Austria's most beautiful village turns into a "ghost village" because of Covid-19.

A haunted village?

The village of Hallstatt, located in Austria's Salzkammergut region, is a favorite among travelers for its fairytale-like scenery, with charming houses and cafes, a dreamy setting, and a prime location on the water. What could be more romantic than wandering the streets of this fairytale village, sipping coffee amidst mountain views, and watching the sunset over the lake?

But now, this small village has become a "ghost village".

Normally at this time of year, the village of nearly 800 inhabitants would be open to almost 10,000 visitors daily. Everywhere you look, there's the noise of tour buses and conversations in countless languages, and the sky is constantly flashing with the lights of digital cameras.

However, on March 16th, the lockdown imposed across Austria changed everything.

"It's like living in a ghost village," said Sonja Katharina, a resident of Hallstatt. "The world has stopped turning. It's eerily quiet and still. No cars, no buses, and no tourists. We can even hear the swans swimming."

As the initial shock gave way to the warmer spring months, Katharina enjoyed the benefits of solitude. She could drive through the streets without fear of hitting pedestrians and spent days leisurely cycling along Seestraße, or "Lake Road," the most photographed street in the village of Hallstatt, which is usually bustling with around 4,000 tourists a day.

The allure of Hallstatt

"The positive thing is that we have time to talk to each other – while keeping our distance, of course," Katharina said with a smile. "We don't need to rush, and we're learning to think about what's truly important in life."

Like Katharina, others are also enjoying the change of pace. "The drop in tourists happened more or less in a completely unexpected way," said Gerhard Hallstatt, a local musician. "Suddenly, Hallstatt has returned to its roots."

A decade ago, this village welcomed around 100 tourists a day. Now, it hosts over 1 million overnight visitors annually, before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

During the summer months, many visitors come from across Asia, the US, and the UK; while in the fall and winter, what attracts tourists from neighboring countries such as Poland, Hungary, Germany, and the Czech Republic are the hiking trails, mountain bike trails, and climbing routes that are open throughout the year.

Why is the village of Hallstatt so attractive to tourists?

Some of the reasons are easy to explain. Hallstatt and the surrounding area were lauded in 1997 for their majestic snow-capped mountains and long-standing salt mining industry. The salt mines here – among the oldest in the world – welcomed 19,700 visitors between January and March 15th this year, all eager to learn about the history of the 7,000-year-old tunnels or admire the breathtaking salt lakes.

Since the lockdown began, everything has been reduced to nothing. And while locals have been able to reconnect with their roots, the lockdown has also brought uncertainty.

"Hallstatt has always been a tourist hotspot, so a lot of people have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced," said Kurt Reiger, CEO of the Hallstatt salt mine. "There's no feeling that the old town is returning to its former glory because our old town is always packed with tourists, which we love."

Other reasons for Hallstatt's appeal are even more surprising. Back in 2006, the popular Korean drama Spring Waltz was filmed in Hallstatt, helping to introduce the village to millions across Asia.

And Chinese tourists are also flocking here, partly thanks to the Chinese mining company Minmetals, which in 2012 launched a full-size replica of Hallstatt in Guangdong province, China. This project reportedly cost over 6.5 billion yuan and operates as a high-end real estate development for the wealthy, rather than the "pearl of Austria" that was the original village's name.

Tourists also flocked to Hallstatt thanks to the hugely popular animated film, Frozen. Many believe that Hallstatt's ice-covered tower and mountain peaks were the inspiration for the kingdom of Arendelle in the film. This theory has only one problem: it's not true.

"When it comes to Frozen, it's just a rumor," said Gregor Gritzky, CEO of the local tourism council Dachstein Salzkammergut. "The international press has asked us about it, but it's all just a rumor." In fact, the real inspiration behind Frozen comes from several locations across Norway, from Akershus Fortress in Oslo to the old Bryggen shopping district in Bergen.

"Remember the tourists"

However, one belief that may be accurate is that the village's reputation as the most beautiful place in Austria has likely made Hallstatt Instagram-friendly. Searching #Hallstatt on Instagram yields over 600,000 perfectly framed photos of tourists in staged poses.

"Tourism has two sides, just like two sides of a coin. There have been challenges with the number of visitors, but having tourists is good for the local area," Gritzky said. "We want people to do more than just take pictures, not get out of their cars and go to the next place."

Despite the clear financial benefits, tourism on this scale also has side effects.

Some locals have complained about tourists appearing unannounced in their gardens, and the constant buzzing of drones has been a frequent source of annoyance.

In January, tourism leaders in Hallstatt took steps to limit the number of tour buses to 50 per day.

However, although recent travel restrictions due to Covid-19 have given locals some much-needed respite, many are beginning to miss tourists.

"It's a nice feeling to have some lanes empty for 'ourselves,' but the people of Hallstatt are happy to share the beauty of the village with friends and visitors from all over the world," said Gerhard Hallstatt. "The villagers – like everyone who lives in a tourist area – have a certain love-hate relationship with tourism, but the majority of the people depend on it."

There is good news for the village's recovery, as local tourists are starting to return as lockdown measures are eased across Austria.

In mid-May, Simon König and his partner, who live about an hour's drive from Hallstatt, seized the golden opportunity to "visit this beautiful place without encountering crowds of tourists."

"It had never been so beautiful," König recalled. "When we arrived, there was really no one around except the locals working in their homes. Around midday, a few people from the surrounding communities arrived for the same reasons as us."

In Hallstatt, some hotels have recently reopened, as have the famous salt mines. Many challenges remain. "I think it will take time for tourism to recover, but one of the biggest questions is who can come and within what timeframe?" Gritzky said.

But perhaps Hallstatt hasn't lost what makes it special, even though international tourists still can't get there. Because Hallstatt is one of the few destinations where the actual beauty exceeds expectations when visited in person.

Huong Thao