Refuge · 2470 m
Hospice du Grand Saint-Bernard
Alpine refuge at 2470 m in Great St Bernard Valley, Aosta Valley. Beds: 104. Data from OpenStreetMap; verify opening before setting out.
Not merely a refuge but a place of the spirit: for nearly a thousand years the canons have welcomed whoever knocks at the hospice door, in summer as in the long winter at 2,470 metres, when the pass can be reached only on skis or snowshoes. You can visit the baroque church, the crypt, the museum and the famous St Bernard dog kennels, today run by the Barry Foundation.
Altitude
2470 m
Valley
Great St Bernard Valley
Beds
104
History
Founded around 1050 by St Bernard of Menthon to protect Via Francigena pilgrims from the dangers of the pass and from brigands, the hospice has been inhabited without interruption ever since: one of Europe’s oldest institutions of hospitality. Its corridors have seen pilgrims, armies — Napoleon in May 1800 with forty thousand men — and generations of travellers rescued by the canons and their dogs, bred at the pass since the 17th century.
Contact & booking
Official manager details — always check opening dates and rates on the website before you go.
Where it is
45.8688, 7.1707 · 2470 m
How to get there
- Tour des Combins — Stage 2: Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses → Bourg-Saint-Pierre19.9 km · +1116 mE
- Saint-Rhémy - Colle del Gran San Bernardo5.9 km · +837 mE
- Strada Statale 27 - Colle del Gran San Bernardo6.7 km · +754 mE
- TAPPA 1: Colle del Gran San Bernardo - Echevennoz14.4 km · +0 mE
- Colle Grand Saint Bernard - Col Grand Ferret26.3 km · +2016 mE
Effort to reach it
Difficulty of the access trails: E, +754–2016 m (CAI scale).
What to bring
A sleeping-bag liner (required in many huts), cash (cards are often not accepted at altitude), a change of clothes and warm layers for the evening, a headlamp, a water bottle. Always book your bed and meals in advance, and let the hut know if you cancel.
What to do there
Enjoy dinner in good company and the sunset from the terrace. Many use the hut as a base for a dawn departure: ask the keeper about trail and weather conditions before setting out, and start light while the snow is still firm. The climbing routes are on the trail pages above.
Nearby peaks
Community gallery
Photos are published immediately. JPG/PNG/WebP, max 6 MB.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors
Hospice du Grand Saint-Bernard