La Thuile in Summer: The Little St. Bernard Pass Without the Winter Crowds

In winter, La Thuile is an international ski resort linked to La Rosière in France. In summer it becomes something else: a quiet town at 1,441 meters where flowering meadows replace groomed slopes and the trails toward the Little St. Bernard Pass fill — barely — with hikers seeking peace rather than peaks. It is one of those places that the warm season returns to those who know how to wait.

The Little St. Bernard Pass and the Hospice

At 2,188 meters, the Little St. Bernard Pass divides Italy from France and is open from June to October. In 1880, Abbot Chanoux planted the Chanousia Alpine Botanical Garden here, which still preserves over 1,300 species of Alpine and Arctic plants today. The medieval hospice on the pass, renovated several times, is open to visitors and tells centuries of transit and pilgrimage along this pre-Roman communication route.

Trails and Lakes Without Crowds

Lake Verney, at the foot of the pass on the French side, is reached in twenty minutes on foot and reflects the peaks of the Graian Alps with an intensity that makes any description superfluous. On the Italian side, the Alta Via trail number 2 descends toward Arpy offering views of the Aosta Valley that no cable car can match. Encounters with other hikers can be counted on one hand even in July.

Food and Where to Sleep

La Thuile has a decent selection of B&Bs and small hotels that charge significantly lower rates in summer than in winter. The village restaurants serve Arnad DOP lard — produced just a few kilometers away — and fonduta with local rye bread. The best months are July and August for trails, with September offering autumn light and complete silence.