A year ago I first discovered the region of Grand Saint Bernard located in the Western Alps of Switzerland. I have come again to hike around the Grand Saint Bernard Pass lying at 2473m. Due to its elevated location the road to the Pass is only open 4 months of the year from June to September.
The Pass has a rich history of events dating back to the bronze Age. For centuries it has been a strategic point for exchanging goods between northern Europe and Italy. In 57 BC Julius Ceasar was said to have come through here. In 1049 a hospice for travellers was built by Saint Bernard of Menthon. In 1800 Napoleon’s army of 40'000 men marched into Italy.
Lower down in the valley in Orsières you can already see you have arrived in the Saint Bernard region due to the pictures of dogs on all the trains and buses! There are historical posters showing monks dressed in long black coats standing on skis saving lost travellers with the help of the well trained Saint Bernard dogs.
Just behing the hopsice is a lake and the border to Italy. From here a road leads down to the Aosta Valley.
The Saint Bernard dogs were first heard of in 1708. They were bred to be big enough to tredge through deep snow and sniff out and save lost persons trying to reach the pass. The brandy caks hung around their collars are still thought to be a legend...
The Pass has a rich history of events dating back to the bronze Age. For centuries it has been a strategic point for exchanging goods between northern Europe and Italy. In 57 BC Julius Ceasar was said to have come through here. In 1049 a hospice for travellers was built by Saint Bernard of Menthon. In 1800 Napoleon’s army of 40'000 men marched into Italy.
Lower down in the valley in Orsières you can already see you have arrived in the Saint Bernard region due to the pictures of dogs on all the trains and buses! There are historical posters showing monks dressed in long black coats standing on skis saving lost travellers with the help of the well trained Saint Bernard dogs.
Just behing the hopsice is a lake and the border to Italy. From here a road leads down to the Aosta Valley.
The Saint Bernard dogs were first heard of in 1708. They were bred to be big enough to tredge through deep snow and sniff out and save lost persons trying to reach the pass. The brandy caks hung around their collars are still thought to be a legend...
