The village of Saint-Rhemy-en-Bosses,
situated in the upper part of the Great Saint Bernard valley is
sunny all year round. To the north you can see the skiing area
of Crevacol with its modern ski-lifts and the Grand Golliat
(3330 mt). Looking westward you can see the magnificent Punta
Artanavaz, where the homonymous river rises. South of the little
valley of Citrin there is a spring mineral ferruginous with
curative properties, known as "Water of Citrin". The eastern
side overlooks the villages below.
Saint-Rhemy-en-Bosses is
the last village before the Swiss border and gives access to the
ancient Great-Saint-Bernard Pass, one of the oldest passes of
the Alps.
Great-Saint-Bernard Pass played a very important role in the
past in the relationships between northern and southern Europe.
Leaders of troops, pilgrims, Popes and travelers crossed it. It
was an important passage for ancient populations such as the
Celts, the Romans the Longobards, and for the troops of the
emperor Charlemagne and Frederick I Barbarossa. The most famous
crossing of the Pass in the centuries was however the crossing
of Napoleon, in May 1800. Nowadays at the Pass you can visit the
Hospice founded by Bernardo di Mentone in 1031. It is run by the
Canons Regular of St. Augustin, who have maintained the ancient
rule of hospitality. In summer near the Hospice you can visit
the enclosure of the Saint Bernard dogs, that can be considered
the predecessors of modern rescue. They helped travelers and
pilgrims that got lost and were overcome by cold and snow
storms.
Worth seeing are: the museum of the Hospice, the part
of roman road near the Pass, the Casaforte Chez Vuillen and the
old stone washing-through with the heraldic bearings of the
Counts Savin of Bosses, the Castle of the Lords of Bosses dating
back to the 15th century. The recently restored building now
houses an information office.
The skiing area of Crevacol reaches an altitude of 2400 mt.
and has more than 20 km of ski runs with a really good exposure
to the sun. A wide range of ski-touring excursions in winter and
of mountain-bike routes in summer offer the possibility to
admire the characteristic flora and fauna of the
Great-Saint-Bernard valley.
A parade of the beautiful masks and costumes of Bosses takes
place on the last Sunday of Carnival along the streets of the
village.
The festival of the Jambon de Bosses takes place on the last
Sunday of July and is dedicated to the ham of Bosses, which is
seasoned thanks to the particular microclimate of the village.
This local gastronomic product has also recently received the
DOP (Protected Origin Certification) label.
Courtesy of the AIAT Gran San Bernardo
