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 The St.Bernard pass connects Switzeland and Italy.At 2,470 meters, it is the highest moutain pass in Europe.The Grand-St-Bernard Pass is the oldest of Alpine pass routes, in use at least since the Bronze Age (about 800 BC).

Hannibal’s famous crossing of the Alps in 217 BC, reputedly with elephants, is indelibly associated with the Grand-St-Bernard, though there’s little actual evidence of it.

in May 1800, Napoleon led 40,000 troops over the pass into Italy, on the way consuming 21,724 bottles of wine, a tonne and a half of cheese, 800kg of meat, and more, running up a bill with the hospice of Fr.40,000 before departing with a wave of his hand.

  The famous monastery of St.Bernard,whcih was found in the eleventh century,lies a  mile away.

For hundreds of years , the St.Bernard dogs have saved lives of travllers crossing the pass .

At the height of the Great St. Bernard Pass, 2469 m (8100 ft.) above sea level, a hospice was founded by monks in the 11th century as a refuge for travellers and pilgrims. Large mountain dogs have been kept there for watch and protection since the middle of the 17th century. The existence of such dogs has been documented in paintings and drawings dating back to 1695 and in written official documents of the Hospice since 1707.
These dogs were soon in service as companion dogs for the monks, being especially deployed as rescue dogs for travelers lost in snow and fog. Numerous chronicles, published in many languages, as well as verbal reports by the soldiers of Napoleon who transited the Great Pass with him in 1800, tell of the many lives saved by these dogs in the face of "the White Death". The fame of the St. Bernard then known as the "Barry-dog", spread throughout Europe in the 19th century, and the legendary dog "Barry" became the epitome of the rescue.
The direct ancestors of the St. Bernard were the large farm dog which were widely spread across the region, within a few generations after the establishment of the ideal type, they were bred into the present day breed. Heinrich Schumacher, from Holligen near Berne, Switzerland, was the first to document and provide pedigrees for his dogs. In February 1884 the "Schweizerische Hundestammbuch" (SHSB), the Swiss Dog Stud Book, was opened. The very first entry was the St. Bernard "Léon", and the following 28 entries were also all St. Bernards. The Swiss St. Bernard Club was founded in Basle on March 15th 1884. During the International Canine Congress of June 2nd 1887, the St. Bernard was officially recognized as a Swiss breed and the breed standard was declared as binding. Since that time the St. Bernard has been a Swiss national dog.

These friendly dogs were at first brought from Asia,and been used as watch dogs even in Roman times . Now tunnels had been built through the moutains ,the pass became less dangerous , but the dogs are still sent out to search the travellers who rushly attempt to cross the pass on foot.

During the summer month,the monastery is very busy, for there are thousands of people visit here who cross the pass in cars, as there are so many people about ,the dogs have to be kept in special enclosures.In winter ,the life here is quire different ,very few people attempt to cross the pass for the tempreture drops to-30C .The monks perfer the winter to summer because they have more privacy,and the dogs have more freedom either, they are allowed to wander outsider thier enclosure.The only regular visitor to the monastery in winter are parties of skiers who go there at Christmas and Easter.They young people who love the peace life of the moutains, always recieve a warm welcome at the monastery at the St.Bernard's monastery.