Leave Bourg-St-Pierre and head southward, immediately crossing a bridge over the Valsorey stream. The trail leads through woods and across meadows on the right-hand side of the mountain up to the reservoir wall of the Toules lake. Follow the right-hand bank to reach the Sur le Four stables. At the end of the lake, follow the little La Dranse stream to come to the old pass road, where heavy goods traffic turns off into the Grand St. Bernard tunnel. Unlike the pass road, the hiking trail follows the right-hand side of the valley. Near L'Hospitalet, cross the pass road and follow the mule track above the pass road. At the second ventilation shaft, which is situated right in the middle of the tunnel, the trial leads through the Combe des Morts scarp to the hospice. The hospice on the Grand St. Bernhard is one of the most famous and traditional monasteries in the Alps. The austere, rather gloomy group of buildings is situated in an impressive rock desert. Inside you will find the mummified bodies of people who died in accidents on the pass.
(Schweizer Wanderwege)

Grand St. Bernard The hospice on the Grand St. Bernard pass is one of the most famous and traditional monasteries in the Alps. The pass over Mount Joux, as it once was called, was already used in prehistoric times. Julius Caesar crossed the pass with one of his legions in 58 B.C. In the middle of the 11th century, Saint Bernard of Aosta founded a hospice, which has been inhabited since the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, towards the end of the 14th century, the pass was one of the most important connections for crossing the Alps. In May 1800, a 40,000 strong army under Napoleon Bonaparte crossed it to reach the plains of Northern Italy. In 1905, a road viable for coaches was opened and finally in 1958 an international agreement was signed between Italy and Switzerland. In 1964, the first cross-alpine road tunnel in Europe was opened: the Grand St. Bernard tunnel. Since then, over 16 million vehicles have driven through it. The dogs of the hospice are just as famous as the hospice itself. They were written about and also drawn for the first time over 300 years ago. Over the past centuries, they have saved the lives of countless people who had lost their way on the pass crossing in snow and mist, and led them safely to the hospice. Two museums provide an insight into the history of the hospice: the hospice museum with its ancient Roman objects, sculptures, inscriptions, coins, and also a collection of minerals and insects from the region; and the church treasure museum displaying relics, manuscripts, a Byzantine cross, etc.

(Schweizer Wanderwege)