Savoie · France
Col du Petit Saint-Bernard
D1090Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Col du Petit Saint-Bernard
An ancient, history-soaked pass between Savoie and the Aosta Valley, climbing past La Rosiere to a broad 2188 metre saddle.
The D1090 leaves Bourg-Saint-Maurice and works up the valley flank through La Rosiere before topping out at the 2188 metre Little St Bernard pass on the Italian frontier, where the road continues as the SS26 toward La Thuile. This is one of the oldest crossings in the Alps, used by armies from Hannibal’s era onward, and the long open ascent gives sweeping panoramas back over Bourg-Saint-Maurice and across to Mont Blanc. The gradients are forgiving by alpine standards, averaging around five percent, so it is more a flowing high-mountain cruise than a hairpin test, with the most intense switchbacks waiting on the Italian descent. The pass is generally open May to October. Mind late-lying snow at the top early in the season, frequent cyclists on the steady lower slopes, and exposed weather that turns quickly at altitude.
On the road
The road runs from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to the Col du Petit Saint-Bernard. Above Séez it climbs a flight of around twenty hairpins, and the gradient rarely tops 6 percent. Woods, villages and houses line the way to La Rosière, a ski resort at about 1,830 metres. Above it the trees fall away, and the last 5 miles (8 km) run up an open valley of green pasture.
At the top the road cuts straight through a stone circle about 72 metres across, thought to date from the Iron Age. The statue of Saint-Bernard can be seen from far down the climb. Nearby, the hospice founded by Bernard of Menthon in the 11th century is now a hostel, open from mid-June to mid-September. The Tour de France has crossed four times, first in 1949.
The pass shuts for winter, normally from mid-November, and reopens in late May once avalanche risk allows. In 2026 the opening slipped two days, to 24 May, because of avalanche danger on the French side. The Savoie department has been shoring up slipping ground a few miles below the border. Expect alternating one-way traffic while that work goes on.
Col du Petit Saint-Bernard on the map16.6 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 6Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%807 to 2,192 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Col du Petit-Saint-BernardViewpoint17 mi in
- Statue de Saint-BernardLandmark16 mi in
- Tirailleurs Algériens MemorialLandmark1.5 mi in
Hazards
- Late-lying snow near the summit in early season
- Cyclists on the steady climb
- Fast-changing high-altitude weather
Sources
“For those of you who love to spend an hour or so ambling along a gorgeous roadway, there are few better trips than that offered by the Little St. Bernard Pass.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Col du Petit Saint-Bernard offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
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