The tiny Swiss fishing village of Iseltwald on Lake Brienz is on the way to becoming one of the least welcoming tourism destinations in Europe, with time slots, fees and outright prohibition on visiting, and a fee system for selfies.
The village rose to unexpected sudden fame when it was featured as a romantic scene in a 2019 South Korean TV series about an heiress accidentally parachuted into North Korea and into the arms of a North Korean officer.
Since then, the town has struggled with hordes of visitors arriving by bus and boat, often blocking roads into parts of the town. The newest measures include a requirement for bus visitors to separately register on the town’s portal and pay a fee. Buses must arrive on schedule and may not stay longer than two hours. Visiting without a reservation is illegal and punishable by law. There is no parking for visits by private cars.
The fees are waived for visitors who either stay overnight or eat a meal in a local restaurant. Visitors who arrive by boat at the town’s short pier must either pay the fee, or obtain a token proving a restaurant meal. Turnstiles on the pier accept the tokens.
The pier, which plays a key role in the film, has been outfitted with two turnstiles to control access, and a five franc fee is charged for taking a selfie there; use of the public toilet is an addition one franc charge.
Is it a fee for selfies or for taking photographs? Anyway, the toilet visit seems a bargain by comparison.