Great Saint Bernard Pass is one of the most famous roads in the Alps
Switzerland, europe
74.6 km
1,915 m
easy
Year-round
# Great Saint Bernard Pass: A Classic Alpine Adventure
Nestled at 2,469m (8,100ft) between Switzerland and Italy, the Great Saint Bernard Pass is basically the rockstar of Alpine driving. This legendary route connects Martigny in Switzerland's Valais canton with Aosta in northwestern Italy, spanning a scenic 74.6 km (46.35 miles) of entirely paved road—known as Route 21 in Switzerland and Strada Statale 27 in Italy.
Here's the thing: this pass has been a big deal for literally 3,000 years. Julius Caesar rolled through here in 57 BC, and Napoleon marched his entire 46,000-strong army over it in 1800. Pretty impressive for a route that didn't actually get a proper road until 1905 (thanks to some bureaucratic drama and tricky engineering challenges).
The summit is genuinely spectacular, complete with a beautiful mountain lake, cozy hotels, and restaurants where you can warm up with a hot meal. But the real stars? The St. Bernard dogs. A hospice founded way back in 1049 is famous for breeding these gentle giants, who became legendary rescue heroes—first mentioned saving lives in 1709. The monks still run things today, offering hospitality to modern travelers just like they did centuries ago.
Cyclists love this place too—both the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia tackle it. From Sembrancher, expect a 30.6 km climb with 1,752m elevation gain (5.7% average grade), while the Italian side from Aosta is slightly steeper at 32.05 km with 1,878m gain.
**Plan your visit wisely:** The pass typically opens late May through mid-October, though snow and weather can shake things up. Even in summer, pack a jacket—nights get chilly. Winter? Forget the regular road; the 1964 tunnel (at 1,915m) keeps traffic flowing when 10 meters of snow blankets the area and temps plummet to -30°C. The lake freezes solid for 265 days a year.
Fun fact: Those iconic opening scenes from The Italian Job? Filmed right here.
Where is it?
Great Saint Bernard Pass is one of the most famous roads in the Alps is located in Switzerland (europe). Coordinates: 46.8746, 8.3116
Road Details
- Country
- Switzerland
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 74.6 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,915 m
- Difficulty
- easy
- Coordinates
- 46.8746, 8.3116
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