In Bourg-Saint-Pierre, discoveries range from the history of mills and churches to an Alpine garden and alpine activities. The municipality also includes the Great St Bernard Pass and hospice. When planning your visit, it is worth considering the different time scales involved: visiting historical sites, seasonal activities and a nine-day trekking tour are very different undertakings.
History of mills and churches
The Moulin du Valsorey is classified as a historic monument and is considered the last surviving evidence of Bourg-Saint-Pierre’s milling industry. The mill was restored and inaugurated as a working mill in 2005. This brings together a surviving testament to local industrial history and a concrete story of restoration.
Notre-Dame de Lorette is about a 15-minute walk from Bourg-Saint-Pierre. In September 1968, the State Council of Valais classified the church as a historic monument. Its distinctive features include a Baroque altar with a painting by Antoine Hecht, dated 1814. The church of Bourg-Saint-Pierre, dedicated to Saint Peter, was built in 1739.
Hospice, museum and pilgrimages
The Musée de l’Hospice presents the history of the Great St Bernard. Check the museum’s opening hours before your trip. The hospice organises pilgrimages at all times of the year, during which participants cross the mountain landscape and learn about Bernardine spirituality. Check dates and organisational details in advance.
The hospice is home to Europe’s highest-altitude church; admission is free. Check the current visiting arrangements before your visit. This helps you consider the museum’s themes, the pilgrimages and the church as distinct aspects of a stay at the Great St Bernard.
Alpine garden and dam
La Linnaea is an Alpine garden and a station for alpine biology. There you can discover more than 300 plant species, most of which belong to the local flora. The garden is open to the public and admission is free. Check local access conditions before your visit.
The Les Toules dam in Bourg-Saint-Pierre is an 86-metre-high arch dam. Rap jumping is available at the dam; this activity may be seasonal or require booking. A visit to the structure and this activity are therefore two distinct reasons to include the dam in your travel plans.
Trekking and seasonal winter activities
The Grand Tour des Combins starts in Bourg-Saint-Pierre and is a nine-day alpine trekking tour between Switzerland and Italy. The route follows old paths and offers 360-degree views of the snow-covered peaks of the Grand Combin; visibility depends on the weather. At nine days, this tour is a much longer undertaking than individual visits to the village. Check mountain conditions before setting out.
The Jardin des neiges La Lorette is located at the entrance to Bourg-Saint-Pierre. A ski lift and a gently sloping hill are available for first runs; winter operations are seasonal. Children can learn to ski there under the guidance of a ski instructor on request. If this activity is important to your plans, check availability and operating arrangements in advance.
Road connections and orientation
Within the municipality, the approximately six-kilometre access road to the northern portal of the Great St Bernard Tunnel at Bourg-Saint-Bernard begins; it is covered throughout by avalanche shelters. It lies on Swiss Main Road 21, which forms part of European route E27. Together with the pass and hospice, this road corridor illustrates another facet of the municipality; the cultural and natural attractions mentioned above offer different focuses for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Sarreyer, Fionnay, Orsières, Le Châble, La Fouly, Champex, Verbier, Liddes
For the overview of the wider travel region: Entremont.
