Hundreds Overrun 2,300-Metre Dolomites Hut for €4 Pastries as Food Bloggers Fuel Crowds
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 19
Hundreds Overrun 2,300-Metre Dolomites Hut for €4 Pastries as Food Bloggers Fuel Crowds
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 19
Summary
Hundreds of visitors swarmed the Friedrich August refuge in the Italian Dolomites, lining a narrow mountain path to buy krapfen after social-media posts turned the pastry into a destination.
At 2,300 metres between Col Rodella and Passo Sella, the hut reportedly drew people who woke before dawn or camped overnight to secure the €4 pastries before they sold out.
Refuge staff said they had made the pastries for 30 years without trouble and blamed influencers for creating a chaotic rush that spread further as queue images circulated online.
Italian mountain groups said the episode shows how algorithms are concentrating overtourism in fragile beauty spots, with Alpine Club officials warning selfie-driven visits are eroding respect for the mountains.
The backlash echoes a January 2025 surge in Roccaraso, where crowds descended on the Abruzzo resort after a TikTok star promoted its ski slopes.