Why pilgrims come
Enter a place shaped by prayer, community, and pilgrimage
A living Catholic hospice and church at 2,472 meters on the Great St Bernard Pass, founded around 1050 by St. Bernard of Menthon to shelter travelers crossing the Alps. The Canons Regular continue the tradition of prayer, communal meals, and year-round hospitality.
Cross the threshold of a Catholic house created to keep strangers alive in the Alps. The canons still join Eucharist, prayer, table, and practical shelter in one vocation, making an overnight stay the fullest way to encounter the hospice.
The sacred connection
People and objects remembered here
These relationships are part of the destination record, with feast days and catalog qualifications shown where available.
founder of the alpine hospice and patron of its continuing ministry of hospitality
Feast: June 15What to notice
Look closely at the place and its story
Nearly a millennium of welcome
Meet a living continuation of Bernard’s work for travelers crossing the pass.
Eucharist, prayer, and table
Let the canons’ common life shape the stay rather than treating the hospice as lodging alone.
A pilgrimage conditioned by the Alps
Approach with humility: season, snow, altitude, and avalanche conditions determine what is possible.
Feasts, anniversaries & celebrations
The canons welcome pilgrims and travelers year-round in rooms and shared dormitories, with communal meals and an invitation to prayer; advance booking and seasonal access planning are essential.
Accommodation details ↗How to read this page
Sources, tradition, and what is verified
The destination record was last checked on 9/7/2026.
This page records the site’s tradition as “Catholic.” That wording describes the nature of the claim and keeps devotional tradition distinct from independently verified history.
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