Brig Switzerland is officially known as Brig Glis. This is actually a municipality which comes under the district of Brig. The district of Brig is a part of the canton of Valais in the country. The name Brig comes from the word "Briva" which means 'bridge'. This small town is very picturesque which is very natural keeping in mind its scenic location at the foot of the Simplon Pass.
The distinct Italian influence is found in the architecture of the houses of this town. The most famous buildings of this town are the Ursuline Convent, the previous Jesuits' College and the Stockalper Palace.
Even though this town is located close to the borders of Switzerland and Italy, the everyday language used is German. This is a unique trait of this canton. There are numerous Alp summits surrounding this town; hence it is a popular location for the winter sport athletes.
So if you are looking for some adventure on ice, this is your destination. The Rhone River is very close to this town. Due to the proximity with hills, the temperatures can be below freezing point during winter. Frost is thus common. During the summer however, the temperatures rise and lead to intense heat.
The development of this town has been brought about gradually over the years. While in 1798, only 468 people lived here, the population rose to around 5191 in 1970. In 1973 when the town merged with the previous municipalities of Brigerbad and Glis, the population rose to a soaring 11,600.
The Simplon Pass plays a very important role in the prosperity of this town. Brig Switzerland has a separate parish right from 1517. This church is located at Glis. The name during medieval times was 'Briga dives'. Several steps increased the popularity of this town to tourists.
First of all, the carriage road across the Simplan Pass was opened in 1807. This opened a whole new arena of communications with the rest of the country. Then the tunnel underneath the pass was opened up in 1906. Thus transport and communication through waterways achieved new heights.
The fact that the above portion of Brig consists of less fertile and steeper Upper Valais has played an important role in the town's prosperity. So though tourists used to frequent this once upon a time, now things have changed. The town has increased in size and capacity and hence tourists have begun to frequent this more often.
If you like rural life, if mountains have always held a fascination for you and most important of all, if you too are dying to get away from the clutches of urban life, then Brig Switzerland will hold your fancy.
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