This route is dripping with history. Along the way, you pass two castles that once belonged to the Habsburg family, a monastery and a Roman amphitheatre.
And the march starts in the small town of Brugg, where the first point of interest, Königsfelden Monastery, is located nearby.
Königsfelden Monastery
To stimulate your imagination, I will mention that its walls were erected on the shed blood of one of the Habsburgs.
Well, on 1 May 1308, near Windisch, Duke Johann von Schwaben ambushed his uncle, King Albrecht I, and brutally murdered him. What drove the prince to such a ruthless act? Nothing more than the intrigues and tussles at the royal court and the young man’s unfulfilled ambitions. So a day like any other in the life of a prince.
The King’s widow, Elisabeth of Tyrol, wished to commemorate her late husband and financed the building of a convent of Poor Clares, known as Königsfelden Monastery. It was erected a short distance from where the murder took place.
The Queen died five years after those tragic events, at the age of about fifty. It was at Königsfelden monastery that she spent her last years.
Throughout the life of the monastery, i.e. until 1528, the nuns and monks commemorated the Habsburgs who had died. Indeed, it should be noted that there was also a small monastery of Franciscan brothers next to the Poor Clares’ convent.
In 1803, the Königsfelden monastery became the property of the newly established canton of Aargau, which used the old monastery buildings as a sanatorium and nursing home. In 1872, a new hospital building was opened, which is now a psychiatric clinic. The monastery church, on the other hand, became part of the Aargau Museum.
The oldest and largest amphitheatre in Switzerland
Continuing along the trail you pass the remains of the oldest and largest amphitheatre in Switzerland. It dates from the first half of the 1st century AD. It could seat around 11,000 spectators and had a total area of 111 x 99 metres. It is now open to the public.
As a matter of interest, the amphitheatre was mainly used by Roman legionaries who, after bloody battles, liked to amuse themselves by watching animal and gladiator fights. This entertainment became so popular that the amphitheatre became a standard feature of legionary camps. It was usually built next to the camp, not far from the military drill ground.
After leaving the residential areas located on the outskirts of the town, the route continues through the dense forest up to Habsburg Castle, located on a hilltop at 505 m above sea level.
The ancestral seat of the Habsburg dynasty
Of the former double fortress built at the turn of the 11th and 14th centuries, only the western castle has survived to the present day. Only ruins remain of the eastern part.
This castle was the ancestral seat of the Habsburg dynasty. It was here that the noble family grew in strength and began to rule the entire world empire in the late Middle Ages. I would like to mention that the founder of the Habsburgs is considered to be Count Radbot.
The Habsburgs only lived here for about two hundred years. At some point, the castle became too small and not representative enough for them. Therefore, the noble family left it between 1220 and 1230 and moved to the newly established village of Brugg. From then on, the chambers of the castle were occupied by servants.
With the conquest of the territories in Aargau by the Confederates in 1415, the Habsburgs finally lost their ancestral castle.
A restaurant and a museum have been located on the castle grounds for many years. In addition, the hill offers a sensational view of the surrounding area.
The next section of the route runs between farmland and further through the forest, leading to the second Wildegg Castle.
Wildegg Castle and the beautiful rose garden
It was built in the first half of the 13th century. From its walls, the guard defended the south-western Habsburg territories and controlled a very strategically important point on the river Aare.
The castle has changed owners many times. And since 2011 it has belonged to a foundation set up by the canton of Aargau, which is working on its restoration.
The castle grounds traditionally include a restaurant and museum, as well as gardens. The beautiful rose garden and a small bird house, which are located at the foot of the castle, are open to all free of charge.
The Habsburg estate trail ends at the railway station in Wildegg.
