556 - Passo San Bernardino / San Bernardino Pass

The snowshoe trail starts in the village center, passing the mineral water source to the north. The healing powers of this water have been known since Roman times. With the mountain pass road built in 1823, the mineral water source once again regained importance. Attracting well-to-do guests from northern Italy, San Bernardino became a noble resort, but the World Wars put an end to the spa tourism period. Today, guests travel to Misox because of its unique natural landscape.

From Via Gareida Sot, the route runs beneath Gareida Sora towards the old pass road, then shadowing and crossing it several times before reaching Lago Moesola. This lake lies at the lowest point of the pass, in a hollow between Piz Moesola and Piz Uccello. The 2724 meter high pyramid is considered the landmark of San Bernardino. The ascent to the San Bernardino Pass leads through a varied, hilly landscape, typical of the region and of national importance. In fact, this high-moorland laying beneath the snow cover is one of the most extensive of its type in Switzerland; in the summer , countless tiny lakes are located between the mounds shaped by glacier movement.

San Bernardino Pass is not far away. Its name goes back to Saint Bernard of Siena. In prior times, the pass was called Mons Avium, Latin for Bird Mountain, or Piz Uccello. This name was later transferred to the adjacent mountain itself. The return trip follows the river Moesa to Gareida Sot, where you take the same path back as for the ascent.