A graffiti on the Three Peaks in the Dolomites is causing a stir. It highlights the burden of mass tourism in the region.
Auronzo di Cadore – Moreno Pesce, a Venetian Paralympic athlete and mountaineer, recently shared a video Facebookin which he films a boulder near the famous Three Peaks in the Dolomites. “I don’t really want to comment on that,” he says to the camera, shaking his head. However, it is not the dinosaur prints discovered at this site that leave him speechless. Rather, it is a smear on the stone that angers him. But the message behind it is serious.
“This is not a healthy mountain” – boulders at the foot of the Three Peaks smeared with a message
The words “Tourists go home” can be found on the facades of many popular holiday destinations, be it in Palermo, Palma de Mallorca or Barcelona. Now mountain lovers and vacationers in Italy are discovering this slogan at the foot of the landmark of the Dolomites, as Pesce’s photos show.
According to the Italian News Agency Ansawhich refers to the Corriere delle Alpi, the rock in question is between the Auronzo hut and the Lavaredo hut in the province of Belluno. Pesce criticizes the act of vandalism and says: “A stone in which the fossil footprint can also be found. This is not a healthy mountain. I’m sorry. This is not a pleasant awakening for the Three Peaks.”
Many media outlets reported on the incident and numerous users commented on the video, calling the graffiti stupid and sad. “I prefer tourists to such acts of vandalism,” is a comment on the South Tyrolean online portal salto.bz to read. It is not yet known who is responsible for the graffiti.
The act of vandalism addresses a real problem – enormous traffic congestion on and around the Three Peaks
Although the inscription is out of place, it points to a problem that is becoming more and more of a burden for the locals in the popular holiday region: the rampant mass tourism in many places. It’s not just cities like Venice and Florence that are taking drastic measures against it. Even in the mountains of northern Italy, people and even restaurateurs are suffering from the influx of visitors. Even football fans took part in the protest in the South Tyrolean town of Meran.
In particular, the Three Peaks on the border of the provinces of Belluno and South Tyrol have had to cope with an increasing number of guests in recent years. According to the portal southtirolnews.it The main attraction is the access to the Auronzo hut. Every year, around 65,000 vehicles would storm the hut’s parking lot, which only offers around 700 spaces. Even high toll and parking fees of 30 euros and long traffic jams do not deter many people. An Italian holidaymaker recently documented the “traffic collapse” on the way to the Three Peaks on social media.
UNESCO World Heritage under pressure – “The limits of resilience have been exceeded”
One user commented under the video shared by Pesce: “Are you really outraged by a text that can be removed with a cotton swab and alcohol? I, on the other hand, am amazed that no one says anything about the busy road that leads from Misurina to the car park with almost 1,000 spaces at the foot of the Three Peaks! And we are in a UNESCO World Heritage Site!!!”
The striking mountain range has been officially part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 2009, which has led to increased international attention. One study from 2020, eleven years after UNESCO recognition, concluded that the “limits of resilience have been exceeded”. This applies not only to the Three Peaks area, but also to Prague, where Lake Braies has gained huge popularity through social media. (jm)
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