Valle d'Aosta
Great Saint Bernard pass. Ph: Archivio Regione Valle d'Aosta
Valle d'Aosta
Historical memories and new sporting emotions interlace in the Aosta Valley: places of great scenic charm are the backdrop to this union.
Barely touched by mass tourism, the Gran San Bernardo valley and the nearby Valpelline offer harsh and wild panoramas and allow you to appreciate the authentic alpine economy of the region. Since the times of the Roman Empire, when the temple dedicated to Jupiter was built, the Gran San Bernardo mountain pass has been an important communication route across the Alps. The Hospice, founded a few decades after the year 1000 by Saint Bernard of Menton and managed by a congregation of regular canons, still today welcomes travellers and pilgrims walking along the Via Francigena. Napoleon Bonaparte also passed through this in May 1800 during the second Italian campaign.
The Great Saint Bernard pass is today once again the protagonist, not only in history but also in modern sports news, thanks to the passage of the thirteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia on 19 May 2023. The “pink race” passes through the Aosta Valley to climb up to the 2,469 meters of the pass, the "Cima Coppi" of the 2023 edition, i.e. the point with the highest altitude of the entire competition. The cycling champions caravan, starting from Borgofranco d'Ivrea, enters the Aosta Valley at Pont-Saint-Martin and the stage proceeds towards Bard, at the foot of the famous fort, and then again along the valley floor touching Saint-Vincent, Châtillon, Nus to get to the regional capital, Aosta. From here the route climbs along the Gran San Bernardo valley until it reaches the pass and then continues towards the finish line on the Swiss side, in Crans Montana.
Those who love road cycling can try their hand at various routes in Aosta Valley – some more accessible, such as the cycle paths of the valley floor between vineyards and castles, and others more demanding, towards all the side valleys and the Alpine passes like the Piccolo San Bernardo, the Col di Joux, the Colle di San Pantaleone. Mule tracks and farm roads are perfect for those who prefer mountain bike adventures, but the verticality of the Aosta Valley region also offers the right dose of slope and adrenaline for downhill and freeride with enduro routes that can be reached with ski lifts specially equipped for bring up the bikes.
The road that climbs from Aosta to the Great Saint Bernard pass is usually open from late spring to early autumn and is appreciated by cyclists and motorcyclists for its curves and for the rest and refreshment points. In Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses you can visit the production and maturing rooms of Jambon de Bosses PDO, an exquisite raw ham aged in hay at 1,600 meters for at least 12 months. Further up, some mountain pastures offer typical snacks and sell Fontina cheese and other 0 km dairy products. In summer, the Pass is a very popular tourist destination not only for its thousand-year history but because you can enjoy the view of a pretty lake and exceptional panoramas of the surrounding mountains. In addition to the Hospice, there are restaurants and a historic hotel built in 1933.
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