The village stands on a terrace overlooking the Surselva region. Thanks to the Kisten pass, it once had important trade links with Canton Glarus.

The name Brigels is of Celtic origin and means ‘small tower’. The name refers to the hill of Crest s. Sievi above the village, on which there are the remains of a small fortress and the chapel of St Eusebius (s. Sievi) from the early Middle Ages. The name Bregl or Breil may derive from ‘brogilos’ (bushes, undergrowth).

Breil/Brigels, together with the Dardin and Danis-Tavanasa factions, has always belonged to the Disentis monastery and the Cadi (Disentis) circle. To the east of the village, on the ridge from Marmarola, is a ruin, probably the monastery dairy, which burnt down in 1496. The parish church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary dates back to the early Middle Ages and is mentioned in a document from 1185 as belonging to the Disentis monastery.

In 1536, new settlers, the so-called ‘Libers da Laax’ (the free people of Laax), were integrated into the high court of the Cadi. The opening of the road from Waltensburg/Vuorz to Breil/Brigels in 1870 gave a boost to summer tourism, which had begun in the 1850s.

Although the hamlets Breil/Brigels, Dardin and Danis-Tavanasa had maintained close cooperation and good relations since time immemorial, it took many years to agree on a common municipal constitution. In 1911, the forest area of Uaul dil Scatlè and in 1999, Val Frisal were placed under protection. Thanks to the development of the ski area and the emerging winter tourism, Breil/Brigels has never suffered from a population decline.