To the Ancestral Seat of one of Europe's Most Powerful Families

March 29, 2017 -- Spring is popping here, you can literally watch the leaves unfold! That's what we experienced on this Wednesday's hike through the gentle landscape of Canton Aargau in the North, a landscape familiar to me as I lived in this area for a little over a year some eons ago....

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. 

The approach to Habsburg Castle

The "Rear Castle", what still remains of the original ancestral home of the powerful Habsburg Family.

From the large tower, this view is over the ruins of the front castle, and the village of Habsburg

View from the large tower at the rear castle, dating approx. 13th century.

A tree full of Eurasian Jackdaws

Eurasian Jackdaws, a member of the crow family

View South to the Aar River. Wildegg Castle is over the hill on the left.

Habsburg Castle

Forests are full of Bear Garlic.

About halfway on our tour there is a look-out point on the Aar River

Lookout Point above the Aar River

Aar River with yet another castle on the opposite bank.

The leaves have just popped!

A superb sample of a bug hotel.

Old farm buildings belonging to the Wildegg Castle Holdings

Wildegg Castle, founded by the Habsburg Family in the early 13th Century.

The Castle Grounds are open to tourists on April 1st....

Wildegg Castle, built in the early 13th Century

Magnolias are in full bloom right now, though unfortunately never for long

12-km walk from Brugg to Wildegg

Through the Vineyards of Canton Zurich

March 25, 2017 -- There is an interesting convolution of country borders in the Northern part of Switzerland where the Rhine River mostly marks the boundary between Switzerland and Germany.  In the area near Schaffhausen there are land projections of Germany within Switzerland or maybe Switzerland within Germany, so sometimes you are unsure in which country you might happen to be!

We walked a 14-km trail called "The Living Wine Trail" in an area called Rafzerfeld, where the five villages of Rafz, Wil, Hüntwangen, Wasterkingen and Eglisau are the only communities in Canton Zurich which lie North of the Rhine River. This area, like the Klettgau Region of Schaffhausen slightly further to the North, seems to be ideal for growing grapes for wine production, as evidenced by the well-groomed vineyards we walked through. 

The villages in this area are composed of beautiful old half-timbered homes, some dating back from the early 1600's and still very well kept. 

Hüntwangen is also home to one of the world's leading suppliers of cement and aggregates, and there are several gravel pits in the area. Switzerland has strict regulations for this kind of excavation: After removing what is needed from the ground, the company is required to rehabilitate the land in some way. The results are some wonderful marshes, bird sanctuaries, and in this case even more vineyards.

And lastly, as we approached our destination -- the charming little town of Eglisau on the Rhine -- we crossed under the magnificent train viaduct, my first time seeing this from below after many crossings above the Rhine on previous trips to the Rhine Falls North of this area. 

The train crosses the viaduct over the Rhine River at Eglisau on the way to our starting point of Rafz. The village of Eglisau beyond the bridge is the goal of our hike.

We started in Rafz and walked 14 km to Eglisau

The charming red half-timbered homes of Rafz

The charming red half-timbered homes of Rafz

The charming red half-timbered homes of Rafz

The charming red half-timbered homes of Rafz

From Rafz we head to the next village called Wil. This is a look back toward Rafz to the North

The vineyards of the Zurich Wine Cellars (Zurich Staatskellerei)

Well-groomed vineyards of the Rafzerfeld area of Switzerland

Well-groomed vineyards of the Rafzerfeld area of Switzerland

An old wine press

Picnic time with a view over the vineyards of Rafzerfeld

There are many such Red Kites in the agricultural areas of Switzerland.

Spring is definitely here!

Swiss farmers contribute to biodiversity by setting up piles of rocks and branches as hiding places and nesting places for lizards, hedgehogs, snakes and other small reptiles. These efforts are monitored regularly and graded according to a very strict points system. (IP-Suisse)

We have just passed through the second charming village of Wil.

Entering the third village of Hüntwangen

Another charming village, Hüntwangen

Cormorants in the refurbished landscape

From Hüntwangen we walk through the gravel pit properties. The company is required to refurbish the land with marshes or return it to agriculture.

And then we reach the Rhine River, with the fabulous train viaduct in Eglisau.

The fantastic railway viaduct across the Rhine River at Eglisau.

The fantastic railway viaduct across the Rhine River at Eglisau.

The fantastic railway viaduct across the Rhine River at Eglisau.

The fantastic railway viaduct across the Rhine River at Eglisau.

The fantastic railway viaduct across the Rhine River at Eglisau.

Before heading home, we wander the three roads of Eglisau's older core.

At the church square in Eglisau

Unusual gutter drains...

Walking through the old streets of Eglisau on the Rhine River.

That rope on the left, maybe that's where Rapuzel lives?

Walking through the old streets of Eglisau on the Rhine River.

Eglisau on the Rhine River

Eglisau on the Rhine River

Last look at the Railway Viaduct before heading to the train station on the South side of the Rhine.

Convolution of country borders. Rafzerfeld is the only part of Canton Zurich North of the Rhine River.