‘Residents have reached breaking point’: Italian valley restricts access to famed photo spot

Val di Funes in Italy’s northern South Tyrol province is renowned for its bucolic beauty. The verdant valley with its clutch of Alpine houses lies just below the spiky Odle Peaks, a majestic backdrop that turns a luminous peachy-orange at sunset. The aesthetic attraction of the area has not gone unnoticed by social media users. In recent years, what was once a popular hiking spot has been flooded by daytrippers jostling to snap the perfect Instagram shot. Photographers have particularly focused on two picturesque churches – Santa Maddalena and San Giovanni di Ranui. In 2022, the owner of the meadow surrounding the latter installed a pay-to-enter turnstile to manage the number of tourists walking across his land. Now, the municipality of Funes has stepped in. “We’ve had enough of tour groups from China and Japan descending on the valley, parking indiscriminately, and staying only long enough to snap a few photos. They contribute nothing except the litter they leave behind,” mayor Peter Pernthaler told local media. The council has announced it will now restrict access to the Santa Maddalena church, which lies up a narrow road, from May to November. “Local residents have reached their breaking point, so we’ve decided
Read More