Stockalper Palace

Kaspar Stockalper built this between 1658 and 1678, and it was the largest private building in Switzerland when it went up. His fortune came from controlling traffic over the Simplon pass - transport, salt, mercenary recruitment and finance - and the palace was a statement of that position, with an arcaded courtyard and three towers topped by onion domes named for the Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. It did not end well; the communities of the Valais rose against him in 1679 and he fled to Domodossola, returning only in 1685. The building now holds the town archives, a museum and offices, and the arcaded courtyard is open to walk into. The gardens beside it are public.

The main sights

• Three onion-domed towers - named for the Magi above the roofline.
• An arcaded courtyard - open to walk into, free of charge.
• The Simplon fortune - the pass traffic that paid for the building.
• A merchant who overreached - Stockalper driven out in 1679.

When to go

All year; tours run on a seasonal timetable. Two hours.

Good to know

Interiors are seen only on guided tours at fixed times, mainly in German. Much of the building is offices and archives, not shown. The courtyard and gardens are the free part and take twenty minutes.

Nearby

The Simplon pass road climbs south; the Aletsch region is north-east.

Key facts