This was an easy 12 km hike, only lightly up and down, through forests and meadows, in the morning the trees glowing with just the lightest hint of green, and by afternoon the leaves unfolded. How lucky and blessed we are to experience this up close!
The main goal of our hike was to walk to two of the many castles and fortresses in this area. Habsburg Castle near Brugg was the ancestral seat of the global dynasty of the Habsburgs, one of Europe's most powerful families for hundreds of years: "An Empire on which the Sun Never Sets" has been said of them. The front castle, built in 1020, is now just a series of ruined walls, whereas the back castle still stands (now a restaurant and dining rooms that can be rented for events). Although the Habsburg family was successful in expanding their territories all over Europe, they lost most of their holdings in their home territory of Switzerland to the Swiss in the wars of 1386, 1415 and 1460.
From here we continued on to the castle at Wildegg, a beautiful building with extensive grounds including vineyards and rose gardens, also founded by the Habsburg family in the earlier part of the 13th Century because of its strategic position above the river Aar. But this one (like the Kyburg Castle we went to see a couple of weeks earlier) is also only open to the public on April 1st. No matter, the roses aren't blooming yet anyway.
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| The approach to Habsburg Castle |
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| The "Rear Castle", what still remains of the original ancestral home of the powerful Habsburg Family. |
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| From the large tower, this view is over the ruins of the front castle, and the village of Habsburg |
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| View from the large tower at the rear castle, dating approx. 13th century. |
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| A tree full of Eurasian Jackdaws |
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| Eurasian Jackdaws, a member of the crow family |
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| View South to the Aar River. Wildegg Castle is over the hill on the left. |
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| Habsburg Castle |
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| Forests are full of Bear Garlic. |
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| About halfway on our tour there is a look-out point on the Aar River |
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| Lookout Point above the Aar River |
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| Aar River with yet another castle on the opposite bank. |
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| The leaves have just popped! |
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| A superb sample of a bug hotel. |
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| Old farm buildings belonging to the Wildegg Castle Holdings |
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| Wildegg Castle, founded by the Habsburg Family in the early 13th Century. |
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| The Castle Grounds are open to tourists on April 1st.... |
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| Wildegg Castle, built in the early 13th Century |
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| Magnolias are in full bloom right now, though unfortunately never for long |
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| 12-km walk from Brugg to Wildegg |
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