Great St Bernard Pass
Route 21 / SS27 · Martigny → Aosta (Italy) · Switzerland / Italy
- Length
- 40 miles
- Drive time
- 1 h 30 min
- Type
- Mountain pass
- Region
- Europe
Before you go: Pass road closed roughly Oct–Jun (tunnel open year-round)
Napoleon marched an army over it; the monks bred the dogs at the top. Skip the tunnel and take the old road to the 2,469 m hospice, then drop into Italy for Aosta.
Highlights of the Great St Bernard Pass
- Hospice & St Bernard dogs
- Napoleon's crossing
- Italy via the back door
Where to stop on the Great St Bernard Pass
- Tamoil Martigny fuel — Fill in Martigny before the Valais climb — the pass road itself is dry to Aosta.
- Jubin Bourg-Saint-Pierre fuel — Last fuel before the pass, at Bivouac Napoléon — nothing for 20 miles over the hospice.
- Hospice du Grand-Saint-Bernard viewpoint — Thousand-year hospice, church and St Bernard kennels at 2,469 m; road closed Oct–Jun.
- Auberge de l'Hospice food — Valais kitchen beside the hospice — St-Bernard fondue, open 1 Jun–15 Oct only.
- Total Aosta fuel — First Italian pumps as you reach Aosta after the SS27 drop from the hospice.
Drive the Great St Bernard Pass
Open Great St Bernard Pass on the map → ⬇ Download GPX
GPX works with Garmin, TomTom, Beeline and most bike sat-navs. Free, no sign-up — these are indicative waypoints, so follow the road signs, not the arrow.
Plot it, add it to a club run with a meeting point and pit stops, then share the whole trip as one link. Free, no account, works offline.
Route research: Club road index · More roads in Switzerland
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