Page 103 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

(8,100 ft), the St Bernard Pass is divided into two sections.
is the oldest of all Alpine pass Nieder Simmental, the lower
Did You Know? routes, in use since 800 BC. section, runs from the town of
Spiez – where the River Simme
The pass is named after
Bernard of Menthon, Bishop enters the Thunersee (Lake
The International
Alphorn Festival is of Aosta, who built a hospice Thun) – westwards to Boltigen.
held in July in Nendaz, for travellers here in 1049. It Here the valley veers to the
near Verbier. has been inhabited by monks south, becoming Obere
ever since. It welcomes travel­ Simmental, the upper section.
lers all year round – access in This part stretches up a little
winter is by skis or snowshoes. above the valley to the holiday
There is also an interesting resort and spa town of Lenk,
slopes to some of the most mus eum that documents the near the source of the Simme.
chal leng ing pistes. That, plus history of the pass. Several charming villages lie
its beautiful location, cli mate, The St Bernard Pass is closed along the Simmental, among
cosmopolitan atmo sphere to vehicles all winter, with snow them Erlenbach, the starting
and vibrant nightlife, have common in June. However, the point for whitewater rafting
made it a celebrity fav ourite. St Bernard Tunnel provides a down the Simme.
At an altitude of 1,500 m year­round route between
(4,921 ft), the resort lies on a Switzerland and Italy.
wide plateau with fine views of INSIDER TIP
peaks in Switzerland, Italy and The Simmental
France. Just below Verbier lies 25 Cycle Route
the Val de Bagnes, a pictur­ Head out on this enjoy-
esque valley and one of the The Simmental able flat-terrain bike
country’s best kept secrets. ! C4 £ @ n Rawilstrasse route, which winds its
Verbier’s ski pass area covers 3, Lenk; www.lenk- way over tarmacked
more than 400 km (248 miles) simmental.ch and natural paths from
of on­ and off­piste runs. The Lenk to Erlenback (lenk-
highest point is Mont Fort, at The Simmental, the beautiful simmental.ch).
3,330 m (10,925 ft). From there long valley of the River Simme,
are far­reaching views as far
as Mont Blanc. In summer,
there are two golf courses
and good hiking trails.
Xtreme Verbier is a winter
event in which skiers and snow ­
boarders swoop down steep
mountain faces studded with
cliffs. In summer the town
hosts the Verbier Festival, an
international festival of clas­
sical music with free work­
shops. August sees the world’s
best horse riders compete in a
presti gious dressage event.

24
Grand St Bernard Pass
! B6 @ n Grand-St-
Bernard; www.st-
bernard.ch
Situated on the border with
Italy at an altitude of 2,469 m

The 17th-century
church within the Grand
St Bernard Pass hospice
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