A mountain hut in the Italian Dolomites has been reportedly overwhelmed by hundreds of visitors seeking a traditional German pastry called 'krapfen'. The Friedrich August refuge, located at 2,300 metres above sea level, saw crowds reportedly waking at dawn or camping overnight to buy the freshly baked pastries.
Food bloggers' videos, which promoted the 'krapfen' – described as similar to a doughnut and costing up to €4 (£3.40) – against the backdrop of the Dolomites, are cited as the reason for the influx. This led to long queues along the narrow path to the refuge, with images of the scenes reportedly shared widely online.
A refuge worker, who wished to remain anonymous, stated they had been making the pastries for 30 years without issue and attributed the "chaotic" situation to influencers. Associations representing Italian mountain towns, including Uncem, the national union of mountain communities, have criticised algorithms for funnelling crowds into beauty spots, with Uncem's president Marco Bussone stating, "The mountains are not a playground."
Francesco Abbruscato, president of the Veneto branch of the Italian Alpine Club, told Vita.it that image-driven tourism is eroding the spirit of the mountains. Similar scenes reportedly occurred in Roccaraso in January 2025 after a TikTok star promoted its ski slopes.