A small mountain refuge in Italy’s Dolomites has become an unexpected tourist hotspot after a simple cream-filled pastry went viral on social media. Hundreds of visitors have traveled to the scenic Val di Fassa area to try the treat, creating long lines and raising concerns about overtourism and inexperienced visitors heading into the mountains.
A $4 Pastry Becomes a Mountain Attraction
The pastry behind the frenzy is known locally as a krapfen, or bombolone in other parts of Italy.
Similar to a doughnut, the soft fried pastry is typically filled with vanilla cream or apricot jam. Despite costing only around $4, it has become the reason some tourists are making the journey into the Italian Alps.
The crowds have centered around the Friedrich August mountain refuge in Val di Fassa, an area surrounded by the dramatic peaks of the Dolomites.
Mountain refuges traditionally provide hikers with food, shelter and a place to rest. But the Friedrich August refuge is now dealing with a very different type of visitor.
TikTok Videos Send Visitors Into the Mountains
Staff at the refuge told CNN that the situation began to change dramatically in mid-August.
Tourists posted videos on TikTok showing themselves eating krapfen while surrounded by the spectacular mountain scenery. The videos quickly spread online, encouraging other travelers to make the trip themselves.
Posts featuring the hashtag #Krapfen have existed for years, but interest in this particular destination reached a new level this summer.
Two managers at the refuge, who asked not to be named, believe unusually hot temperatures may have contributed to the surge.
As people searched for cooler places to escape the summer heat, mountain destinations became more attractive. Social media posts featuring the pastries then began circulating again, helping bring even more visitors to the area.
Refuge Struggles to Handle the Sudden Crowds
The unexpected popularity has created practical problems for the mountain refuge.
Managers have struggled to produce enough pastries to meet demand. Even accepting payments has become difficult because so many visitors use contactless electronic payments instead of cash.
The increased demand became so intense that the refuge’s internet connection struggled to handle the transactions.
But the managers say their biggest concern is not the number of pastries they need to make. It is the experience level of some of the people traveling into the mountains.
“In the past, visitors were enthusiastic, well-equipped hikers who would stop for a snack and a rest. Now, people are putting themselves at risk, without any mountain hiking experience or proper equipment, just to eat these pastries,” one of the managers told CNN.
Viral Tourism Raises Safety Concerns
The popularity of the krapfen highlights a larger problem facing some of Europe’s most beautiful destinations.
Social media can turn a previously quiet location into a major attraction almost overnight. That can bring valuable tourism revenue, but it can also send large numbers of inexperienced travelers into environments that require preparation.
The Dolomites are not simply a backdrop for photographs. Mountain conditions can change quickly, and visitors may need suitable footwear, clothing and other equipment.
The crowds have also changed the experience for traditional hikers who travel to the mountains specifically for nature, peace and solitude.
Dolomites Face Growing Overtourism
Francesco Abruscato, president of the local Alpine Club, has warned that the problem extends beyond one mountain refuge or one viral pastry.
He said interest in natural environments increased significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“During the Covid pandemic, there was a great desire to explore natural environments. Until five or six years ago, we did not see the phenomenon of overtourism in certain parts of the Dolomites,” Abruscato said.
The change has transformed some previously peaceful locations into crowded social media destinations.
“There are now famous and iconic places where it is impossible to enjoy the beauty, as visitors find themselves surrounded by dozens of people taking selfies, who are only there for that purpose,” he added.
A Pastry Shows the Power of Social Media
The krapfen frenzy demonstrates how quickly social media can reshape tourism.
A traditional pastry that has been eaten in the region for years has suddenly become an international attraction because of a handful of viral videos. For the Friedrich August refuge, that popularity has brought customers but also logistical problems, safety concerns and crowds that mountain destinations were never designed to handle.
For visitors, the famous cream-filled pastry may be worth the journey. But local officials and mountain experts hope tourists remember that the Dolomites are more than a viral backdrop. They are a natural environment that requires preparation and respect.
