Great St. Bernard Pass
The Great St. Bernard is one of Europe’s most important and historical mountain passes. It is located in Canton Valais, and is a major border between Italy and Switzerland.
The famous 11th Century dog-breeding monastery and hospice is here, as are remnants of the Roman and Napoleonic areas. This was a tense area during the Second World War, when many people tried crossing into Switzerland from Italy, in the midst of heavy Resistance operations against German forces.
The Great St. Bernard Pass is timeless and hardly changes, and is an alpine classic. It is also one of the first alpine passes to close due to bad weather.
Bob Zanotti was joined at the pass by his old friend, the late Canadian geographer and historian, Professor Aubrey Diem.