On the Aargauer Trail from Baden to Mellingen

Thursday May 18, 2023 -- A holiday here in Switzerland and still no weather nice enough to do some great hiking in the mountains.

But we want to take the opportunity to walk anyway, so we did our 10 kilometers nearby in Canton Aargau, on a small section of the Regional Trail no.42: "Aargauerweg" which we still needed to complete to join two other sections. We started in the city of Baden, which is only an hour from where we live, and walked via a small mountain and a couple of towns and farms to the Reuss River at Mellingen. 

Nothing particularly interesting along the way, but we did have sunshine for the first hour of the 3 hours we were out, and the walk through the Tüfels-Chäller forest ("Devil's Cellar", I don't know why...) was relaxing. 

We didn't spend a lot of time in Mellingen, a very pretty medieval village on the Reuss River, because I had been here twice before. Our photos from the February 2020 hike along the Reuss River starting in Mellingen can be viewed HERE.

Baden has a very nice castle ruins which we didn't go up to this time, because we hiked past there on a much nicer day in July 2019 (photos are HERE)

We started early in Baden (9:20) because the forecast was for overcast skies by noon. This is Baden's castle ruins as seen from the train station. (Fotos when we walked up to the ruins can be viewed HERE)

Entering old town Baden by the north tower gate

North tower Baden. So nice to have blue skies. Unfortunately this did not last long!

Heading south through the alleyways

This house "Zum Strauss" has been here since 1487, but obviously renovated...

Castle tower advertising the upcoming Blues Festival in Baden

Following "Trail no.42: Aargauerweg" to Mellingen. When we did the other section in 2019, it was to the Gebenstorfer Horn, also part of "Trail no.5: Jura Crest Trail"

This was a "short" hike for us, only 10 kilometers, 2.5 hours. There wasn't much exciting to see. The Forest at the "Devil's Cellar" was pleasant. We got to Mellingen at 12:30.

The "Teufels Keller" (Devil's Cellar) Forest is a natural reserve, where no work is done on clearing the forest. Everything is left here to proceed in a natural way. 

It was pleasant walking through the forest here. A bit of sunshine, and lots of moss-covered trees. 

The forest here is left to nature

After leaving the "Devil's Cellar", the forest floor was much cleaner!!!

A tiny European Robin (Rotkehlchen), much smaller than the North American Robins. 

After descending along the west side of the "mountain", we passed through a community called Fislisbach. 

Next to this house with a private pond is a corner of forest with picnic tables and a place to make a campfire. We wanted to do our lunch break there, but a large group of very noisy adults had already appropriated the place!

We then continued on past a farm that had a farm-shop, and we thought maybe there would be a bench here we could sit on. There was not, but we bought cheese!

A cute poster in the farm shop:  "Swiss Milk, Naturally Strong". 

The farm where we bought the cheese.

The next community to the south is called Nieder- and Ober-Rohrdorf

I've never seen corn planted like this. When the stalks are strong enough, they pierce the plastic and emerge!

We finally found a bench for our picnic lunch, but we thought we had landed in the wrong country!

A hollow "Moai" make of plaster. This one doesn't weigh 14 tons!

Crossing the bridge into Mellingen at 12:26. We had 13 minutes before the bus came, enough time to walk down Main Street. The town has roots that go back to the 11th Century. 

The water level is very high on the Reuss River here, and moving fast. 

Main street in Mellingen, with a very nice clock tower on the west side.

Side road to the church and castle

Some pretty wall decorations

Looks like a flying duck got into my photo!

Date above the church door: 1675. I didn't go inside this time. 

This little castle was originally owned by servants (butlers) of the House of Kyburg from the early 14th Century to the 16th Century. It was rebuilt in 1575 and renovated in 1968

A look across the river as the bus heads uphill on the other side.