In the "Guard Centre", visitors are immersed in the history of the Swiss Guards.

Above Naters in the old artillery fortress, visitors can see the Swiss Guard Museum "Zentrum Garde" and immerse themselves in 500 years of history of the Swiss Guards. Even today, they provide security in the service of the Pope in Rome.

The exhibition in the rock

The military fortress was built in 1939 - 1940 and has been modernised time and again to this day. At that time, its cannons protected the strategically important Simplon Pass as well as the Simplon railway tunnel.

Place for up to 200 men

The fortress, with all its facilities from the kitchen to the detention room, was like a small underground village that could accommodate a maximum of 200 men. Until 2002, the fortress was considered top secret. Today, the exhibition about the Swiss Guardsmen can be seen in the former ammunition chambers.

Second hall still stands in its original state

In the second hall, there are endless rows of concrete racks where the cannons used to be stored. Today, these contain personal items that guardsmen and their relatives gave to the Gardemuseum.

Knowing?

No Swiss municipality has provided more guardsmen over the centuries than the Valais village of Naters.

With the newly introduced guest card, admission to the Gardemuseum free.

Further information now available at www.zentrumgarde.ch or www.caverna-naters.ch .

Openings

Without guided tour:
Visits to the museums in the Simplon Fortress are possible every Saturday from June to October between 2 - 5 pm.

With guided tour:
Guided tours for groups of ten or more are available daily throughout the year on request.

Price info

CHF 0.00

On Saturday, from 04 June to 29 October 2022:
Adults: CHF 15.00
Families: CHF 30.00
Children: CHF 8.00 (up to 8 years free of charge)
With guest card Blatten-Belalp free single entry

All year round:
Guided tours for groups of ten or more are available daily throughout the year on request. The price is the entrance fee with guided tour per museum, for example through the Swiss Radiation Museum.

Per person: CHF 10.00
Per child: CHF 5.00 (free up to 8 years)
Minimum amount per guided tour: CHF 100.00

General information

Parking Available

Directions & Parking facilities

From Brig Intercity station on foot in 20 minutes (steep road section at the end).

Groups: On request 1/2-hour ride with the Treno Dotto through Brig and Naters to directly in front of the Garda Museum (price: CHF 180.-)

Parking: 1 minute below the fortress (drive up to the first bend; parking spaces on the left on the level in front of the storage building / garage)

Parking for people with disabilities: directly in front of the entrance to the fortress

License (master data)

Blatten-Belalp Tourismus AG

tourismus@belalp.ch

Website