Visit The Charming Little Village Of F*cking In Austria

#1 I've Heard Fucking Is Fabulous In The Spring.

Too old for schoolyard humor? Never! Fucking is a real town, and it's beautiful.

#2

It is not on any main road, and it's way up in the Austrian hills, but it has a population of just about 132 people locally and about 500 in nearby locales, and lies 4 kilometres from the German border in west Austria. And it's name really is Fucking.

#3 The Austrian Town Is A Tourist Stop For Visitors On The Way To See Where The Sound Of Music Was Filmed.

The town has become a tourist stop, as the Germans all want to see Mozart's house in Salzburg; the Americans want to see where The Sound of Music was filmed; the Japanese want Hitler's birthplace in Braunau; but for the British, it's all about Fucking.

#4 The Only Crime In Fucking Is Theft.

The unfortunately-named village (pronounced fooking) is a peaceful place. The only crime ever reported here was for the theft of the town's infamous road signs. Commonly stolen by tourists as souvenirs, Fucking's road sign thefts became such a menace to the village that in 2004, a vote was held on changing the village's name.

#5 The Town Signs Are Costing A Fortune To Replace.

It is estimated that over the last 50 years the town has replaced their signage over 2,500 times. On one occasion, all four of the village signs were stolen during the same night, costing 300 euros each to replace; costs which were reflected in local residents' tax bills. Alas, the town held their ground and voted against changing their name and mayor Siegfried Höppl stated "everyone here knows what it means in English, but for us Fucking is Fucking and it's going to stay Fucking."

#6 The Residents Of Fucking Didn't Always Know What The Name Meant In English.

After World War II, a group of American soldiers based in Salzburg, 30km north, came upon the village with the naughty name and word quickly spread. More stationed soldiers began traveling to the tiny community to have their pictures taken beside the village signs. The Fuckingers, as local residents are called, were baffled by the sudden interest in their village, having not previously been aware of the meaning in English. Ever since, Fucking has seen a steady stream of visitors and the occasional tour bus eager to get a cheeky photo.

#7 It's The Place Of Focko's People

The village dates back to the 6th century when it was founded by a Bavarian nobleman, Focko. The spelling of the name has evolved over the years and its -ing ending is an old Germanic suffix which indicates the people belonging to the root word, thus Fucking means "(place of) Focko's people."

In 2009 the village hosted the Festival of the F**k Bands music festival, featuring several bands, F**ked Up, Holy F**k, F**k and F**k Buttons.

#8 The Beauty Of The Town Goes Unnoticed By Amused Tourists.

Despite the area having some beautiful lakes and forests, it seems people are more interested in Fucking. The village tends to attract largely British tourists, but for those interested in the areas beauty, the place offers two gorgeous Bavarian style hotels, a winding river, and a population of 132 people living in 37 houses. (As estimated by the 2010 census).

#9 The Fuckers Just Want To Be Left Alone.

The town's new mayor Franz Meindl however, doesn't think its very funny and wishes tourists would stop coming (this article is like a minefield of unintended puns). "We don't find it funny. We just want to be left alone. We don't harm anyone and just want to live in peace." In 2011, it was announced that the village would be installing CCTV cameras to prevent summertime tourists from fornicating in front of Fucking's signs.

#10 There Are No Postcards!

At nearby Wank mountain (seriously), a more open-minded guest house manager thinks the residents of Fucking should be benefitting from their name and make more effort to cater to tourists. But for now, Fucking residents are keen to keep their village to themselves.

Augustina Lindlbauer, the manager of a local Fucking guesthouse recalled how she had to explain to a British female tourist "that there were no Fucking postcards."

#11 The Local Brew Brings New Meaning To "Grab A Fucking Beer!"

In 2011, the European Union's OHIM trademarks agency forbade a German brewery to market a beer called "Fucking Hell". It appealed, and was granted permission in January 2012 to market the beer which is brewed just miles from the center of town. It claims the beer is named after combining the Austrian village Fucking and the German term for pale lager, which is Hell. They export and locally sell about 14,000 bottles of the Fucking brew each month.