Historical character of Vlkolínec, with its unchanged wooden houses, has been preserved mainly due to its isolation Haris Jeelani Toogo/DW From the headlines in the international press, the story seemed simple: a small village in Slovakia was asking to be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List due to the effects of excessive tourism. But one visit to Vlkolínec is enough to realize that the issue goes much deeper. More than a challenge to the Unesco seal, the debate reflects the concern of residents in reconciling the preservation of their way of life with the growing flow of visitors attracted by the international fame of the location. "Anyone who comes with humility, to admire the village and understand how people lived here, is always welcome", says Anton Sabucha, 68 years old. "Those don't bother me. The problem is the rude ones." Sitting under a canopy in front of his wooden house, Sabucha leafs through a book about the village's history, pointing out photographs of neighbors and relatives. His wife serves a tray of fried dumplings. What UNESCO's work is like to revalidate the global relevance of two geoparks in RS He remembers the time when around 200 people lived in Vlkolínec. Today, only 17 residents remain year-round. UNESCO did not create the locality’s tourist problem. The village was declared a Heritage Reserve of People's Architecture in 1977, during the communist period in what was then Czechoslovakia. Increasing privacy However, Sabucha says that the inscription of Vlkolínec on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 accelerated changes, attracting visitors who often forget that people continue to live in the centuries-old wooden houses. "You go out into the backyard wanting to have a peaceful coffee with friends. Then the first tourist arrives and asks: 'What's it like to live here?' Then comes another. And another one," he told DW. Anton Sabucha says some tourists often forget that there are still people living in the centuries-old wooden houses Haris Jeelani Toogo/DW Sabucha has installed a barrier at the entrance to his property with "no entry" and "no photography" signs. Even so, according to him, some visitors continue to enter private gardens, trampling flowers and treating the village as a tourist attraction, not as a community. "Some people see the 'no photography' sign and still take photos. They simply do not respect the privacy of residents", he reports. The disappearance of traditional life For Sabucha, the biggest loss has been the gradual disappearance of the village's traditional way of life. The surrounding fields are no longer cultivated as they once were, former agricultural terraces have been taken over by vegetation and many of the people who shaped the local landscape are no longer there. According to him, the income generated by tourism did little to reverse this decline. Residents receive around 400 euros a year from ticket sales — "it's barely enough to buy fuel for the winter", he says. At the same time, many of the people who profit from tourism today no longer live in the town. "For an ordinary tourist, these are just wooden houses. For us, they are people. We know exactly who lived in each of them." A living village Justine, a French tourist who was visiting the town, believes that the main attraction of Vlkolínec is precisely the fact that it remains inhabited. "Normally, places like this are museums. Here, people still live. This is unique," he told DW. Medieval urban layout remains practically unchanged in Vlkolínec Rob Cameron/DW Upon learning that some residents advocate removing the village from the UNESCO list because of tourism, she said she understands the frustration. "Having people walking through your village every day can become unpleasant," he said. "But at the same time, tourism also benefits the region. It's difficult to know what the best solution is." Not everyone wants to leave the list. Not everyone agrees that UNESCO is responsible for the problem. Miro Parobek, head of tourism for the town of Ružomberok — which administers Vlkolínec as a municipal district — acknowledges that tourism has brought challenges, but argues that the answer lies in more efficient management, not removing the village from the World Heritage List. "Our priority is to preserve traditional architecture," he told DW. “But we also want this to remain a living place. We want to support the people who live here.” According to Parobek, the city has already responded to residents' concerns by replacing large festivals with smaller cultural events. In addition, residents began to meet regularly with local authorities through a working group dedicated to the topic. The municipality also helps property owners obtain subsidies to restore historic buildings and offers twice-weekly transport for elderly people to the nearby town of Ružomberok. Parobek points out that all tickets sold carry the same message: "Vlkolínec is not an open-air museum. Please respect the privacy of the people who live here.” In search of balance He recognizes that balancing the protection of residents with the reception of visitors is not a simple task. Much of the authorities' optimism is linked to projects still in the planning phase. Ružomberok is seeking funding from Norway for a set of measures aimed at reducing tourist pressure on the village. These include the creation of a parking lot outside the historic area, improvements to trails and drainage systems, restoration of traditional barns and agricultural terraces, and the transformation of the community's former school into a cultural center. The project would also create more opportunities for residents themselves to act as guides and responsible for heritage preservation. Is it possible to leave the UNESCO list? Anton Sabucha represents a minority position. But, even if