Day trippers to ‘Europe’s most Instagrammable village’ to be charged

The ‘most beautiful village’ in Europe is planning a tourist tax in a bid to curb day trippers.

Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland boasts breathtaking panoramic views, waterfalls and mountains, which has seen a surge in holidaymakers looking for a photo in the Instagrammable hotspot.

But civic chiefs are now considering charging it’s 6,000 daily visitors, which threaten to overrun the tiny picturesque village, nestled in a deep valley in the Bernese Oberland region with a population of just 2,400.

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Lauterbrunnen mayor Karl Näpflin said: “The exception would be guests who have booked an offer such as a hotel or an excursion or who arrive by public transport.”

The village has always been a popular tourist spot since a local entrepreneur built Hotel Staubbach – at the edge of the village, with an incredible view of the Staubbach Falls – in the 19th Century.

Poet William Wordsworth and Lord Byron were among those inspired by the surrounding mountains and the 72 waterfalls of its valley.

But after a surge in day trippers-post Covid, which causes traffic jams on the only road into town and queues on the trails winding out of its centre towards the best views, locals have had enough.

The proposed charge, which would be paid through a smartphone app, would be between 5 and 10 Swiss francs (between £4 and £8) and apply to visitors passing through for the day by car.

Tom Durrer, a resort manager in Lauterbrunnen, told The Sun: “During the peak summer season, it gets a bit crowded along the village road, as the road is not very wide and there’s only one pavement.”

Speaking to Swiss public radio SRF last year, village priest Markus Tschanz said: “We feel like employees in an amusement park.”

It comes after a series of ‘anti-tourism’ protests have affected popular holiday hotspots such as Tenerife, Mallorca and Ibiza.

Other major European destinations impose a “tourist tax” on day trippers, such as Venice in Italy, which charges tourists €5 for day visits.

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