• Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis
  • Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis
  • Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis
  • Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis
  • Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis
  • Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis

Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis


Brig, VS
  • Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis
  • Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis
  • Stockalper Palace Brig-Glis
show Website

The Stockalper Palace : the most majestic of the secular buildings from the Baroque period in Switzerland.

It's over the old road to Simplon, in Brig-Glis, that the Stockalper Palace looms, built by Kaspar Stockalper (1609–1691) as an extension of his ancestors' mansion. This monument, built with three tours, is not only the masterpiece of this potentate's ambitious construction program, but also the biggest Baroque secular building in today's Switzerland.

This outstanding group of buildings, first started in 1649, reunites different building styles. The massive main building and the granite tours with defensive looking onion domes, are surprising neighbours of the elegant Renaissance court. These powerful towers, seemingly clasping the Arcade court, reveals the intention of the constructor, who named the group of buildings the “houses and the chapel of the Three Kings”.

The constructor of the Sockalper Palace is one of the most significant figures in the history of the Canton of Valais. Taking advantage of its geopolitical position and the conjuncture of the Confederation members at the time, Kaspar Stockalper dominated the salt trade and the transit of goods in the canton of Valais, operated mines, ran a money lending business, hired out mercenaries as well as a postal service. Statesman, politician, jack of all trades, founder and constructor, he gained an impressive personal fortune and a widespread reputation – reflecting the monikers “the Great Stockalper” and “the King of Simplon” and many other titles he earned.

His palace was bought by the Municipality of Brig in 1948 and was, thanks to the Swiss Stockalper Palace trust, completely refurbished starting in 1956. Today the Stockalper Palace houses the municipal administration of Brig-Glis, the district court, the Institute for research on the Alpine region and other cultural institutions.

On the ground level, the Museum of the Stockalper Palace houses the exhibition “Passage Simplon” on the eventful history of the Simplon pass in seven thematic units. This exhibition is also starting point of the guided tours through the historical halls of the Stockalper family, offered by the Brig Simplon tourist office.

opening hours

The museum and the castle are currently closed. 
The castle courtyard and gardens are open all year round.

«Passage Simplon» exhibition

January to April
Thursday 1 - 3 pm

May to October
Tuesday to Sunday : 9.15  to 11.45 am / 1.15 to 4.45 pm

 

Guided tours

May to October
Tuesday to Sunday : 9.30 am / 10.30 am / 1.30 pm / 2.30 pm / 3.30 pm / 4.30 pm*
(*The tour at 4.30 pm does not run in May and October.)

January to April
Thursday 1.30 pm

You can buy the tickets for the Palace's official guided tours (in German) at the entrance of the “Passage Simplon” exhibition (on ground level in the Stockalper Palace).
In order to reserve private guide tours, please contact the Brig Simplon tourist office  by phone ( +41 (0)27 921 60 30)  or by email (info@brig-simplon.ch).

Prices

Visiting the exhibition is free of charge.

Official guided tours
Duration : 1 hour
Language : German (in general).

Adults CHF 10.00
Adolescents (7–16 years) CHF 5.00
Children (under 7 years) free of charge

Reduced rates (only for offcial guided tours):

  • Visitor's card Aletsch-Goms
  • Visitor's card Region Oberwallis 
  • Oberwallis “Adventure Card”

For more informations on other reduced rates, please contact the Brig Simplon Tourist Office ((0)27 921 60 30 or  info@brig-simplon.ch).

Free of charge:

  • Swiss Museum Pass
  • Raiffeisen member card

Private guided tours

Duration : 1 hour
French, German, English and Italian

Minimum rate CHF 130.00 (groups of up to 16 persons)
17 persons upwards CHF 8.00 / person
50 person upwards CHF 7.00 / person

visitor information

The castle is open for visitors during opening hours, but visits to the historical halls are reserved for guided tours.
The magnificent, 13'000 m2 castle garden is available free of charge during the day and inspires idle wandering and picnics in a historic setting.

Since 2012, the Stockalper Palace museum houses the exhibition “Passage Simplon”, that sheds light on the eventful history of the Simplon pass, in seven thematic modules. In this exhibition the different technical innovations that over the centuries simplified the crossing of the Simplon pass come alive. Here you can learn more about the construction of the “Route Napoléon” (1801-1806), the excavation of the Simplon tunnel (1898-1906), the construction of the main road though the Simplon pass, between 1967 and 1977, as well as the first crossing of the Alps by plane from Brig to Domodossola by Geo Chavez in 1910. You can also learn about the first tar-based road pavement, invented by the adventurer and medical doctor Ernest  Guglielminetti from Brig.

One room is dedicated to the palace's famous constructor, Kaspar Stockalper (1609-1691) : politician and serial entrepreneur, he accumulated wealth, honour and reputation.

In the museum shop, during the opening hours of the exhibition, you will find souvenirs and publications on the history of the Stockalper Palace, its constructor, the Simplon pass and the Brig region.

Gastronomy

In the vicinity

  • You can find many different restaurants in the city centre of Brig, about five minutes by foot from the castle.
Arrival

The castle is at a 10 minute walk from the train station in Brig. You can also take a bus from the station square to Brig Saltinplatz and then walk for 3 minutes to the castle.

If you come by car, you can park at the Weri parking next to the Stockalper Palace in the centre of Brig.

 

Tips

In the heart of the Alps, this region is in a unique location, covering the historic city of Brig, the picturesque mountain villages and the high-lying mountain area of Simplon. Whether for hiking along the Via Stockalper in spring, in summer or in autumn, or for skiing, with or without sealskins, snowshoeing in Rothwald or on the Rosswald, or snowkite in Simplon, in the winter, the Brig-Simplon region is always worth the trip!

Brigerbad's thermals baths, entirely renovated in 2014, offers an area of  2'600 square feet of wellness and relaxation.

Accommodation

  • Hotel Ambassador
  • Hotel Central
  • Hotel De Londres
  • Hotel Du Pont
  • Hotel Europe
  • Hotel Good Night Inn
  • Schlosshotel
  • Hotel Stockalperhof
  • Hotel Victoria
  • Gästehaus St. Ursula
  • Haus Schönstatt
back to overview

you may also like these castles