At the Great St. Bernard Pass high in the Swiss Alps, the large mountain dogs still walk the same paths their ancestors patrolled for centuries to find travelers buried beneath the snow.

Down in the valley, a museum called Barryland celebrates the history and future of Switzerland's national dog. It is the world's only museum dedicated to St. Bernards, and since it opened in the summer of 2025 in Martigny, Switzerland, more than 130,000 people have visited. Tourists can watch live grooming and physiotherapy sessions, explore the mountain pass with augmented reality, and learn about the breed.

The dogs first came to the pass in the mid-17th century. They arrived as guard dogs, became companions, and gradually evolved into something the Alpine world had never seen before: animals with an extraordinary instinct for locating hikers lost in snow and fog. Their name comes from the Great St. Bernard Hospice, a shelter for travelers founded in 1050. The most celebrated dog, Barry the First, is credited with saving more than 40 lives in the early 1800s.

Today, St. Bernards no longer carry out rescues, since they are too big to be transported by helicopter. Smaller breeds like Australian shepherds are used instead, though some St. Bernards remain on the pass to keep the tradition alive. The Barry Foundation still breeds them, with around 20 puppies born each year. The dogs now visit hospitals, care homes, schools, and prisons; in 2025 alone, they completed 609 such visits.

For the keepers, the work carries both responsibility and deep affection. "We perpetuate the tradition," keeper Déborah Dini said. "We take care of them. We love them."