Great St Bernard Pass

Dean drove us to the top of the Great St Bernard Pass, which is 8100 ft elevation. It was originally used as a Roman trade route between Italy and Gaul (France and much of mid-Europe). It was crossed by Napoleon and his troops in 1800 as it was the easiest way across the Alps. The pass is also famous for the hospice (refuge) at the top, built by St Bernard in 1049, to provide hospitality to travelers on the very difficult route. The statue of St Bernard shows him slaying the devil (representing the hazards of the trip).

St. Bernard dogs were bred by the monks in the 1800s to help them find lost travelers. There are some St Bernards at the top of the mountain but of course, they are not used for rescue anymore. They are for photo ops.Read more