Brig-Glis / Switzerland
Alpine Town of the Year 2008
Brig-Glis
Alpine Town of the year 2008
Facts & Figures
Inhabitants
Highest elevated point in meters
Area in km²
Brig-Glis (following the merger of the municipalities of Brig, Glis and Brigerbad in 1973) sees itself as the service centre of the German-speaking Upper Valais, which borders on Italy in the south and is influenced by the Mediterranean climate. Its role as a service centre and transport hub came about with the construction of the Simplon tunnel, which was inaugurated in 1906 and provided a link to the European rail network.
The service sector also includes a well-developed education system with a cantonal secondary school and a tertiary level with a teacher training college, a distance learning university/college of applied sciences and a private international university centre for hotel management.
Tourists appreciate Brig for its central location and the possibility of excursions in the region and to Italy.
The jury said…
The town of Brig-Glis is in a phase of upheaval and reorientation. Cooperation' and 'sustainability' are becoming the key words for the future of the city, which wants to offer the population a high quality of life and visitors a great deal of attractiveness.<br /> Close cooperation in various areas is being sought with the border town of Domodossola in neighbouring Piedmont. In its mission statement, the town of Brig-Glis also sets itself the goal of abandoning old rivalries with neighbouring communities in favour of joint projects. Sustainability is to serve as a guideline and be implemented in concrete terms, for example as an 'energy town'. Finally, several new protected areas with special opportunities for nature-oriented tourism are being created near Brig-Glis.