What to see and do from Brig
Find activities near Brig
Offered by Swiss Activities: www.swissactivities.com
- Easy, online, free cancellation in most cases
- Extra Support: if you buy here, MySwissAlps can also assist if you have questions about your order.
The Stockalper Palace
Don't forget to explore Brig itself. The historic town center is small and attractive. A highlight is the Stockalper Palace, a 16th-century castle. You can join guided tours to explore the site.
The castles of Sion
In Sion, at a 40-minute train ride from Brig, several medieval castles can be found. Two of them stand out on the hills of Valère and Tourbillon. Some of these sites can be visited independently, for others you can book a guided tour.
The Upper Rhone Valley
If you like traditional Swiss villages, pay a visit to the Upper Rhone Valley east of Brig. We spent a holiday in Ulrichen and fell in love with this part of the valley. The towns and their Valais-style wooden chalets are very pretty. Examples of other villages worth a visit are Münster-Geschinen and Oberwald.
The eastern Upper Rhone Valley makes for a good winter destination too.
Villages on the hills above the valley, such as Bettmeralp and Riederalp, are highly recommended as well. On clear days, the views over the Valais reach as far as the Matterhorn.
Excursions to the Aletsch Glacier
Brig is close to the famous Aletsch Glacier. Learn how to reach it and how to get the best views here.
A day trip to Milan in Italy
A quick one-day visit to Milan is possible from Brig. A single train ride Brig-Milan takes just under 2 hours. So you'll be able to do some sightseeing in Milan if you leave early and return in the late afternoon or evening.
Travel tips and town map
How to reach Brig by train
Brig is a train hub in the Valais. The Glacier Express stops here, as well as regional trains to Zermatt and Andermatt. In addition, there are direct trains to Brig from several major Swiss towns and from Italy. Examples:
- from Zurich: 2h10
- from Basel: 2h15
- from Bern: 1h05 via the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, 1h40 via the Lötschberg Mountain Railway
- from Geneva: 2h25
- from Milano: 1h55 (in 2024, travel times can be longer due to maintenance between Milano and Domodossola)
Plan your journey to Brig with the Swiss timetable. We explain how to use it here.
The 2 rail stations: Brig and Brig Bahnhofplatz
There are 2 adjacent rail stations in Brig. The main station is simply called "Brig", and this is where most trains arrive and leave.
Directly in front of this station is "Brig Bahnhofplatz". This outdoor platform is where the Glacier Express stops. The local trains to Zermatt and Andermatt arrive and depart here too.
It's easy to get from one station to the other, as they're right next to one another. So short transfer times are no problem.
How to reach Brig by car
If you want to travel to Brig by car, you'll often have to use a car train.
These are the main routes when traveling from northern Switzerland:
- If you travel from Basel or Bern in the north, you can best use the Lötschberg car train between Spiez and Visp. There's no alternative pass road. A road trip from Basel takes about 2h15.
- If you come from Zurich, it makes sense to travel via Altdorf, which is south of Lake Lucerne, and Andermatt. Then use the Furka car train to reach the Upper Rhone Valley and Brig.
- If you prefer to avoid car trains, you can make a detour. Travel via Vevey on Lake Geneva and Martigny in the western Rhone Valley. This journey takes 3h50 from Basel.
If you come from Italy, south of Brig, you can either drive over the Simplon Pass or use the Simplon car train.
How to get by in Brig
Brig is relatively small, and the rail station is adjacent to the old town. You'll reach the center in an easy 6-minute walk along the street "Bahnhofstrasse".
If your accommodation is in or near the town center, you can reach the rail station and shops on foot. Of course, there are frequent buses to the town center and to the less central parts of town.
Brig-Naters
Naters is just north of Brig, on the other side of the river Rhone. Buses operate between both towns. If you're located on the western side of Naters, you can quickly reach the Brig train station on foot as well.
Brig-Glis
Glis is a southern district of Brig. There's no train station, but there are excellent and quick buses to Brig. A ride from the bus stop "Glis, Dorf" to the train station of Brig takes around 15 minutes.
Rail passes for a stay in Brig
We usually recommend a Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card for a holiday in Brig, especially if you plan to explore other Swiss areas too.
The Adventure Card is a sensible choice if you plan to travel across the eastern Valais and western Graubünden for a couple of days.
Get help finding the right rail pass here.
Map of the town Brig
Travel guides for the Valais
Italy to Switzerland
When to visit Brig
A central base town year-long
Brig's central location comes in handy for all sorts of holidays in nearly all seasons, whether you plan summer hikes, mountain top visits, winter trips or train rides.
We especially recommend visiting Brig in early January to late October and late December.
Brig and surroundings in winter
Brig is at the bottom of the Rhone Valley, so snow in and around town is not likely. But Brig can be a base town for a varied winter holiday.
Several ski resorts are within easy reach of Brig. Bettmeralp and Riederalp can be reached by public transportation in about 40 minutes. Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Verbier, and Oberwald are 1h to 1h30 away by train or bus.
January to early March is the perfect season for snow day trips from Brig.
November to mid-December isn’t the ideal winter period to visit Brig:
- Snow in the nearby ski resorts isn’t guaranteed yet.
- Brig is relatively small and doesn’t have many Christmas events. The nearest large Christmas market is in Montreux, about 1h20 away by train.
Weather in Brig
Temperatures in summer and winter
The Rhone Valley is a relatively warm and sunny region. Temperatures of 25°C to 35°C are no exception in summer. Winters are pretty mild.
If you want to experience snow during the winter months, you can better travel to villages at higher altitudes in the mountains, such as Zermatt or Saas-Fee.
5-day weather forecast for Brig
Why Brig is so strategically situated
Where is Brig located?
Brig lies on the river Rhone, in a wide sunny section of the Upper Rhone Valley. This is in the canton Valais in southern Switzerland. Brig is close to Zermatt, Saas-Fee, and the Aletsch Glacier.
Trains to Italy and several parts of Switzerland
The Simplon Pass to Italy starts in Brig, so travelers to and from Italy have been passing through Brig for centuries. Brig is the border station for trains to and from Italy. You can reach Milano in less than 2 hours.
Many trains to various destinations in Switzerland stop in Brig as well. Examples are:
- The Glacier Express to Andermatt, Chur and St. Moritz.
- The Lötschberg mountain train. It allows you to reach Spiez, Thun, Bern and Interlaken in the north of Switzerland. Even quicker is the Lötschberg Base Tunnel connection to Spiez.
- The connection to Montreux on Lake Geneva.
- The regional trains to Oberwald and other villages in the Upper Rhone Valley.
- The regional trains to Zermatt.
- The buses to Saas-Grund and Saas-Fee.
The pros and cons of Brig
It’s not directly in the mountains
Brig is one of the larger towns in the Rhone Valley, but it isn’t a well-known tourist center. Many tourists prefer the various smaller villages up in the mountains, like Rosswald, Rothwald, Blatten and Belalp. These villages are situated amidst beautiful alpine scenery and make a great base for local hiking and winter sports.
It’s a strategic location to explore the Valais
We feel that Brig is the best base if you prefer to explore a wider region though. You can easily take trains and buses all over the Valais and thus see and do a lot in little time.
Brig offers all facilities you need
Brig has a nice little town center with a lively atmosphere. There are many shops and restaurants.
Other websites of interest
- www.brig-simplon.ch: the Stockalper Palace
- www.siontourism.ch: the castles of Sion