Brig is easy to dismiss as a rail junction, because trains to Zermatt, Milan, Andermatt, and the Glacier Express all pass through or near here. Stay a little longer and the town explains why routes mattered so much: it sits below the Simplon, where Alpine crossing, trade, military roads, and rail tunnels all meet.
The centre is compact and walkable, with Stockalper Palace giving the town far more architectural weight than most transit stops. Across the river in Naters, the Swiss Guard Museum adds an unusual angle, while the Railway, Nature and Art Trail turns the railway landscape into a proper walk.
Brig is not as beautiful as nearby mountain resorts, but it is useful, historic, and more interesting than its timetable-board reputation. It works well as a half-day stop in Valais or as a practical base before heading over the Simplon.