{"id":97969,"date":"2026-07-06T23:16:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/?p=97969"},"modified":"2026-07-06T23:22:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:22:02","slug":"celtic-remains-alpine-garden-hikes-what-to-do-this-summer-at-the-petit-saint-bernard-pass-follow-the-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/vestiges-celtiques-jardin-alpin-randos-que-faire-cet-ete-au-col-du-petit-saint-bernard-suivez-la-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Haute Tarentaise: Celtic remains, alpine garden, hikes... What to do this summer at the Petit-Saint-Bernard pass? Follow the guide!"},"content":{"rendered":"

At an altitude of 2,188 metres, on the Franco-Italian border, the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass (Haute Tarentaise<\/a>is not just a simple stopover. A strategic location crossed by man since prehistory, it concentrates a millennia of history and an open-air discovery site on a few hectares. An information point reopens there every summer to invite visitors to stop by. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00abBefore, people would pass by and wonder, \u00bbWhat is this building?\" Now, there's a new dynamic.\"<\/em> Observe Lou Julien, head of reception, with over twenty seasons under his belt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A reinvented vocation for hospitality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The history of the pass first comprises the hospices founded by Saint Bernard on the borders of the Alps. While the one at the Great St Bernard Pass, in Switzerland, still houses monks and is open year-round, the one at the Little St Bernard Pass only comes alive in the summer and has left its religious spirit behind. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Que
(Photo \u00a9 Romain Boisaubert\/Le Petit Montagnard) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u00abWe're keeping the same welcoming spirit\u00bb<\/em> Lou Julien summary. While Sophie and her team bring the inn-restaurant to life.<\/a>, the information point guides visitors. And not just about the pass. \u00abWe broadcast the two valleys, Tarentaise and Aosta Valley, and even beyond.\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A reception that appeals to a growing audience. \u00abIt's becoming better known, with increasingly frequent guided tours.\u00bb<\/em> it notes. Also at fault is a mountain that has become summery: \u00abPeople are looking for coolness, and they increasingly like the mountains because there is plenty to do.\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the footsteps of the remains<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first must-see is the pass itself, which can be explored like an open-air history book. You'll find the statue of Saint Bernard, perched on the ancient Colonne Joux, a Celtic cromlech (that mysterious circle of stones), the ruins of a Roman thermal establishment, and, a botanical gem, the Chanousia alpine garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n