Iseltwald, in Switzerland, appears to be benefiting from avid tourists who flock each day to a lakeside dock in the tiny village. Fans of the hit South Korean drama Crash Landing on You, which began streaming on Netflix in late 2019, will pay for entry and snap souvenir photos by the water, eager to see where their favourite series was filmed.
Local leaders in Iseltwald and tourism officials insist that the village’s 406 inhabitants are not “getting rich” off the influx of visitors, who pay 5 Swiss francs (US$6.30) to access the dock. In 2024, entries brought in nearly 245,000 francs (US$307,000), while a one-franc public pay toilet collected about 58,000 francs more, said village clerk Gabriela Blatter.
Proceeds have gone mostly to garbage disposal, restroom cleaning, additional work hours and custodial staff hires, she said.
Titia Weiland, manager of the Bönigen-Iseltwald Tourism agency, said the funds go right back to village upkeep: “It’s not correct to read it as ‘the community gets rich’,” alluding to some comments along those lines in the media and online.
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The village, situated along a small peninsula that juts out into Lake Brienz, features majestic views of Alpine peaks over the water.
An episode in early 2020 of the cross-border Korean love story spotlighted the dock as a romantic getaway. That sparked online hype among fans of the series across Asia and beyond, which has not let up, fuelling the rush of tourism to Iseltwald.
The continued influx has exposed growing pains for the Swiss village, similar to those faced by other tourist hotspots that receive too much of a good thing.
Part of the problem is infrastructure: Iseltwald has three hotels and four restaurants, which are not enough to accommodate the around 1,000 visitors who arrive by tour bus, public bus and car each day on average, according to Blatter. The village is revamping a car park to help cope with the strain, and the only village store now operates 7 days a week. Previously, it was open Monday to Friday.
“There were always tourists in Iseltwald. We are happy with them. The problem is that the tourists don’t understand what’s private and what’s public,” Blatter said, adding that some tramp through private gardens. “They go everywhere.”
For months, fans of the series could visit the dock for free until a turnstile was installed in 2023 to help offset the costs incurred by the local government.
Not long ago, Weiland said, “We were wishing for more tourists in Iseltwald. In some ways, we are thankful … but it can be extreme.” Villagers who hosted the crews for on-site filming at the dock had no idea the series would become such a runaway success, she said.
The village has a website devoted to the “filming location” of the series, which lists transport options and entreats visitors to respect the dock, refrain from littering, and consider the “quiet atmosphere of this authentic Swiss village” by keeping noise levels down and avoiding private property.
“Enjoy your stay in beautiful Iseltwald and take with you memories to your home country!” the site says.
