Altstadt

Northwestern Switzerland


Jutting high above the Aare River, Aarau's walled Old Town makes for a pleasant wander. Its grid of streets is lined with gracious, centuries-old buildings, more than 70 of which have grand roofs hanging out over the streets, with their timber undersides gaily decorated.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northwestern Switzerland attractions

1. Aargauer Kunsthaus

0.2 MILES

To view centuries of Swiss art and regular temporary exhibitions, call by Aargau’s impressive house of fine arts, located about 250m south of the Altstadt…

2. Schloss Wildegg

6.24 MILES

Set amid a working farm with gardens and orchards, Schloss Wildegg crowns a green hilltop about 12km northeast of Aarau. Guests can wander at liberty…

3. Schloss Lenzburg

6.64 MILES

Dominating a leafy hilltop above Lenzburg village, 14km east of Aarau, this attractive castle houses three museums inside its tower and one-time dungeon:…

4. Schloss Habsburg

8.05 MILES

This vertical stone fortress, 13km west of Baden, wouldn't be out of place in Arthurian legend or a Monty Python sketch. Schloss Habsburg was built in…

5. Wasserschloss Hallwyl

8.52 MILES

About 20km south of Lenzburg is Wasserschloss Hallwyl, a ‘Water Castle’ so named because it's built in the middle of a river – a natural moat. It is, in…

6. Schweizer Kindermuseum

13.45 MILES

Occupying 20 rooms of a former mansion, this hands-on museum with a focus on educating kids about genealogy and generations past is a fun, free-for-all…

7. Stadtturm

13.56 MILES

This beautifully restored medieval tower is one of Switzerland's most impressive. You can only get inside as part of a city tour, conducted by Info Baden…

8. Altstadt

13.59 MILES

The Old Town is adorned by a fetching covered timber bridge (Holzbrücke), cobbled lanes and an assortment of step-gabled houses.