Great Saint Bernard

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Who knows… maybe Napoleon Bonaparte, back in 1800, was charmed

by the Great Saint Bernard pass too… what a tough venture, considering the epoch, at the point that it still fascinates nowadays!

The Great Saint Bernard is not only the frontier between Italy and Switzerland, it is a mystic place, rather surprising, where history and spirituality weave together since the most ancient times; soldiers, merchants, and pilgrims departed from Canterbury and passed here while going through the Via Francigena to finally reach Rome.
The Great Saint Bernard pass didn’t lose its charm through the centuries; even today, thousands of visitors and pilgrims coming from all over the world go through this track of the Via Francigena and here, they enter Italy.

Downhill stand the towns of Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, where one can try the famous Vallée d’Aoste Jambon de Bosses PDO with its delicate flavour, which is seasoned rigorously in Alpine pastures, and Etroubles, which belongs to ‘I Borghi più belli d’Italia’ circuit, where you can find an open-air museum, a permanent art gallery you can admire while having a stroll!

If you had Jambon de Bosses as a snack and it is not enough, continue towards Valpelline: here, the Fontina cheese is at home and ‘Seupa à la Vapelenentse’, a tasty, traditional soup, is a proof.  In the area there are many Alpine pastures, agricultural and dairy farms; the visit to the Fontina Museum and visitors centre in Valpelline is an unmissable stop if you want to truly discover the history of Fontina cheese, a well-known PDO Valdôtain product!

After Valpelline, on the one side you will find Bionaz, famous for the Lake of Place Moulin and the stunning, panoramic stroll that goes along the lake, in a wild and harsh environment, yet relaxing and suitable for kids; on the other side lies Ollomont, a tiny but enchanting village, which has always been the departure point for tough hikes, such as Grand Combin, the majestic massif which is 4,134 metres high that lies between Italy and Switzerland.

Are you ready to live a holiday in the valleys of the Great Saint Bernard and Valpelline and to be surrounded by history, nature and freedom?