The city of Brig is located in the Rhone valley, in the German-speaking part of the canton of Valais. The community of Brig-Glis has around 12,000 inhabitants. The town is at an altitude of 691 m surrounded by high mountains. From Brig you can reach Domodossola in Italy via the Simplon Pass. Brig owes its economic rise to this crossing of the Alps. With the opening of the Simplon Tunnel in 1905, Brig was at the first rail link through the Alps. The city was now connected to Geneva and Milan. From Zurich you can reach Valais via the Furka Pass. It is advisable to use the car transport in Realp, as the pass often disappears in the fog and you can only move forward at walking pace. Today Brig is a railway junction and the center of the Upper Valais. Brig is a perfect destination for day trips to Zermatt, Sion and the Aletsch Glacier.

The landmark of Brig is the Stockalper Castle (photo). The castle was built in 1671 by Kaspar Stockalper, who was not a nobleman but an intelligent businessman who controlled the trade across the Simplon Pass. He had built the Via Stockalper, which enabled trade on the Simplon Pass. He made a great fortune through trade on both sides of the Alps. His castle can be visited and is the most famous attraction of Brig.

Stockalperschloss

The old town of Brig is pretty and has some nice squares. There are many shops and restaurants. Since Brig is the heart of the region, there is a lot going on here for a city of this size, especially on weekends it is difficult to get a seat in the restaurant, because then the youth from the surrounding area flock to the city. The center of Brig is located at the intersection of Furkastraße and Bahnhofstraße. The pedestrian zone and Sebastiansplatz are located here. On the photo you can see the Alte Simplonstraße. If you arrive by car, you should use the "Altstadt" car park on Neue Simplonstraße, entrance from Spittelweg.

Brig is located on the Rhone, which is called Rotten in the German part of the Valais. Naters lies on the opposite bank of the Rhone. The small town is close to Brig train station and can be reached on foot in a few minutes via a bridge. In Naters there is the World Nature Forum and a very small old town with historic wooden buildings in Judengasse (photo).

Judengasse, Naters

The Saltina flows through Brig and flows into the Rhone. The river has its source on the border with Italy and therefore has an Italian name. The name Saltina has a Latin origin in the word saltare (to jump). The mountain stream has often devastated the city of Brig through floods. Therefore, the Saltina flows in a canal with high walls. But already around 2 kilometers outside of Brig, the Saltina (photo) shows its beauty, with steep cliffs and clear water. From Brig you just have to follow the river towards the mountains and after 30 minutes you are in the surrounded by nature.