In the Dolomites, hundreds of tourists lined up for krapfen
Hundreds of tourists flocked to the “Friedrich August” mountain hut in the Italian Dolomites to buy fresh krapfen—a traditional German pastry similar to a doughnut. The influx of visitors caused long lines on the narrow path leading to the lodge, located at an altitude of 2,300 meters in the Val di Fassa valley, between Col Rodella and the Passo Sella.
According to The Guardian, some people set out for the mountain hut at dawn or stayed overnight to make sure they could buy the pastries before they ran out. Krapfen there cost up to 4 euros each.
The dessert’s popularity surged after food bloggers posted videos showcasing the pastries against the backdrop of the Dolomites. Photos and videos of the lines, shared on social media, attracted even more visitors. One tourist told Rai News that he came solely for the krapfen. Another explained that he was intrigued by an Instagram post about the pastries featuring background music, which he described as heavenly.
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An employee of the shelter, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the establishment has been baking krapfen for 30 years, but this had never been a problem before. He attributed the current situation to the activity of influencers and described it as chaotic.
Representatives of Italy’s mountain communities also criticized this phenomenon. Marco Bussone, president of the National Union of Italian Mountain Communities (Uncem), stated that the mountains are not a playground. Francesco Abbuscato, president of the Venetian branch of the Italian Alpine Club, noted that tourism focused on social media posts is eroding the true spirit of the mountains.
According to Abbruscato, as recently as five or six years ago, there was no excessive tourism in specific locations or during certain periods in the Dolomites. Now, at iconic locations, visitors find it difficult to take in the scenery because of the dozens of people taking selfies and coming there specifically for that purpose.
