Our long-awaited return to Brigels was perfectly timed to indulge in some delightfully deep February powder. The upper mountain didn't open but it didn't matter. 50cm+ of stable fresh snow allowed for skiing anywhere on the lower half of the mountain. As a bonus, given the often hectic weather, lift ticket demand was so low that Brigels dynamic lift pass price may as well have been for free! We paid just 34CHF each for a memorable powder day. Does it get any better?

A snowy mid to late February week in 2026 saw us based in a cosy affordable room near the very pleasant town of Ilanz. We were sampling (or re-sampling as then case may be!) the many small ski areas nearby. As well as Brigels, we skied Tschiertschen, Vals & Obersaxan, plus the mega resorts of Laax & Lenzerheide. Given our proclivities it was no surprise to us that the best experiences were in Tschiertschen, Vals , and of course, Brigels.

Not much has changed at Brigels since we last visited many years ago. About the only thing we noticed was the lift pass price was actually cheaper now (not usually but if you pick the right day….), and the mid-mountain Burleun restaurant had undergone a massive upgrade - so much so that we had a very pleasant lunch there. So whilst there is not much new, there is a certain comfort in knowing that some places are perfect as they are.

The village looked stunning as we drove up in the morning. We parked with a handful of other cars directly at the ticket box/chairlift base. Low visibility and heavy snow falling meant we literally saw no one for the first hour. Such a fabulous feeling that you are skiing in your own private resort!

Whilst there was delightful powder on piste, we spent most of our time hunting out off-piste lines. Thankfully we didn’t have any snowboarders with us as they might have struggled at times in the deep snow in a few spots where the pitch ran out! Numerous beautiful first track runs were had all the way under main chairlift up to Alp Dado. After a few hours there was a short line up at this chair but only for a few minutes at most. It’s a good idea to try and avoid the mid-load on this chair.

Ending the day skiing all the way down via untracked off-piste through haybarns and then finally on a deserted piste trail right to the back of the car is always a joy and just makes me want to return again next season. You should too.

See our thoughts on the resort’s pros & cons via the Brigels overview page.

See our video here

Brigels is just like it's name, makes me smile.

Simple infrastructure - parked just near the access chair and it was puking snow. A little work pushing off the lift - made sure I put that in for my ski buddy as I almost went around the bull wheel and my dismount was embarrassing:-)

Little bit of work at times between lifts, but worth every bit of it. Not all lifts were running so lift tickets were discounted. Once we worked out which way was down, had an awesome time. Some good fall line, snow and scenery.

Finished off with a beautiful hut stop for lunch at Bergrestaurant Burleun before a quick wander through through the beautiful village. Stayed in nearby Ilanz which was convenient to Brigels and a whole lot of other ski areas with our rental car.
See our video here

Switzerland has everything when it comes to ski resorts. Mega to small, Brigels has the best bits of them all.

Only four chairlifts plus two T-Bars and beginner tows, Brigels ski resort has over 50km of trails, over 1300m of skiable vertical, a longest run of over 7km (feels a helluva lot longer!), freeride terrain everywhere, eye popping scenery, an authentic town with great accommodation near its base, friendly staff and guests, great food and quality terrain for everyone.

Did I mention no crowds, no lift lines & no competition for fresh tracks. In fact this is one of those ski resorts where every inch of the terrain can be skied. Reminds us of Grand Targhee in Wyoming (USA), but with hay barns & better bratwurst! You can also add in loads of winter walking and sledding trails for non-skiers.

We stayed art the Hotel Vincenz in Brigels. Arrived via the PostAuto bus from Tavanasa train station. The friendly bus driver did us a favour, extending his official route by a few hundred metres to drop us nearly at the door of the hotel. Set the tome for the whole stay. The room, dinner & breakfast were perfect. Skated across to the chair lift base at Pendicularas via a cross country trail in the morning, got lift pass & straight up the chair. Skied back to the hotel via the Pradas resort handle tow & a short home trail late in the afternoon. Fantastic.

Why wouldn't you ski a 'smaller' Swiss ski resort. Ski Brigels. We loved it.
See our video here