Great St. Bernard Pass: Martigny to Aosta

Only open from the mid of June to October, this 45 mile long, 8,110 ft high mountain pass is the highest in the Swiss Alps. It offers mesmerising views of glaciers, deep canyons, and several calm and glimmering lakes. The route is well known for millennia−carrying the likes of Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Frederick Barbarossa and Hannibal along its back. The most notable being St. Bernard of Menthon, who established the beautiful hospice in his name, complete with a monastery, St. Bernard kennel and museum. At the summit is the ruin of a temple to Jupiter.