In his day, the 17th century, Kaspar Stockalper was the most ingenious early capitalist far and wide. The Stockalper Palace in Brig bears witness to his wealth. Stockalper traded in everything: mercenaries and snails, salt and ore. He bought and sold whatever promised a profit and recorded everything in his books in seven languages – including when and how he bribed or cheated his partners. No private individual in Switzerland in the 17th century could afford to build a larger palace. But envy – so they say – is the oldest Valaisan, and so the Valaisans drove the rich and powerful Stockalper into exile in Domodossola in 1679. His fortune was divided up and his businesses moved to other regions. Impoverished and embittered, he was finally allowed to return to Brig and die in his castle.
Guided tours: possible
Public tours do not need to be booked in advance. Special and group tours can be booked directly with Brig Simplon Tourism by telephone on +41 27 921 60 30 or by email at info@brig-simplon.ch.
Good to know
Openings
January to April: every Thursday 13:30 p.m.
May to October: Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 / 10:30 / 13:30 / 14:30 / 15:30 / 16:30* pm.
* June to September additional guided tour
Group tours:
on request
Foreign Language
Other Furnishing/Equipment
Toilet
Accessibility
Directions & Parking facilities
Directions: If you are traveling by car, you can park in the “Parkhaus Altstadt” parking garage. From there, it takes about 3 minutes to reach the Stockalper Castle.
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More information
Under the title "Passage Simplon", a permanent exhibition was opened in 2012 on the ground floor of the Stockalper Castle on an area of 200 m2. It illuminates the historical relationship between Brig and Simplon, whose eventful history is closely linked. A total of seven themes are explored, from the construction of the Simplon road and the Simplon tunnel to Geo Chavez's flight through the Alps. Part of the exhibition is also dedicated to the inventor of road tarring, Dr. Ernest Guglielminetti. In a separate room are objects from the time of the Great Stockalper and provide an insight into his Europe-wide trading company.
License (master data)
Jessica Huter
Nearby
