Visit Italy

Visit Italy > Valle d'Aosta > Great Saint Bernard Pass

hotels

car hire

Piedmont Hotels

(or enter new destination)

Check-in date

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031

Check-out date

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031

Dates not yet known

Search

Visit Great Saint Bernard Pass

The Great Saint Bernard Pass - Colle del San Gran Bernardo - lies on the border between Italy and Switzerland, in the Alps of northern Valle dAosta.

Colle di San Gran Bernardo is the place where the renowned Saint Bernard rescue dogs have been trained since the 11th century. Im not sure if the dog was named after the pass, or the other way around

In fact both are named after the monastery in the valley, historically a shelter for pilgrims en-route for Rome. The monastery itself is still open for visitors, and contains an interesting small museum on the mountain pass (note: the monastery is just across the border in Switzerland, so bring a passport if you plan to visit).

The Saint Bernard Pass itself is also well worth visiting for the mix of forested valley and dramatic mountain scenery that it provides, although access is quite restricted (by the weather) outside the summer months.

Note: main photo is view of the Gran San Bernardo mountain crossing from the Italian border.