Nestled in the Dolomites, Santa Maddalena village is falling victim to its own stunning beauty. The snow-dusted village draws many visitors during winter, straining local infrastructure and residents' lives.

With a population of fewer than 400, the village, situated within the Puez-Geisler nature park in northeast Italy, holds UNESCO world heritage status. Geo magazine once lauded it as the most beautiful village in South Tirol, citing the harmonious blend of its small church bell tower and the dramatic limestone peaks beyond.

Winter scenery in Santa Maddalena village. *Christoph Sator/dpa*

Its social media fame is turning the village into a tourism hotspot. Visitors arrive not just from Europe but also from distant places like Beijing, China.

Han Gengai and Li Shangxi, students from Beijing, China, chose to visit after seeing online photos of the 3.000 m Geisler mountain range. "I knew I had to come here", Han said, describing it as "Instagrammable beauty".

Most visitors do not linger in Santa Maddalena. They head directly to the church area, snap photos or selfies, post them online, and then depart immediately. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and RedNote (China's Instagram equivalent) host hundreds of thousands of images of Santa Maddalena.

Peter Pernthaler, Mayor of Villnoss municipality, stated the surge began when a Chinese telecommunications company featured the village in an advertisement several years ago.

"That marked the start of our current troubles", Pernthaler commented.

The village's sudden fame frequently clogs the narrow valley roads with tourist buses. Travel agencies in Verona, 200 km away, now offer day tours combining a morning visit to Verona with an afternoon in Santa Maddalena. Despite bus parking fees of 250 EUR (about 295 USD), transport companies readily pay. When parking lots fill, tourists park wherever they find an empty space in the village.

Rule violations are most prevalent near the hilltop church, a 15-minute walk from the village. Despite barriers and signs prohibiting motor vehicles—except for residents, funeral guests, or wedding attendees—many visitors disregard them, driving directly to the site.

Residents report that influencers have damaged the village with drones, private taxis, and litter. In pursuit of ideal photo angles, many visitors climb fences, trample meadows, and discard trash. Many also refuse to pay the less than one euro fee for public toilets.

Summer scenery in Santa Maddalena village. *Shutterstock*

At Obermesner farm, despite "no entry" signs in three languages, visitors still intrude into the kitchen or livestock barns to film.

"Visitors even walk straight into our kitchen with their phones", the farm owner's daughter stated.

Cattle at another village farm are also disturbed by tourists repeatedly trespassing to take photos. The owner was forced to rope off the entire property.

"The situation here is worse than in Venice; visitors lack minimal respect for residents' privacy", Mayor Pernthaler commented.

To address the issue, local authorities plan to allocate 20.000 EUR for a modern barrier system with integrated surveillance cameras at the church and village entrances. This system is expected to be operational by May at the latest.

"We hope this will help control the situation", Pernthaler expressed.

Local residents support the plan. "I live here, and we welcome visitors, but please respect our mountains and heritage", a resident urged.

By Mai Phuong (Source: SCMP)