بريغ غيلس

May to October is the best time for the old centre and the mountains around. Summer is warm and dry, as the Valais is one of the driest parts of Switzerland. Winter is cool, and ski resorts nearby have snow. Spring and autumn are mild.

• Stockalperschloss is a large palace built in the 17th century by a wealthy trader. It has three onion-domed towers and a courtyard.
• World Nature Forum in Naters is an information centre about the Aletsch area and other World Heritage sites.

• Visit the palace and its courtyard.
• Walk the Rhone path to Naters.
• Take the train to Zermatt for the Matterhorn views.
• Hike on the sunny slopes above Brig.
• Drive or take the bus over the Simplon Pass.

• Visp is a small town a few minutes away by train.
• Zermatt is the Matterhorn village, about 1.5 hours away by train.
• Saas-Fee is a car-free resort village reached by bus.
• Aletsch Arena is a mountain area beside the Aletsch Glacier.
• Leukerbad is a spa village in the mountains.
• The Simplon Pass road leads to Italy.

• Visp is the nearest town and the junction for Zermatt and Saas-Fee.
• Aletsch Arena lies just north-east.

• By air: Zurich and Geneva are the main airports, about 3 hours away.
• By train: Brig is on the main line from Bern via the Lötschberg tunnel and from Lausanne along the Rhone valley. Check times on SBB.
• Brig is also the start of the Matterhorn Gotthard railway, a narrow-gauge line to Zermatt and the Glacier Express route.

• The old centre is small and easy to walk.
• The station is a few minutes from the palace.
• Local buses serve Naters and Glis.
• Postal buses go up the Simplon Pass and the side valleys.

• A car is not needed for Brig itself.
• Cars cannot go to Zermatt. Park in Täsch and take the train.
• The Simplon Pass is a scenic road, but it can close in winter.

Try raclette, which comes from the Valais. Dried meat and rye bread are local products. Local white wines are served in cafés. Fendant is a common wine.

People speak German with a Valais dialect. English is widely understood.

• Brig is very safe.
• Summer can be hot and dry.
• Mountain roads can close in winter.
• Tap water is safe to drink.

Brig has controlled the route over the Simplon Pass since the Middle Ages. In the 17th century a trader named Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper built a large palace and ran a business on the pass.

The Simplon railway tunnel opened in 1906 and made Brig a major rail junction.

Quick practical facts for Switzerland at a glance: