Overtourism Insta-hotspot is overrun - municipality puts a stop to it
Some communities in Bavaria are also struggling with mass tourism, for example at the Instagram hotspot Eibsee. The mayor sees only one solution: a barrier is needed.
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- The municipality of Grainau in the very south of Bavaria is making headlines across Germany with a radical plan.
- The climatic health resort wants to erect a barrier to control the masses of day trippers. The large number of cars in particular is causing frustration and anger among residents.
- With only 1200 parking spaces at the Eibsee, the municipality counts up to 9000 cars per day. In addition, there are other visitors arriving by train and bus.
From Mallorca to Barcelona to the Canary Islands: the 2024 vacation season was marked by protests against the effects of mass tourism. But it's not just in Spain that residents are fed up with the influx of visitors. In Switzerland, too, some communities are struggling with overtourism and are considering access restrictions.
This is the case in the idyllic village of Lauterbrunnen, whose residents are suffering from the effects of too much day tourism. A visitor fee could provide a remedy. The local council is currently discussing this.
Not far from the Swiss border in Bavaria, Grainau is now also considering radical measures. In recent years, the number of visitors to Lake Eibsee has reached a level that has caused frustration and anger among the locals.
Day trippers ignore signs
Just a few kilometers along the main road before Garmisch-Partenkirchen, several signs indicate to drivers whether there are still parking spaces available in the "Bavarian Caribbean" - or not.
The latter is the rule, especially on sunny weekends, but is often ignored by day-trippers. In the municipality of Grainau, there is often no parking available and the cars jam up in the municipal area. Local residents who want to go shopping or simply go to work are left behind, explains Mayor Stephan Märkl to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" (paid content). For him, there is only one thing left to do: "The only way is with a barrier".
Employees were mobbed
More and more communities in Bavaria are struggling with problems of this kind, especially where the hotspots can be reached within an hour's drive from the metropolis of Munich. When the usual international guests are added to the mix in the high season, many places can no longer cope.
Similar to Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland, the small municipality of Grainau made headlines throughout Germany with its proposal. Newspapers sent reporters and even a major TV station was there.
Of course, the municipality of Grainau has long made a good living from tourism. In addition to the Eibsee lake, the municipality is also home to Germany's highest mountain, to which a total of three cable cars lead.
However, the village has simply not been able to cope with the masses of vacation guests for some years now, and Grainau even hired a security service for a while. However, the company dropped out after a while - its employees were constantly being harassed by car drivers.
Hence the idea of the barrier. It could regulate traffic on Eibseestrasse in the future. Guests would have to book a ticket online in advance. Anyone without one would then not be allowed to go to the Eibsee and would have to turn back.
Building application in progress
On the other side of the Ammergau Alps, however, there is another hotspot. It was already one before Instagram existed. In this respect, there has also been more time to test restriction systems.
Tourists now know, for example, that they don't even need to make their way to Neuschwanstein Castle if tickets are no longer available online.
The municipality of Schwangau is now planning further fine-tuning: from October, cameras are to be installed on the four access roads in order to be able to analyze traffic flows.
According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district office is currently working on a planning application for the barrier at the Eibsee "Insta-Hotspot".
However, the Free State of Bavaria will have the final say. It is uncertain whether the building application will be submitted and whether the state will ultimately approve it.
