Aargauer Trail from Salhöhe to Wittnau, then Bad Säckingen in Germany

Wednesday July 17, 2024 -- After our two-day trip with five hours of walking each day, we took a break on Tuesday (rainy day). But on Wednesday we did want to go walking again, just not another 5-hour hike! The weather was best in the Central Plateau (toward late morning only), i.e. around the Jura Mountains and the Rhine River on the German border, so we figured we'd do a relatively short hike this time of only about 8 km, walking the final section which was still missing for completing the regional themed trail called "Aargauerweg", a 105-km trail which runs through the entire Canton of Aargau. 

We started at a pass called Salhöhe and walked northwards to Wittnau in the Frick Valley, a small town where we had started another section of this trail back in April of 2023 (those photos are HERE). As it turns out, a large part of the walk was on paved roads, and I wasn't unhappy that the sky became overcast. In retrospect, this might have been a walk better saved for fall or a nice winter day. In any case, since we weren't too far from the German border, the plan was to then take the train to the town of Stein on the Swiss side of the Rhine River, where we can cross the river into Germany, buy some things we needed from a drugstore there, eat some gelato, and return across the wooden covered bridge--at 203.7 meters the longest roofed wooden in Europe--back into Switzerland. This was the third time we were here, with photos of our previous trip HERE. 

Crossing the Aare River by bus from the town of Aarau, heading up into the hills north of the city. This is a power plant on the river.

An old restaurant on the north side of the river. 

Starting at the Salhöhe Pass in the Jura hills above Aarau at 10:45, this was going to be a short hike (less than 2½ hours) north to Wittnau along Trail no.42. Then we would take the bus and train to Stein-Säckingen, which is on the Swiss side of the Rhine River, and walk across the bridge to Bad-Säckingen, which is on the German side of the river.  Trail no.5 "Jura High Trail" runs east to west along the Jura Crest here. 

View to the northeast from the Jura Crest at Salhöhe Pass

We started at 10:45 at Salhöhe, and reached Wittnau at 13:40 for the bus to Frick. The pass is located along Route no.5: "Jura Crest Trail" and right on the border of Cantons Aargau and Solothurn. For a large part we walked along that canton border.

The obligatory cow photo. These ones had an interesting brown and white colouring. 

The pass road descending on our west to the town of Kienberg, Canton Solothurn. 

There was this unusual field of blue flowers in the middle of a clearing. 

A good place to stop for our picnic lunch at 11:30. We stayed here about 15 minutes. 

View of the field of blue flowers from our picnic spot. 

A lot of our walk was through bushes and forested areas, not bad on a hot day. 

A border stone marking the border of Canton Aargau on the east and Canton Solothurn on the west. 

The look-out point at Burg. We got here shortly after noon, with another 90 minutes left to walk to Wittnau. 

The view over the countryside to the north, in the direction of Germany. We ended up crossing that large upper plateau of farmland (in the red circle) before descending to Wittnau. 

Nice cool forest trail

There were also some lovely sections once again through very tall meadow grasses with loads of very pretty flowers. 

A single tree in the forest with this unusual "fruit". An Internet search later reveals this to be a Black Walnut, different than the regular walnuts. 

A long wide forest road through the Lammetholz forest before reaching the wide open plateau. 

A very good use of this roof area for solar panels! More and more farms are doing this. 

Final stretch before reaching the forest at the back right (descent to Wittnau), and we were very glad that the sun was hidden by clouds at this point, because it was VERY hot!

Everywhere we encounter damage in the forests due to storms. 

Final stretch down to Wittnau now, with a view of the hillside we ascended the last time we were here in April 2023. 

Wittnau, the end of our day's hike. 

Passing a pretty house as we head to the bus stop in Wittnau. 

We have now completed the entire themed trail called "Aargauerweg" or "Aargau Trail", which passes from Frick to Muri, a large part along the Aare and Reuss Rivers. (There is an exception from Wittnau to Frick as we started wrong at the time. But basically we've covered it all). 

After a 30-minute trip with bus to Frick and then by train to Stein-Säckingen railway station, we walked across the Fridolin's bridge over the Rhine River, which forms the border of Switzerland and Germany. On the German side we walked to the castle grounds in Bad-Säckingen, then to the drugstore to get some supplies, had another quick look inside the lavish Baroque Church of St.Fridolin, bought some gelato at a small shop we had been to twice before, and then returned to the Swiss side via the old wooden bridge, which is actually the longest covered bridge in Europe.  (Here are the photos of our most recent trip here in September 2019)

Crossing the Fridolin's bridge over the Rhine River, with view of the double-towers of the St.Fridolinsmünster in Bad Säckingen, and the tower called Diebsturm. You can also just see part of the wooden bridge here.

A statue of Fridolin of Säckingen on the Fridolin Bridge. Fridolin was a traveling monk with Irish background, active some time in the 6th Century, and having founded several churches in the Germanic region (he is also the patron saint of Canton Glarus). He founded the church here, which has its history documented from about the 7th Century. 

The wooden bridge across the Rhine River here is the longest covered bridge in Europe. The border between Switzerland and Germany runs right along the center of the river here. 

This is the little walk we did from Stein-Säckingen train station, across the Fridolin Bridge, through old town Bad Säckingen in Germany and back across the wooden covered bridge to catch the bus at the Novartis Pharma complex. 

Walking along the German side of the river, a nice view of the covered bridge. The original bridge was mentioned in annals of 1272, but was detroyed several times by fire and flood. This most recent rebuild is from 1799.

Entering the castle grounds at the very cool Diebsturm (Thief's Tower), was part of the renovated city wall in 1272. in 1600 it was integrated into the Schönau Castle complex. It was rebuilt into this neo-Gothic style in 1864. 

The Schönau Castle in Bad-Säckingen is actually a large villa built in 1600 on the site of a previously moated castle. It suffered a lot of damage in the 30-year war (1618 to 1648) and a town fire of 1678. It was renoved in 1908 and belongs to the city. 

Details of the castle grounds, a very pretty public park. 

This is called the "Fountain of Fools". We saw another one like this in Konstanz, Germany. 

The twin towers of the Fridolin Minster

The square in front of the very large Minster. We have been here before (September 2019), but wanted to have another quick look. As with many such churches, parts of previous buildings that had been burned or otherwise damaged have been found to have been integrated into this building, dating as far back at the 10th Century. 

Lavish Baroque interior. 

Lavish Baroque interior

Additional details of the Fridolinsmünster. 

VIDEO:

There was an organ practice going on in the church this day, very loud and very unharmonious. I felt I had to make a recording!

Main plan of the day, enjoy some Italian Gelato in Germany, in a small café we discovered on our first trip here. (In retrospect, this time we noticed another, larger Gelateria slightly further north in the old town, with many more flavour options. So this means we will have to visit yet again!)

View from the wooden covered bridge toward the Fridolin's Bridge which we crossed earlier. The Rhine River has a lot of water right now. 

(Notes from my last trip across this bridge: The original bridge here was mentioned in 1272 in the Annals of Colmar, was destroyed due to flooding in 1343. Rebuilt several times due to destruction by additional flooding and fire. Construction was paid for by tolls imposed to cross the bridge. 1799 was the most recent rebuild of the bridge. The bridge is 203.7m long.)

The customs office on the Swiss side, right at the entrance of the wooden bridge. 

Location of the Frick Valley and Bad-Säckingen in the northern part of Switzerland.