Great St Bernard Pass – Colle del Gran San Bernardo

Great St Bernard Pass – Colle del Gran San Bernardo (2,469 m) One of the most legendary crossings of the Alps — a road walked by Romans, crossed by Napoleon's armies, and ridden by countless touring cyclists ever since. The Great St Bernard Pass links Italy's Aosta Valley with Switzerland's Valais, and the climb delivers everything an epic ride should: long sustained gradients, sweeping hairpins, and a dramatic high-alpine finale beneath the Grand Combin massif. The ascent from the Italian side is the classic. Starting from Aosta (583 m), follow the SS 27 north through the picturesque villages of Saint-Oyen, Etroubles, and Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses — all worth a stop for a coffee and a photo. From Saint-Rhémy the road stiffens noticeably: roughly 15 km at a steady 7–8% through a series of switchbacks carved into the mountainside, past the lake at the upper valley and up to the pass itself at 2,469 m. The final kilometres are exposed and wild, with Mont Vélan towering on your right. At the summit you'll find the historic hospice founded by St Bernard de Menthon around 1050, still run by monks, and the famous St Bernard dogs kennels. In summer you can roll down a few hundred metres to the border lake (Lago del Gran San Bernardo) — an unmissable photo stop. From the Swiss side, the pass is reached from Martigny via the Route du Grand-Saint-Bernard: a shorter but equally beautiful climb of about 25 km at a more forgiving average gradient, through orchards and Alpine meadows. Practical notes: the pass road is typically open from June to October only — outside that window use the Great St Bernard tunnel (from the Italian portal just below the summit, or from Martigny). Expect changeable mountain weather even in summer: pack a windproof layer for the descent. Fuel, food and bike-friendly cafés are available in Aosta, Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, and on the Swiss side in Bourg-Saint-Pierre and Martigny. Distance Aosta → summit: ~43 km with ~1,900 m of climbing. Take your time, ride the hairpins, earn the views — this is a bucket-list Alpine pass.