Entry fee for Swiss pier used in K-drama earns 240.000 francs

A Swiss town which charges visitors five francs for entry to a pier on the lakeshore has earned hundreds of thousands of francs from the fee. The tiny wooden pontoon in Iseltwald was propelled to stardom thanks to a brief appearance in a Korean Netflix drama.

Crash Landing on You propels Iseltwald pier to stardom

Ever since 2023, those looking to access a small pier overlooking Lake Brienz in the town of Iseltwald, Canton Bern, have been forced to pay a fee. In order to get past the modern, and some would say eye-soreish barrier, visitors have to pay five Swiss francs.

In a story that screams 21st century, the policy was introduced after the pier featured in the hit Netflix K-Drama Crash Landing on You. Despite featuring scenes in Zurich, Lucerne, Bern, and several Swiss ski resorts, Iseltwald became the main beneficiary of the drama, as it plays host to one of the show's most iconic and romantic scenes. 

Since 2022, Iseltwald's appearance in the drama has led to a surge in visits to the town of 420 people, forcing the local public transport provider, PostBus, to boost services by nearly a third. Therefore, to try and calm visitor numbers, in 2023, the local council introduced a fee to enter the pier.

Iseltwald earned 244.000 francs from the pier in 2024

Now, authorities have confirmed that the barrier was used 50.000 times in 2024, creating an income of 244.000 francs for the town. Speaking to 20 Minuten, Iseltwald municipal secretary Gabriela Blatter said it was more than double the amount they had hoped to earn from the scheme. South Korean and other Asian tourists have been the most numerous visitors.

In bad news for those who hoped the scheme would ease tourist numbers to the town, Blatter noted that “it seems that the number of visitors has remained stable” despite the five franc fee. She added that there were likely more than 50.000 visitors to the pier last year, given that multiple people can easily slip past the barrier with a single payment.

Though Blatter conceded that the surge in tourists has led to some problems, such as parking shortages and overcrowded buses, most tourists have been extremely respectful of the town and its residents. "Therefore, no additional control measures are planned for the moment," she concluded.