The world’s most famous rescue dogs are still roaming the Swiss Alps 365 days a year, marking the first anniversary of Barryland, the planet’s only theme park dedicated to the St. Bernard breed. The Great St. Bernard Pass, straddling Switzerland and Italy, remains the permanent home of the legendary dogs whose ancestors once carried brandy casks to stranded travellers in the 19th century. Barryland, opened on 1 July 2025, celebrated its first full year of operation on Wednesday, drawing visitors from every continent to watch the gentle giants patrol the same mountain trails their forebears trod for centuries .
The anniversary coincides with the release of new drone footage showing the dogs on patrol above the 2,469-metre pass, where winter temperatures can drop below minus 30 °C. “They are not actors; they are working dogs,” said park director Isabelle Maret. “Every day they walk the same route their ancestors walked, guided by the same instincts.” The park’s kennels currently house 14 St. Bernards, each named after historical rescue dogs such as Barry I, who saved 40 lives in the early 1800s.
Barryland’s first year has seen 180,000 visitors, 60 % of them families with children under 12. Revenue from ticket sales and the on-site brandy distillery has already covered operating costs, allowing the foundation to announce a €250,000 grant to local avalanche-rescue dog schools. “We wanted to give back to the community that has supported us,” Maret said.
The anniversary also highlights a quiet shift in the breed’s public image. Once depicted as comic relief in Hollywood films, the St. Bernard is now celebrated as a symbol of Alpine resilience and veterinary innovation. The Barry Foundation’s genomic research centre, opened in 2024, has sequenced the genome of every dog in the park, identifying genes linked to longevity and cold tolerance. “We are turning folklore into science,” said geneticist Dr. Lukas Weber.
Yet the dogs’ daily routine remains unchanged. At 08:00 each morning, regardless of weather, the team leaves the kennels for a 5-kilometre patrol. Visitors are warned not to approach without a guide, preserving the dogs’ working status and the authenticity of the experience. “This is not a petting zoo,” Maret emphasised. “It is a living monument to a tradition that began in 1800 and continues today.”
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