Simplon Pass

Napoleon ordered a carriage road built over the Simplon between 1801 and 1805 so artillery could be moved from France into northern Italy - the first Alpine pass engineered to that standard, and the reason the modern route exists. It crosses at 2,005 metres. The hospice near the summit was begun on his instruction and completed by the canons of the Great St Bernard, who still run it. A large stone eagle on the pass is a Swiss army monument from the Second World War border guard, and old refuges from the Napoleonic road survive along the route. Unlike most high passes the Simplon is kept open all winter, and the Simplon rail tunnel of 1906 runs far below.

What you actually see

• A road built for artillery - engineered on Napoleon's order, 1801-1805.
• A hospice run by the St Bernard canons - begun at the same time.
• The stone eagle - the wartime border-guard monument on the pass.
• Open all winter - unusual among the high Alpine crossings.

When to go

All year - one of the few high passes kept open. A day.

Honest expectations

Winter driving needs proper equipment even though the road is open. Facilities on the pass are limited. Weather at 2,005 metres turns quickly. The Italian side descends a long way to Domodossola.

Nearby

Brig and the Stockalper palace are below; Domodossola is south in Italy.