Brilon (German pronunciation: [ˈbʁiːlɔn]; Westphalian: Brailen) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, central Germany, that belongs to the Hochsauerlandkreis.

After the local government reforms of 1975 Brilon consists of 17 districts: (Source of population figures: www.briloner-wirtschaft.de / As at: 31 December 2004) The first documentary reference occurs in a deed of the Emperor Otto II dated 973, confirming to the Cathedral of Magdeburg all those possessions in Westphalia given to it by his father, including the Villa Brilon.

The Brilon estate passed later by exchange to the Archbishops of Paderborn, who endowed their steward ("Vogt") with it.

Thereafter Brilon developed under the rulership of the Prince-Bishops of Cologne into a thriving town of c 3,000 inhabitants with an active trading and mining life and far-reaching business connections.

In 1655, after three years of negotiations between the town magistrate and the Minorites resident in Brilon, the Gymnasium Petrinum[1] was founded as a monastery school.

The construction of traffic connections and various municipal measures brought about a strong development of crafts and trade.

But on 10 January 1944 there came an attack by American bombers which destroyed whole streets, particularly Hoppecker Straße and Derkere Mauer.

From Brilon heading westwards, approx 30 minutes away on the Bundesstraße B 7 is the motorway A 46 at Bestwig, in the direction of the Ruhrgebiet.

The regional daily newspaper is the Westfalenpost, with a local edition for Brilon and the Hochsauerland district.

In Brilon is the start of the 184 km long newly opened ramblers' trail across the Rothaar Mountains, the Rothaarsteig.