Villars sur Ollon, Switzerland to Cogne, Italy - Day 5

This morning was the clearest day we have had. The sun was shining brilliantly over the Alps as we made our way to Italy.

Sydney and I managed to get a front row seat on the bus, a decision I told her we might later regret. The roads are very windy and narrow.

This was a full size bus navigating its way down from our 4,000+ elevation to the Rhone Valley and then back up into the mountains. 

All of the roads were curvy, 2-lane types with limited or missing guard rails. But our driver seemed to be a master and all was well.

After about 2 hours we arrived at St. Bernard’s Pass at 8,114 ft., which is on the ancient Roman transalpine route between Switzerland and Italy. A hospice was founded here in 1050 by Bernard of Menthon, an 11th century monk. The hospice cared for travelers who crossed the pass on foot, often in very harsh conditions.

The first dogs appeared in 1800. They were named after the monk, who was later canonized. The original sire, “Barry,” was said to have saved 40 people in a 14-year span. Today 30 dogs live at the hospice and 20 puppies are born each year. More than 10 full time employees care for them. Unfortunately, the dogs were not there today because of some problem with their quarters, but a very nice local woman with a beautiful creature allowed us all to have our photo with him.

We toured a museum about the “pass” dating back to the Romans. There were also photos of local wildlife, which are new to me:

The chamois

The bouquetin 

We also viewed a beautiful chapel there.

Then we walked around the area and took more photos. There was still a lot of snow here.

From the hospice, we walked across the border from Switzerland into Italy.

Our lunch was at Bar du Lac where we had salad, spaghetti and chocolate mousse. 

Outside of the restaurant was a view of the lake and hospice.

We continued down the winding road with more vistas. 

We went through a tunnel that was open on one side.

We arrived in Cogne, Italy, (5,032 ft.), the main gateway to the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso, founded in 1922, about 2 hours later.

We walked around the little village and visited a museum, Maison Gerard Dayné, which is a fine example of Aosta Valley traditional architecture.

We checked into our lodging for 4 nights, Hotel Sant’Orso. Our rooms are lovely and I ended up with a 3-person suite with a balcony and view of the mountains. Go figure.

Then we had a welcome reception at the hotel and another 3-course dinner, which was delicious.