Brig Simplon
Brig Simplon is a tourism region in the heart of Upper Valais in Switzerland, stretching from the historic town of Brig up to the high-mountain landscape of the Simplon Pass and on to Gondo at the Italian border. The region combines the urban character of the roughly 13,000-inhabitant town of Brig, which also plays a role in business tourism, with rural areas that focus on holiday tourism. It is a high-alpine region dominated by mountains and passes rather than a lake, with the Rhône valley running through the valley floor. The Stockalperweg, a historic connecting route, links town, countryside and mountain from Brig over the Simplon Pass to Gondo and further to Domodossola in Italy. Brig is a lively Alpine town and a central transport hub, while the surrounding villages and mountain areas offer abundant nature, hiking and winter sports. The region is culturally vibrant, with the town of Brig at its centre offering guided tours, concerts and events, while the villages around the Simplon are shaped by local customs and tradition.
Summer activities
Summer in Brig Simplon offers a wide range of outdoor activities in the high Alps. Hiking is a highlight, with around 450 km of marked trails, mountain paths and alpine routes, including summit tours, walks to mountain lakes and the historic Stockalperweg multi-day treks between Brig and Domodossola. Brig is an ideal base for mountain biking, e-biking and road cycling, with trails and the famous Rhône Route running through the valley. The region also offers bathing and swimming at the large open-air thermal baths of Brigerbad, the Geschina outdoor pool in Brig and mountain lakes such as the Badesee Rosswald, as well as trail running, canyoning, paragliding, fishing and gold panning.
Winter activities
Winter in Brig Simplon is a genuine winter-sports destination. Skiers and snowboarders can choose between the family-friendly sunny slopes of Rosswald and the freeride terrain of Rothwald/Wasenalp, one of the snowiest regions of the Alps, with around 25 km of pistes each. Brig also serves as a central base for over 20 Magic Pass destinations in Valais. Beyond downhill skiing, the region offers marked snowshoe trails and winter hiking on the Simplon Pass, ski touring in the Simplon area, toboggan runs from Rosswald, cross-country skiing on the Simplon Pass loop, as well as snowkiting, curling, ice skating and ice climbing.
Culture and entertainment
Brig Simplon has a distinctive cultural life centred on the town of Brig, which offers guided city tours, concerts, talks and exhibitions, including the historic Stockalper Palace and its cellar theatre, a small arts stage that has been running for 50 years. The Zeughaus Kultur provides space for concerts, theatre, dance and exhibitions. Around the Simplon, local customs and tradition shape the cultural offering, with villages such as Simplon Dorf presenting traditional crafts and an ecomuseum, while the region's museums cover nature, culture and history, including the gold-mining heritage of Gondo. Cultural trails and guided village tours round out the offer.
