Great St Bernard Pass, Mountain pass between Valais, Switzerland and Aosta Valley, Italy.

Great St Bernard is a mountain pass that crosses the Swiss Alps and connects the canton of Valais with the Aosta Valley in Italy. The route winds through severe high-mountain terrain and demands careful navigation, especially during the cold months.

The pass was already used in the early Iron Age, and under Emperor Claudius it was upgraded from a mule track to a road. A temple to the Celtic god Poeninus stood at the summit in Roman times. In 1049 Saint Bernard of Menthon founded the hospice that later gave the pass its name, and on 14 May 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte crossed here with his army on the way to Italy.

The hospice on the pass was founded to help travelers, and it continues to shape life at this location today. The monks there have passed down their duties across centuries and remain part of the local identity.

A tunnel beneath the pass enables year-round access, making crossing much easier than traveling the open road used before. The route is well marked, but travelers should prepare for changeable weather and sharp curves.

The pass lies on the main watershed dividing the Rhône basin from the Po basin, and it is the lowest pass on the ridge between Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. Its lake, the Great St Bernard Lake, stays frozen 265 days a year and holds no fish despite attempts to stock it.