In 990, Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, travelled to Rome to meet Pope John XV and receive the investiture pallium. On the way, he recorded the 79 stages of his journey in his diary. Thanks to this historical document, it has been possible to reconstruct a route between Canterbury and Rome: the Via Francigena, certified as a Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in 1994. Follow in the footsteps of Sigeric between Saint-Maurice, the Great St Bernard Pass and, if you wish, extend your journey in Italy as far as Aosta!
You will leave from Saint-Maurice, a town famous for its abbey founded in 515 and never closed. You can discover its treasure and its basilica.
You will then reach Martigny (17km, +300m, -260m., about. 4h), a city of culture known for its Gianadda Foundation and its Barryland.
From here, the ascent to the Great St. Bernard Pass begins. You will stop in Orsières (20km, +900m, -500m, about 6h) and Bourg-Saint-Pierre (14km, +950m, -180m, about 4h30), two typical valaisan villages with their barns and raccards and their famous bell tower.
The last stage between Bourg-Saint-Pierre and the Great St. Bernard Pass (12km, +1050m, -200m, about 4h15) is the most symbolic. Although it will take you to 2470 metres, it is not physically the most difficult.
Unlike Sigeric, you will have the chance to sleep on the Great St. Bernard Pass as the Hospice was only built in 1050!
This pass, the highest point of the Via Francigena, has been a mythical crossing of the Alps since Roman times and was made famous by Napoleon in May 1800 and nowadays by the famous Saint-Bernard dogs, adorable animals that you can meet while visiting the pass museum.
If you wish, you can continue your journey to Etroubles (13km, +12m, -1214m, about 4h30) and then Aosta (16km, +73m, -760m, about 5h30)!
Services included
- 5 overnight stays and half board in Saint-Maurice, Martigny, Orsières, Bourg-Saint-Pierre and on the Great St. Bernard Pass (7 with Etroubles and Aosta) in 3-star hotels
- Luggage transport
- Travel guide Canterbury – Great St.Benard Pass
- Kennel and museum at the Great St. Bernard Pass
- All applicable service charges
Services not included
- Travel from your home to Saint-Maurice and back
- Travel insurance
- Lunch
- Drinks
- Tourist tax
- All expenses not mentioned above
Optional services
- Credential
- Travel guide Great St.Benard Pass – Rome
Rates 2024
- St-Maurice – Great St Bernard in a double room: CHF 649.- per person
- St-Maurice – Great St Bernard in a single room: CHF 879.-
- St-Maurice – Aosta in a double room: CHF 869.- per person
- St-Maurice – Aosta in a single room: CHF 1259.-