According to The Washington Post, the village of Iseltwald, home to just around 400 residents, has steadily attracted visitors from around the world since Crash Landing on You aired between 2019 and 2020. Once a tranquil stop rarely noticed by international tourists, the village has since become a must-visit destination for K-drama fans.
Crash Landing on You tells the story of Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), a South Korean chaebol heiress who accidentally paraglides into North Korea, and Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a North Korean officer who hides and protects her, eventually falling in love. The series became a global phenomenon, playing a major role in expanding the worldwide K-drama wave.
One particular filming location in Iseltwald has captured fans’ hearts: the lakeside pier where Ri Jeong-hyeok is seen playing the piano while reminiscing about his late brother during his time studying in Switzerland. It is also the spot where Yoon Se-ri hears the music by chance during her trip. Since then, the pier once barely used has transformed into a symbolic “pilgrimage site” for fans.
The Washington Post reported that Stefanie and Caleb Rouse, a couple from Pittsburgh, visited Iseltwald in October last year and waited nearly two hours just to step onto the pier and take photos. While waiting, they chatted with fellow drama fans from Korea and Japan. Once on the pier, they played the drama’s OST to recreate the scene. “With the music playing and the sun setting, it felt incredibly sweet and romantic,” Stefanie Rouse shared.
Local tourism officials explained that although the pier was originally built as a docking point for boats, it was rarely used in practice. Everything changed after the drama aired, and the location quickly gained international fame. Tourist numbers dipped during the COVID-19 pandemic, but after borders reopened in 2022, the village began welcoming up to 1,000 visitors a day.
The sudden influx, however, brought challenges. Iseltwald lacked the infrastructure to handle mass tourism, leading to congestion, traffic issues, and disruptions to residents’ daily lives. Some locals even reported tourists wandering into private gardens and residential areas.
In response, local authorities limited tour buses to two every two hours and installed a gated entry system at the pier, charging an admission fee of five Swiss francs. As a result, Iseltwald reportedly earned approximately $307,000 about 450 million KRW in pier admission fees in 2024 alone.
Still, tourism officials note that revenue growth has begun to level off, as many visitors now choose to take photos near the pier rather than entering it. Even so, the enduring popularity of Crash Landing on You continues to bring global attention and steady economic benefits to this once-sleepy Swiss village.
Sources: Nate
You must be logged in to post a comment.