We started in Baden with the intention of walking to Brugg, which city is the conflux of three of Switzerland's major rivers: The Limmat, the Reuss, and the Aar. (The river continues as the Aar to flow into the Rhine River further North).
After passing the castle ruins above Baden, we discovered a look-out tower in the forest (a 38-m water tower with 172 steps) which we ascended for a rather hazy view into the mountains, but from up there we looked right down into a garden restaurant, where it turns out a lovely cool breeze was blowing. We decided to have lunch here and spend the vacation day watching the farmers mow their hay.
The walk to Brugg would have been a three-hour walk, but the last hour was through residential areas, and it was much too hot for that. So we cut the 12-km hike short after 8 km and descended into Turgi instead.
On the way to the tower we had passed several linden trees in full bloom, and remembered that the oldest linden tree in Switzerland (800 years) was near here, so instead of that extra hour of walking in the heat, we hopped a bus in Brugg and got an air-conditioned tour of the lovely pasture land on Mount Bözberg, a 30-minute ride with last stop at THE tree. Only problem was the bus driver told us he could not wait as he had to do the return trip right away. After a bit of begging, he gave me enough time to hop out of the bus and take three photos.... The alternative? Waiting another hour for the next bus. Sure the tree gave shade, but a whole hour was too long to wait...
INTERESTING NOTES: My Dad when he was young used to work at ABB in Baden. Also, my forefathers are from this area.
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| Old city tower in Baden |
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| City tower seen from the castle ruins |
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| Old town Baden from the Castle Ruins |
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| Ruins of Castle Stein |
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| The day has only just started getting hot |
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| Along the way to the forest we passed a couple of large, sweet-smelling, in-full-bloom Linden Trees. It gave us the idea to hop a bus in Brugg to go to Linn to see the oldest Linden Tree in Switzerland |
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| We came across this 38-m water tower quite unexpectedly. |
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| Urs climbing the 38-m water Baldegg tower. It was very cool inside as the top part had solid concrete walls |
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| The 360 degree view from up here was fantastic. All the way to the Jura mountains and to the Alps in the South, although it was quite hazy to the South. Below is the little garden restaurant we ended up eating lunch at. |
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| There was a lovely cool breeze blowing at this shady spot, so we decided to stay a while and have some lunch. |
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| We were a little too early for lunch so had refreshments first. At 11:15 we could order. From here we could watch the farmer mowing his fields below |
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| They had a very nice salad buffet |
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| The rest of our hike to the Gebenstorfer Horn was through cool forests. But here before our descent to Turgi, there were lots of mosquitoes, so we didn't stay long. |
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| From the Gebenstorfer Horn you get a view of the Limmat River flowing into the Aar. Slightly to the left, the Reuss also flows into the Aar. In German this is called a "Wasserschloss". |
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| On our bus ride on Mount Bözberg (we were the only people in the bus!) we passed a town called "Ursprung" which means "Origin". I thought it was funny. |
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| This town is called "Kirchbözberg", which means "Church Bözberg" and really only consisted of these three buildings! |
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| Near the town of Linn stands the oldest Linden Tree in Switzerland. It is estimated to be about 800 years old. The bus driver agreed to let me out to photograph it before we took the same bus back to Brugg. |
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| Approaching old town Brugg on the way back by bus |
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| Crossing the Aar River into Brugg. From here we took the train back home. |
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| Our walk from Baden to Turgi was only 8 km, rather short for us. But with this heat it was much more pleasant to sit in the garden restaurant at Baldegg, and then take the bus to Linn, instead of walking through the residential area of Gebenstorf and Brugg. |
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