Simplon Pass

Valais

This mountain pass (2005m) links Brig with Domodossola in Italy. In the middle of the 17th century, Kaspar von Stockalper used it for bringing salt by mule from the Mediterranean and became hugely wealthy. A pass road was built around 1800, then a 19km railway tunnel, the longest in the world at that time, opened in 1906. Nowadays the pass road is open virtually year-round, but it's also possible to travel by car-train through the tunnel to Italy.

The pass is 22km south of Brig by road and a lovely drive.

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Jungfraujoch

20.69 MILES

This is the big one. At 3454m above sea level, Jungfraujoch is Europe’s highest train station: a once-in-a-lifetime trip, with views of the deeply…
Aletsch Glacier

13.02 MILES

If ever a view in Switzerland is going to leave you dumbstruck (and there are a few great ones to choose from!), it will surely be the infinite swoop of…
Furka Pass

28.13 MILES

Marking the cantonal frontier with Uri is the vertiginous Furka Pass (2431m), the run up to which offers superlative views over the fissured Rhône glacier…
Staubbachfall

24.19 MILES

Especially in the early morning light, you can see how the vaporous, 297m-high Staubbach Falls captivated prominent writers with its threads of spray…
Rhône Glacier

28.61 MILES

Coming from Valais, the mesmerising Rhône Glacier is first seen from the tiny hamlet of Gletsch. This glacier is the source of the Rhône River, which…
Trümmelbachfälle

22.85 MILES

These glacier falls are a bang-crash spectacle. Inside the mountain, up to 20,000L of water per second corkscrews through ravines and potholes shaped by…
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

21.34 MILES

Views from Zermatt’s cable cars are all remarkable, but the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is the icing on the cake. Ride the world's highest-altitude 3S…
Fondation Pierre Arnaud

28.01 MILES

Don't miss this stunning art gallery with mountain peaks looming large on its dazzling mirrored facade and silver-leafed edelweiss in the Alpine rooftop…

View more attractions

Nearby Valais attractions

1. Stockalper Palace

4.89 MILES

Kaspar von Stockalper (1609–91), a shrewd businessman who dominated the Simplon Pass trade routes, built this whimsical palace and dubbed himself the …

2. Centre Pro Natura d'Aletsch

8.79 MILES

A summer-must in Riederfurka (2065m), a chairlift ride or 20-minute walk uphill from Riederalp (1925m), is this Alpine garden and exhibition on local…

3. Hohsaas

9.49 MILES

There's a lot of fun to be had from Saas Grund, down in the valley below Saas Fee. The Kreuzboden and Hohsaas gondolas are ready to whisk you up to 3145m…

4. Saaser Museum

11.18 MILES

Meander along the main street, past the church, to this old wooden Valaisian house where village life in the 19th century is evoked through traditional…

5. Fiesch & Eggishorn Cable Car

11.86 MILES

The Aletsch Glacier is a mind-boggling sight and riverside Fiesch on the valley floor is a top place to access it. From the village, ride the cable car up…

6. Aletsch Glacier

13.02 MILES

If ever a view in Switzerland is going to leave you dumbstruck (and there are a few great ones to choose from!), it will surely be the infinite swoop of…

7. Allalin

13.7 MILES

Year-round, the underground Mittelallin funicular climbs to an icy 3500m where the world’s highest revolving restaurant on the Allalin glacier basks in…

8. Aletsch Glacier

17.75 MILES

Jungfraujoch commands a phenomenal view of the largest glacier in the Alps: the 23km Aletsch Glacier, which powers its way through peaks hovering around…

View more attractions