Close to the summit of the Simplon Pass, you will find the Simplon Hospiz. Historically, this was a hospice built in the early nineteenth century, but these days, despite keeping the name Simplon Hospiz, the building is more akin to a B&B or similar.

On arrival at the car park, there was plenty of space – and plenty of snow! I had a word with the receptionist and asked about parking overnight. This was no problem. The temperature was showing as five degrees C, with a brisk wind blowing. We parked the motorhome in such a way that the piled up snow offered a wind break – almost like being in an igloo! As such, we were sheltered to some degree from the elements.  As the evening drew on, the car park filled up, presumably with folks returning from a day on the slopes.

A night-time toddy at the Simplon Hospiz

We went into the Simplon Hospiz and had a couple of drinks at the bar. The beer was of various unknown brands so we opted for coffee with whiskey instead! The clientelle was mostly Italian many of whom seemed intrigued by a British motorhome!

In the morning, we were woken by a coach load of skiers – I’d guess that as the season draws to a close, folks want to make the most of the snow! Other than the impromptu alarm call, night-time was silent. We slept with the Heki blinds open to look at the near full moon and the stars.

The Simplon Pass is a key transit route hence this road is usually open in the winter. Check before travelling though!

The Simplon Hospiz makes a great overnight stopover when travelling between Switzerland and Italy – we are looking forward to staying again in the warmer seasons. For details of thousands more aires and stellplatz, read our review of the Camperstops in Europe book,  – click here.