Christina's Cucina

An impassioned Italian Scot sharing how to cook authentically, and travel with enthusiasm.

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Course or Meal
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast/Brunch
      • Dessert
      • Main Course
      • Salads
      • Side Dishes
      • Soups
    • Cuisine
      • Italian
      • Scottish (British)
      • Other Cuisines
        • Asian
        • French
        • German
        • Greek
        • Mexican
        • Other
    • Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Cheese
      • Chicken (Poultry)
      • Chocolate
      • Eggs
      • Fish & Shellfish
      • Fruit
      • Legumes
      • Pasta and Rice
      • Pork & Lamb
      • Potatoes
      • Vegetables
    • Special Diets
      • Dairy Free
      • Egg Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Nut Free
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Types of Food
      • Beverages
        • Alcoholic
        • Non-Alcoholic
      • Bread, Cookies & Pastries
      • Cakes & Pies
      • Candies, Sweets & Confections
      • Dressings, Sauces, Syrups & Toppings
      • Jams
      • Pickles
      • Sandwiches & Snacks
    • Non Sequitur
      • “How To…”
      • My Rants & Recommendations
  • Travel
  • Work with Me

Home » Country » Brig and the Aletsch Glacier for a Fabulous Taste of Switzerland

Brig and the Aletsch Glacier for a Fabulous Taste of Switzerland

October 28th, 2018 | 13 Comments

 

Brig, Switzerland and the Aletsch Glacier are two places to add to your Swiss bucket list. You’ll get a wonderful taste of Switzerland, literally and figuratively!

Brig at Night

The next town on our Swiss trip was Brig. If you haven’t been following along, my friend Cynthia (What a Girl Eats) and I were just in Lugano, Switzerland where we’d taken a Cruise and Cook risotto making lesson and lunch on Lake Lugano.

Disclosure: Cynthia and I were hosted by Valais-Wallis Tourism (Brig-Simplon), Hotel de Londres, and Brasserie Des Cheminots at the Ambassador Hotel in Brig, Switzerland. We were also provided with Swiss Passes for rail transportation, thanks to Switzerland Tourism.

We had traveled by train from Lugano to Locarno, then boarded the Centovalli Railway to Domodossola. This is an incredibly scenic train ride in Switzerland and Italy, and I’ll be sharing photos and more about it at a later date.

Centovalli railway, courtesy Switzerland Tourism
Centovalli railway, courtesy Switzerland Tourism

Arriving in Brig by train

From Domodossola, Italy, we continued by train to Brig which takes under half an hour. Brig is not a very large town; walking from the train station to the central square takes only about 10 minutes. Hotel Londres is located in the center of the old town, so we arrived in no time.

Brig, looking toward the train station
Brig, looking toward the train station

Hotel de Londres is a British themed hotel, so it was really fun for Cynthia and me! (Translates to London Hotel.)

Hotel Londres Brig

We loved the decor and theme, but it definitely still had its Swiss side.

Hotel Londres room
Have I ever told you how much I adore Swiss beds and bedding?!

We were welcomed to Hotel de Londres with a lovely hot coffee drink which we enjoyed on the rooftop patio, with views of the town, and mountains beyond.

Coffee at Hotel Londres in Brig

Walking tour of Brig

First thing on the agenda was a walking tour. We met Romaine, our tour guide, downstairs and wasted no time in getting to know the lovely old town of Brig.

Brig, Switzerland

Brig has an incredibly rich history and Romaine was well versed in all of it. One of the first things we discovered was a memorial fountain dedicated to Peruvian aviator, Geo Chavez. He was the first person to fly over the Alps in 1910. Unfortunately, he crashed in Domodossola, and died 4 days later, due to his injuries.

Peruvian aviator Geo Chavez memorial fountain in Brig, Switzerland

She told us about the architecture of the town as well as how it really claimed its spot in history due to Kasper Stockalper (more below).

Brig, Switzerland

There was an incredible amount of fascinating architecture, and architectural features, in the old town area of Brig.

Architecture of Brig

Simplon Pass

Simplon Pass, Brig, Switzerland
You can see the road coming out of the Simplon Pass on the mountainside.

Brig is located at the foot of the Simplon Pass (one of the ways to get through the Alps). In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised that I might have been to Brig as a little girl as my parents would drive us from Scotland to Italy each summer, and we used to take the Simplon Pass!

If you’re a history buff, you’ll love this tidbit: the Simplon Pass was the first man-made road through the Alps. It was created to move armies through them by none other than Napoleon Bonaparte!

Stockalper Palace

Stockalper Palace courtesy of Switzerland Tourism
Copyright by Switzerland Tourism By-line: swiss-image.ch/Christof

Stockalper Palace Courtyard in Brig, Switzerland

The Stockalper Palace is a bit overwhelming to think about sharing with you as there is so much to see and describe. As I said earlier, this palace is Brig’s crowning glory, built in the 17th century by Kaspar Stockalper. He was one of those incredible people in history who seemed to have five lives in one!

Stockalper was called “The King of Simplon” and was a merchant, banker, large scale entrepreneur, military official and politician. The castle is the largest private building constructed in the 17th century in Switzerland. The palace has three towers with gilded onion domes and reflects the immensity of Stockalper’s wealth. Today, his fortune would be worth far more than half a billion Swiss Francs.  -courtesy of myswitzerland.com

Stockalper Palace, Brig

Romaine gave us a tour of the courtyard as well as many rooms inside the palace.

view from Stockalper Palace, Brig

Inside stockalper palace

One of my favorite features was the hand-painted scenes on the silk wallpaper which were designed in Paris in the 18th century. The detail was incredible.

wallpaper stockalper palace

wallpaper stockalper palace

Brig switzerland

The exterior wasn’t any less ornate.

Stockalper palace

Romaine walked us back to Hotel de Londres where we had some time before going out for dinner. We enjoyed a glass of wine on the rooftop patio.

Wine at Hotel de Londres, Brig

Brasserie Les Cheminots

Brasserie Les Cheminots
Courtesy of Brasserie Les Cheminots

Cynthia and I were fortunate to have Jürg from Brig-Simplon Tourism take us for a lovely dinner at Brasserie Les Cheminots (les cheminots = railway workers). The restaurant is located inside the Ambassador Hotel in Brig. It was a lovely evening, so we were seated on the patio.

ambassador hotel, brig

The French restaurant had a nice selection of dishes, so anyone would be pleased with their options. We began with a lovely selection of amuse bouche; each one was wonderful. Cynthia then chose the clear oxtail soup, while I opted for a spicier seafood soup. We both loved discovering a local white wine called Johannisberg. It was lovely with our amuse bouche.

Brasserie le cheminots, brig

Main course

For our main course, Cynthia chose the duck à l’orange, Jürg had the perch fillet from Raron “Meunière” which was served with butter, spinach and boiled potatoes. I picked the beef stroganoff with paprika cream sauce and spaetzle.

Dinner at Brasserie Le Cheminots, Brig

Everyone enjoyed their choices, and I have to say, as I’m not much of a beef eater, I truly was happy with my stroganoff. It was delicious, especially with the wonderful spaetzle. We were able to thank the chefs personally, as they came out to greet us, which was lovely.

Jürg and Christina in Brig

We finished off with a little dessert. By this time it was rather dark and it was difficult to take any decent photos, but here is my fabulous Crêpes Suzette! I hadn’t had them in years and they were absolutely delectable!

As we walked back to the hotel, we noticed that even though it was 10 pm, it was still quite light because it was June 24th (one of the longest days of the year). We thanked Jürg for a wonderful meal and evening, and were off to bed as we had another full day ahead of us.

Brig at Night

Breakfast at Hotel de Londres

Breakfast at Hotel de Londres, Brig

At Hotel de Londres, breakfast is included, and it’s a wonderful way to start your day. From homemade granola, fresh breads and jams, fruit and eggs, made to order, there’s lots of decisions to be made. You’ll also have to decide whether to eat “cosy” inside, or go for the fresh outdoors. The staff were absolutely wonderful: attentive, friendly, helpful and welcoming!

Breakfast at Hotel de Londres, Brig

Once we had breakfast, it was time to head back to the train station. Today’s agenda included a train trip to Betten (only 16 minutes) to take a cable car to Bettmeralp, and ultimately, the world-famous, Aletsch Glacier.

When we arrived at the Betten train station, we were greeted by David Kestens (Aletsch Arena). He would be our guide to visit Bettmeralp and the glacier. We stored our luggage, and headed for the first cable car. It was much quicker than hiking up to where we were going!

Cable car ride to Bettmeralp
Cable car ride to Bettmeralp

Bettmeralp

Bettmeralp church

Bettmeralp is a small village and there are no cars here. In fact, everything (including building materials) must be transported via the cable car. It’s a popular tourist destination in both summer and winter, with many activities besides hiking in summer and skiing in winter. There are scooter trails, downhill bike courses, fishing and also indoor activities.

Bettmeralp

David told us about the village as we walked through. He also explained that the clouds would soon burn off as it was a rather gloomy morning. Despite this, the views were fantastic off in the distance, along with the wild flowers and other sights throughout the village.

Bettmeralp collage

Valais region lake

Next, we got on the second cable car to visit the Aletsch Glacier.

Cable Car to Aletsch Glacier

Aletsch Glacier

panorama of the Aletsch glacier
Panoramic view

Aletsch Arena, Switzerland

Cynthia and I weren’t properly attired for the temperature at the top, but it was bearable (low 40s F). In our defense, we only had one carry on for three weeks of travel and warm clothes were just not going to fit. :/

The Aletsch Glacier is the longest glacier (23 km) in the Alps. It’s also a part of UNESCO World Heritage; in fact it was the first Alpine World Heritage site chosen in 2001. So if you’re checking UNESCO sites off your list, this is one of them. You can see how high we were here (almost 9,000′ or 2647 m).

Aletsch Arena, Switzerland
The pink in the snow is from sand from the African desert.

We only had to walk few minutes to the viewing platform and it was totally worth being in the cold without a jacket! The views were incredible. The photo below is part of the the Aletsch Glacier

Aletsch Arena, Switzerland

I zoomed in for a closer look. The formations are amazing, and apparently there are fleas that live in the glacier! In fact, the glacier flea is the local mascot! There’s some trivia for you.

Glacier collage

Aletsch collage
From top left, clockwise: the panoramic restaurant where we had lunch, Cynthia reading a board, two brave hikers, and David and me.

The view across the valley was another fabulous sight.

Panoramic view Bettmeralp

Valais Plate and Johannisberg wine

Valais Plate

I won’t lie, Cynthia and I were cold by the time we got inside for a bit of lunch, so we all had a lovely, hot Ovomaltine (Ovaltine) first.

ovaltine

It didn’t take long to warm up and soon we were indulging in a glass of Johannisberg along with a most beautiful Valais plate!

Johannisberg wine
This is comprised of locally cured meats, cheese and some dried fruit and nuts. Cynthia and I couldn’t stop taking photos of it as it was so thoughtfully prepared. David explained about the rye bread that is typical to the Valais region, as well as how the cheese is made from cows that change where they are pastured.

Valais plate with a view

Cholera

After we devoured the Valais plate (everything tasted as good as it looked), we were introduced to “cholera”. Yes, the dish is named after the disease!

David explained how this dish came about during a cholera outbreak because no one wanted to leave their homes for fear of contracting the disease. The only option was to make food from what was already in their houses, so “cholera” was usually made with potatoes, apples, pears, onions, leeks, cheese and whatever else they had on hand. It is still made and enjoyed in the Valais region today, although everyone has their twist on the recipe.

Cholera, a Valais dish

I would love to make this dish in winter. It’s absolute comfort food, and this version was delicious.*

Cable car to Bettmeralp

We took the cable car back down to Bettmeralp and the views were fantastic.

Bettmeralp cable car

Bettmeralp

 

Hérens Cows

Herens cow

On our way back to the second cable car, we were able to see some famous bovine called Hérens cattle. David explained to us that the females are known for their aggression. In the springtime, cows and heifers put in “cow fights” (please note that they have this aggressive behavior with each other naturally). It is nothing like bull-fights, just to be clear.

Herens cattle in the Valais region

The winners are sold for high prices and the fights are a major tourist attraction in the Valais region of Switzerland (Wikipedia). All the cows were “chill” when we visited. 🤣It was lovely to hear the bells (if you want to hear them, you can watch my Instagram story).

Pathway in Bettmeralp

David was right about the weather clearing up as it turned into the most gorgeous day with magnificent views everywhere we turned!

alpine flowers, Bettmeralp

Bettmeralp view

View from Bettmeralp

I couldn’t resist one last photo of the beautiful church in the warm sunshine. No wonder it’s one of the most photographed churches in the world! (David told us this as Cynthia and I were snapping away!)

Bettmeralp church

Suddenly, it was time to take the cable car back down to the Betten station. Time flies when you’re having fun!

 

Back to Brig

We said goodbye to David who then jumped on his bicycle to head to his office. Our train arrived within minutes, and we headed back to Brig to catch our train to Zermatt, our final destination in Switzerland. Post coming soon!

Zermatt postcard

As you can see, Brig is a wonderful location to visit and to be able to reach other destinations like the Aletsch Arena, and Zermatt. Its proximity to Italy is an asset as well.

Map of Brig
BRIG, Switzerland. Courtesy of Google maps.

Thank you to ~ (and for more information)

My Switzerland

Visit Valais

Brig-Simplon Tourism

Hotel de Londres

Brasserie Le Cheminots

Cableway for the Aletsch Arena

Please let me know if you have any questions or simply would like to comment in the space below. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve been to Brig, or Switzerland. Any plans to go?

*Here’s an interesting fact: two days after my visit here, my neighbors (five doors down) hiked to Bettmeralp and ate at this exact same restaurant! In fact, they even ordered a Valais plate, but we had no idea until we spoke a week later! What are the chances?

You may also enjoy these...

  • Stunning Geneva, Switzerland and her Delicious Offerings (Part 1)Stunning Geneva, Switzerland and her Delicious Offerings (Part 1)
  • Zürich, Switzerland, a Stay at the Superb Hotel SchweizerhofZürich, Switzerland, a Stay at the Superb Hotel Schweizerhof
  • Driving From Switzerland to the Italian Lakes: Maggiore, Lugano and ComoDriving From Switzerland to the Italian Lakes: Maggiore, Lugano and Como
  • Cruise and Cook on Lake Lugano (a Risotto Making Lesson to Remember)Cruise and Cook on Lake Lugano (a Risotto Making Lesson to Remember)
Older Post
Trolls’ Toes Cookies and Witches’ Fingers for Halloween
Newer Post
Fried Bread Dough (Pizza Fritta)
40 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Yummly
  • Flipboard

Country, SWITZERLAND · Aletsch Glacier, Alps, Betten, Bettmeralp, Brig, cholera dish, fighting cows, glacier, Herens cattle, hotel, hotel reviews, Swiss food, Switzerland, Travel, travels, Valais, Valais plate, Valais-Wallis

Reader Interactions

13 Responses

  1. Visit Zermatt Anytime of Year; it's the Perfect Swiss Destination (Part 1) - Christina's Cucina says:
    January 5, 2019 at 12:28 am

    […] Brig and the Aletsch Glacier for a Fabulous Taste of Switzerland […]

    Reply
  2. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says:
    November 3, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    It was certainly a magical trip! I’m glad I got to see a part of Switzerland I’d never been before. Brig and Aletsch are certainly worth a stop on any Switzerland trip!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      November 12, 2018 at 9:52 pm

      Absolutely! I plan on returning, but for a longer period of time!

      Reply
  3. Valentina says:
    October 31, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    Okay, Brig is now added to my list. It looks absolutely lovely. And I’d have to say at Hotel de Londres — it looks so cozy, and I want to be on that balcony with my wine, or coffee, or anything! SUCH amazing travels you’ve had!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      October 31, 2018 at 10:58 pm

      Thanks, Valentina. It was truly a great trip and learned so much about Switzerland, even though I’ve been there many times. I hope you can make it to that balcony one day soon! :)

      Reply
  4. David says:
    October 30, 2018 at 6:00 am

    Stunning, Christina! I have always loved the Swiss Alps – they are so incredibly beautiful, and your photos really show them off perfectly!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      October 30, 2018 at 10:00 am

      Thank you so much, David. :)

      Reply
  5. Elizabeth Conte-Vitullo says:
    October 29, 2018 at 4:45 am

    You captured the stunning beauty of Switzerland so well!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      October 29, 2018 at 8:19 am

      Thanks so much, Elizabeth!

      Reply
  6. A_Boleyn says:
    October 28, 2018 at 5:44 pm

    Beautiful architecture, scenery and foods.

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      October 28, 2018 at 6:57 pm

      Thank you! I wish I had more time to explore! :)

      Reply
  7. Carol Kennedy says:
    October 28, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    I traveled to Switzerland (along with Germany and Austria) in May this year, for the first time ever. Switzerland was at the top of my wish list of places to visit, and I was not disappointed! We didn’t get to Brig, but spent time in Bern, and had a day trip to Thun, and went up the mountain there, which looks much like some of your photos. I would really love to go back and visit some of the places you’ve shared! We (my sister and a friend) managed to travel fairly economically, which can be tricky in Switzerland. Thanks so much for your wonderful photos and descriptions of both surroundings and food! Beautiful!!!

    Reply
    • Christina says:
      October 28, 2018 at 4:15 pm

      That’s fantastic, Carol! Sounds like a fun girls’ trip, and I’m sure it only left you wanting to go back for more. Yes, Switzerland is definitely one of the more expensive countries in Europe, but they do have some perks in their travel passes. For example, when you check into a hotel in Geneva, all public transportation is included. I do hope you’re able to return and see more of the country. Thank you for your lovely compliments :)

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Visit Zermatt Anytime of Year; it's the Perfect Swiss Destination (Part 1) - Christina's Cucina says:
    January 5, 2019 at 12:28 am

    […] Brig and the Aletsch Glacier for a Fabulous Taste of Switzerland […]

    Reply

Join the Discussion Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Meet Christina

A Scottish Italian cook living in Los Angeles, Christina is usually cooking, baking or (cr)eating something scrumptious. When she isn't in the kitchen, she loves to travel, near and far, as long as good food is involved. Christina is on a mission to save authentic Italian dishes from extinction, and is constantly promoting Scottish (and British) food as some of the best cuisine the world has to offer—one steak pie and sticky toffee pudding at a time.



Newsletter

Most Popular Recipes

cucumber and cream cheese sandwich rolls

Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich Rolls (with Lavash Bread)

Sicilian Whole Orange cake on a plate with oranges

Sicilian Whole Orange Cake (Using an Entire Orange: Peel, Juice and Pulp)

Perfect Yeast Doughnuts

Perfect Yeast Doughnuts (Donut Recipe with 3 Fillings)

Footer

More please…

chicken Braemar on a plate

Chicken Braemar Recipe (Chicken Breast Stuffed with Black Pudding)

truffle fondue with bread

Truffle Fondue (Fonduta al Tartufo) with Fontina Cheese

Haggis, neeps and tatties on a plate social

Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (Easy Scottish Comfort Food)

beet and goat cheese salad with microgreens

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (Without Lettuce)

pouring whisky sauce on chicken

Balmoral Chicken (Recipe with Haggis) Scottish Meal

adding oil to cotechino and lentils

Cotechino con Lenticchie for a Healthy and Prosperous New Year (Cotechino and Lentils)

Return to top of page
Copyright© 20112019 · Privacy Policy · Log in

40 shares