Via Francigena - Gran San Bernardo - Echevennoz

14.9 km

Colle del Gran San Bernardo, dominated by the statue of Saint Bernard, is the main entrance gate to this itinerary through the Aosta Valley. Still on Swiss territory, you will find the “Ospizio” (Almshouse) near the lake, built in 1050. This building is now entrusted to the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. The famous St. Bernard dogs, once trained to rescue people in the event of an avalanche, are still kept by the Canons.
From the Great St. Bernard’s pass, you walk down to the village of Saint-Rhémy, which originally stood on the Roman road “delle Gallie”, opening up between pine forests and rolling pastures, and well known for its production of the exquisite “Jambon de Bosses” (cured ham). Here you take a path that runs alongside a surfaced road through the valley, to then cross it at the point of the state road of Great St. Bernard’s, to return to its original level before entering Saint-Oyen. Here stands Château Verdun, the home that hosted the Canons of Great St. Bernard’s, known as far back as 1137, and still today a place that welcomes all pilgrims.
The route then leads on towards Etroubles. Here you will find a number of important historical testimonies: the church of Santa Maria, completely rebuilt in 1814. replacing the ancient building that in all likelihood dated back to the 12th century, of which the remarkable bell tower still remains. Also worth noting is the old dairy cooperative building, with its walls blackened by smoke, the first of its kind in the Aosta valley. After Etroubles th route continues in the direction of the hamlet Echevennoz, where the first stage ends.