif, the town lies in Salzkammergut region, on the national road linking Salzburg and Graz. Hallstatt is particulary known for its production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times, and gave its name to the Hallstatt culture, the archeological culture linked to Proto-Celtic and early Celtic people of the Early Iron Age in Europe, c. 800-450 BC.
Area of Overtourism
Hallstatt´s tourism began in the 19th century but greatly increased after it was named UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It became popular among Asian tourists in 2006 when it was featured on a South Korean television show called “Spring Walz”. Social media images of it, captioned “the most Instagrammable town in the world”, went viral in Southeast Asia. A replica was built in southern China in 2011 in Huizhou, Guangdong province. Even the central Church of Hallstatt was mimicked, although the Chinese version contains a banquet hall.
In 2011 tourism estimates were just over 100 per day. In 2020 the town had a population of 780, and estimates of 10.000 to nearly 30.000 tourists per day, primarily via bus tours which bring tourists briefly into the town for photo opportunities, then quickly move on. Hallstadt became the prime example of overtourism in Austria and led to controversies around limiting the number of tourists.
Here is an interesting article about Hallstatt and overtourism from August 2019:
On 16 March 2020, lockdown was implemented across Austria, changing everything for the locals. Things became more quiet and calm. As an Austrian, last October was the perfect time for me to go visit Hallstatt and the surrounding region for a few days, without the mass tourism this small village is experiencing in normal/pre-covid times.