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Iseltwald, a small Swiss village of over 400 inhabitants nestled on the shores of Lake Brienz near Bern, has become a pilgrimage site for international tourists seeking a certain romantic idyll. But why does this quiet little town generate such enthusiasm among travelers, especially those from South Korea?
Iseltwald’s main attraction is a modest wooden pier overlooking turquoise water, with the Swiss Alps majestically rising in the background. Yes, it’s beautiful, but above all, this site is now linked to one of the key moments of an extremely popular South Korean series on Netflix, “Crash Landing on You“. This production tells an unlikely love story between a South Korean billionaire heiress and a chivalrous North Korean officer. And it’s precisely on this pier that a memorable romantic scene was filmed, where the hero plays the piano and the melody spreads over the lake.
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“CLOY,” as fans nickname it, has been a resounding success in Asia during the long periods of Covid-19 confinement. Outside of South Korea, it was the second most popular K-drama among foreign viewers in 2021, after “Squid Game”.
Pay to take a photo…
Paying to photograph… However, the massive influx of tourists has become a headache for Iseltwald residents. As reported by Titia Weiland, head of the village’s tourist office to AFP, the numbers have literally exploded. There are now 1000 tourists per inhabitant! While the local population is generally happy to see many visitors, the saturation of the site is becoming a concern. Buses arrive in waves, disrupting traffic and sometimes even blocking access to the village.
What irritates the locals even more is that most CLOY fans are content to take a photo on the pier and leave, without really contributing to the local economy. Faced with this, the municipality has taken measures to manage the situation. It has introduced a payment system to access the pier, nicknamed “selfie fee”, amounting to five Swiss francs (or euros).
Surprise, discontent or understanding, reactions to this initiative are varied. But for Titia Weiland and the inhabitants of Iseltwald, it’s a necessary evil to preserve what they consider their “paradise on Earth”. It’s important to maintain the pier, ensure the safety of visitors, while preserving the tranquility and natural beauty of the village, the authorities believe. And whether you know the series or not, Iseltwald will always have a little moment of Swiss romance to offer.