According to local municipalities, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo attracts up to 14,000 daily visitors in the summer months. Bigger picture, South Tyrol recorded around 37 million overnight stays in 2024. That means congested roads, haphazard parking, crowded trails and little respite for its roughly 540,000 residents.
As visitor numbers have accelerated, so too have soft measures to police and protect the area from overtourism. The toll-gated road to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, which abruptly ends at a ramshackle parking lot at 2,333m beneath the Rifugio Auronzo, has long existed as a defence, but new regulations were introduced this summer. Now, visitors arriving by vehicle must register in advance and reserve an entry time (from €40). Likewise, Lago di Braies, an unfathomably blue mountain lake near Dobbiaco, has surged in popularity. Access restrictions mean a pre-booked parking spot or shuttle bus service is essential.
Mike MacEacheranAre such measures working? Absolutely, Curti Covi, sustainability manager of the 3 Zinnen Dolomites region based in Innichen (San Candido), told me. “Before, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo access road was chaotic. A free-for-all. At peak times, you’d have to sit in a queue for hours. It’s progress, but there are more hotspots where we need to introduce caps, registrations and fees to finance all the services visitors need.”
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