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Saint-Rhémy-en-BossesThe village of Saint-Rhémy-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 Crévacol 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-Rhémy-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 Crévacol 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.
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