We have just come back from our Slovenia, Italy, Austria Alps tour in August, and we experienced several completely overrun places that we felt the need to address this topic.
Below I have listed a set of places that battle overtourism in 2025.
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Note
Overcrowded tourist places in the Alps deal with constant traffic jams, pollution, masses of people, loud crowds, and disrespectful tourists that break common-sense privacy barriers.
Most places listed below are popular destinations thanks to Instagram and TikTok. All of them are completely overrun in the summer months.
A few handful of spots are a bit less busy in November and February. To avoid crowds altogether, head there early in the morning or late in the evening in June before the sun sets at 9 pm.
Hiking trails, on the other hand, can only be accessed in the summer months and should be avoided on rainy days.
Dolomites, South Tyrol & Trentino
The Dolomites is a stunning, raw, and rugged mountain range in South Tyrol and Trentino, Northern Italy, which has received the World Heritage protection seal.
Specific locations truly look picture-perfect, and people head to this region to enjoy well prepared hiking trails or to take in the stunning beauty and crystal-clear air.
Two contrasting seasons can be experienced: winter with its ski resorts and the summer hiking period.
Overcrowded Locations
- Lake Braies — A crystal clear alpine lake made popular by Instagram influencers. You need to book a parking time slot before heading there. The queues are long to take a photo at the prime spots around the lake.
- Seceda — The iconic view of the Geislerspitzen from the Seceda viewpoint is extremely busy. You have to pay €5 now to take the short track to the viewpoint.
- St. Magdalena — The village church is known for THE perfect Dolomite backdrop. About 400 inhabitants deal with 1000s of visitors daily.
- Val Venegia — The parking lot to the hiking trails is completely full at 10 am.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle is often associated with the Disney logo, as it was a major inspiration to Walter Disney.
Therefore, the 19th-century castle is also called the original fairytale castle, and people come from all over the world to experience its beauty.
The castle is truly stunning in all seasons! If you'd like to experience the view from the Marien bridge to the castle, you should visit in the warmer months, because the area behind the castle is closed in winter.
Overcrowded Locations
- The Castle itself — You need to book your ticket weeks in advance to get a chance to visit the castle.
- Marien Bridge (aka Marienbrücke — The queues to take a picture from the Marien Bridge of the castle are eternally long.
- Other Popular Photo Shots — People come dressed, and they can block the view for personal photoshoots.
Tips: Plan a visit to Neuschwanstein in winter and read up on all FAQs about Neuschwanstein Castle before you visit.
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg is known as the birthplace of the classic composer and wonder child, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and it's a stunning baroque city with its colorful buildings, castle hill, and river views.
The city became all the more popular thanks to the movie classic from the 60s, The Sound of Music. Several locations shown in the movie, such as the Mirabell Gardens, were filmed in the old town of Salzburg.
Overcrowded Locations
- The Getreidegasse — A narrow street in the old town known for its charming boutiques. Masses of people can be seen here in the summer months!
- Mirabell Gardens — The Sound of Music tours gather here, and the gardens aren't particularly large.
- The Mozart Museum and House — You will have to queue to see the Mozart House. It's a small place, and everybody is visiting Salzburg to see this museum.
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
The Lauterbrunnen valley and village inspired the makers of Rivendell in the Lord of the Rings movies.
The narrow valley is flanked by out-of-this-world walls of mountains, and waterfalls seemingly drop into the valley, creating this special, dreamy environment.
Wengen town and Mürren village, with Lauterbrunnen, offer the best unforgettable views.
Overcrowded Locations
- Staubbach Fall — The trail to the Staubbach waterfall is super busy because it's very accessible.
- Viewpoints — All the known scenic viewpoints of the village with the church and the waterfall are jam-packed from morning until evening.
- Mürren & Wengen — These two small car-free villages fill up after 9 am.
Lake Bled, Slovenia
Lake Bled is this stunning, crystal clear lake in the Slovenian Alps. Every picture is worth a million beautiful emotions.
The water is pure and turquoise, perfect for a swim in the summer months. Autumn and winter offer unforgettable views, with the church on the island slowly appearing between layers of thick fog.
Overcrowded Locations
- The Roads & Parking — The lake only has one small, narrow road surrounding the lake, and space is a luxury here. Parking lots are scarce and completely overpriced. You will be stuck in a traffic jam, and you might get lucky with a parking spot.
- The Beaches — We visite at 10 am in August, and the few beaches around the lake were completely full already.
- The Trail — The trail around the lake is super busy on sunny days. I have never seen that many people taking a round walk around a lake at the same time.
Hallstatt, Austria
Hallstatt is the quintessential poster child village for fairytale dreams and mass tourism problems.
The village views are incomparable across Europe, and I dare say, across the world. It's also known as one of the prettiest villages in Austria (with Alpbach in Tyrol).
Take a stroll through the village, visit the Hallstatt bone house and venture to the ancient salt mines above the village.
Overcrowded Locations
- The Village — A tiny village with just about 400 inhabitants and 10.000 visitors a day. It's always cramped morning to evening and in all seasons. November is the least busy period.
- The Parking Lot — Finding a parking spot is a challenge in itself.
- Salt Mines — Get there early enough and book your ticket online, or else you will have to queue up and wait to experience the salt mines.
Lake Como, Italy
Lake Como is undoubtedly one of the most striking Northern Italian lakes. Located at the edge of the Italian Alps, it offers mountain panoramas combined with elegant Italian lake town views.
The lake was already a popular destination before social media was a thing. Napoleon had a house here, and now it's George Cloony.
Fortunately the lake is large enough, and you can avoid crowds if you venture to lesser-known corners and towns such as Bellano and Mandello del Lario.
Overcrowded Locations
- Bellagio — This town is gorgeous, and it's at an important ferry crossroad as it sits at the tip of the famed Lake Como triangle. People are everywhere!
- Varenna — Known as a wedding and honeymoon destination, Varenna's small alleyways and houses perched against a hill make it a super busy town.
- The Ferries — The main mode of transport is the ferry system on Lake Como. Tickets are purchased on-site because the website doesn't function properly. The longest queues are in the city of Como (my SIL waited 1 hour at 8 am in May), in Bellagio, and in Varenna.
Tip: You can go for a swim in Lake Como. Get my Lake Como beach map!
Berchtesgaden National Park
Located in the Bavarian Alps bordering Austria and just a stone's throw away from Salzburg lies the Berchtesgaden National Park.
Due to its proximity to Salzburg and Munich, its unparalleled beauty, and some famed sights, it has greatly gained in popularity in the past 30 years.
But you can always find a quiet corner if you know where to look. I recommend heading to the village of Ramsau at 9 am for the picture-perfect postcard view and to visit the magical Wimmbach Gorge.
Overcrowded Locations
- Kehlstein House — Aka the Eagle's Nest is Hitler's former mountain hideout. The whole parking lot area fills up by 10 am, you will queue for tickets, and you have to wait for your assigned bus, which will take you there.
- Königssee Lake — Schönau is a busy village because visitors need to buy tickets to get on a boat ride to visit St.Bartholomä on the other end of the lake. There is no other way to get there, and in the summer it can get extremely overcrowded. Winters are much better!
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