TIME TRAVEL En Route to Historic Hotels in Switzerland

TIME TRAVEL En route to historic hotels in Switzerland

Authors: Ursula Bauer and Jürg Frischknecht | Photos: Andrea Badrutt TIME TRAVEL En route to historic hotels in Switzerland

Authors: Ursula Bauer and Jürg Frischknecht | Photos: Andrea Badrutt Time Travel I From the Rhine Falls to the Jungfrau A roaring beginning and a red carpet ending. Water accompanies us from the Rhine Falls to the Jungfrau ice.

From Eglisau to Kleine Scheidegg

Day one: ney than with the thundering Rhine Falls. The yellow from the Rhine Falls to Eglisau excursion boats dance across the water like water fleas as they make their way toward the rocks which “Children, this sight defies description.” Sophie von La divide the water and are topped by a viewing plat- Roche then does her best to describe it anyway, a stop form. Japanese, German and Dutch groups stand near on her 1784 Swiss travels. “The glorious river tumbles the Schlössli Wörth waiting to ride across the waves. against two rocks, which stand in the middle, with the From Schaffhausen, it is about an hour’s walk along rapidity and with the energy and drive of the pursuing the right bank of the Rhine to the little castle. Then, waters. Pushing against each other, sideways and the Rhine is at its greenest, green-blue, with the deep backwards, the water foams up like whirling clouds green of the forests on either side, as you follow the driven by a storm, roiling and plunging into the abyss. river to Eglisau. On Sundays an excursion boat makes The Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest falls My pen cannot write a better description.” Goethe, the trip in three hours. von La Roche’s friend, laconically opined: “This natu- Even here, the Rhine has not been left entirely on its

Stand-up paddlers ral phenomenon will be painted and described quite own. Power plants built after World War I have disci- on the Rhine often enough.” What better way to start a Swiss jour- plined the river. The former abbey island of Rheinau, located at a sharp bend in the river, has seen its ca- reer as a psychiatric clinic fade and now looks for- ward to a future as an island for cultural events. The path continues to be idyllic; German soil and Swiss furrows are unconcerned about the confusing border- lines. Hidden amongst the woods, old cement bunkers doze. On the left, the Thur and Töss rivers add to the flowing water. Then, the Rüdlingen and Eglisau vineyards on the steep sunny slopes come into view. “We saw our first Swiss cows with their cowherds at rest in a lovely spruce forest, when we stopped to have lunch at the Gasthof zum Hirsch. We sat in a very clean room with a view of the Rhine and of the lovely gardens planted on both riverbanks.” We leave Sophie von La Roche now headed to Zurich (where she, like all those on an educational trip at that time, intends to visit Johann Caspar Lavater). She will com- plain about the rough road.

10 Rheinau, the former abbey

Bend in the Rhine at Rheinau

Eglisau

Eglisau: for centuries, bridgehead and chokepoint for ing out on Untergass and its front windows onto the Coming home? everything that was on the road from Germany to Rhine. Or vice-versa, as the view of the town used to They swam thousands of kilometers from the sea up the rivers to the spawning grounds Zurich and central Switzerland. Also the place for re- be considered the more prestigious one. With con- in the waters of their youth: up the Thur into Toggenburg, up the Aare, Limmat and Reuss to loading one of the most valuable goods of its time, struction of the Rheinsfelden power plant (no, not Meiringen, Walensee and Erstfeld, even leaping over waterfalls. But salmon never mastered salt from Tyrol and Bavaria. The Zurich bailiff sat at the Rhine Falls. Salmon began life in the cool mountain waters, to which they returned after Schloss Eglisau. Salomon Landolt was the last to serve a brief side-trip to the sea. In the spring the young fish, known as smolt, swam up the Rhine, here, as the bailiwick was eliminated in 1798. Very Reasons to linger in Eglisau followed by the sexually mature salmon in the fall. This cleverest of all game fish can grow to sensibly, the unused building served later generations Vivi or wine? Vivi Kola, once Eglisau’s most famous be 150 cm long and weigh up to 35 kg. The stronghold of salmon fishing was Laufenburg. as a quarry. product, can be sampled in the café of the same name on Up in Eglisau the ‘Lächset’, autumn salmon fishing, brought in the largest catch – until multiple The boat docks at what was Eglisau’s center for Untergass. If you prefer your sugar fermented, you can power dams and polluted waters ended salmon migration. The last salmon was caught near centuries, with the salt warehouse and the Rhine hike along the trail through the vineyards. The cellar of a Ellikon a century ago. There may be life in the old fish yet. In 2009, a salmon reappeared in bridge (both now demolished), with the church and well-known vintner is open on Saturdays: www.weingut- Basel, and in 2012, two of them were spotted in a new fish ladder in Rheinfelden. the Hirschen, now looking better than ever. The old pircher.ch

inn was reawakened by textiles entrepreneur Werner Ortsmuseum What role did the salt trade play in Eglisau? Dubno, who has a passion for restoring historic build- How were salmon fished? For the answers, you can visit ings. Time travel indeed, even from room to room. the local museum on the first Sunday afternoon of the From Stag Leap to the Swallow’s Nest (you can actu- month; google: eglisau ortsmuseum ally see the nests under the roof of the house on the Fancy the modern age? The train to Schaffhausen takes opposite side of the street), from the Belle Époque less than half an hour. The Museum zu Allerheiligen has a Suite to the Festival Suite, an Early Baroque feast for fine collection of modern art; www.allerheiligen.ch the eyes on the top floor with its rear windows look-

12 13 Rheinfelden, which lies 50 kilometers downriver) in Day two: 1919, the Rhine level in Eglisau rose 8 meters. The old from Eglisau to Basel wooden bridge and the lowest row of houses were Hot springs and salt – may heaven preserve them sacrificed in the name of progress. Since that time, From Rheinfelden on, we return to our water route – Salt was essential. It was necessary for survival. Salt was needed for livestock, for preserving the Hirschen has stood directly on the water, enabling having briefly detoured to the train. Since boats no meat, fish and vegetables and for making cheese. A pinch of salt in soup and bread was also you, if you wish, to slowly float from the little wood- longer travel directly from Eglisau to Rheinfelden, we indispensable. A salt shortage meant starvation. Whoever had salt had power. In 1836, after en public baths to the inn. took the Swiss S-Bahn to Waldshut and then the Ger- 16 years of expensive drilling over half of Switzerland, engineer Glenck discovered a major salt A Vivi Kola (Eglisau’s answer to Coca Cola) for an man train (DB) to Rheinfelden. (This little spa on the seam in Schweizerhalle. A coup for young Switzerland. Bern and its neighbors would no longer aperitif? Or would you prefer a glass of Pinot Gris Swiss side of the Rhine offers saltwater baths.) We have to depend on salt from the French salines, while Zurich and Eastern Switzerland would no from the nearby vineyards? The fish will taste deli- glide on towards Basel. First, we are stuck in the Augst longer need salt from Tyrol and Bavaria. Salt consumption per person was around 9–13 kg, cious whether enjoyed outdoors near the river, in the locks, then we bob up and down in the Birsfelden depending on agricultural needs. It was no wonder then that they eagerly kept drilling along bistro’s winter garden or at the Hirschen’s gourmet locks. In front of us, a Rotterdam freighter is waiting the Rhine. In 1955, there was more reason for rejoicing. Another hot item had been found. Sign of the Gasthof Hirschen restaurant. A feast for all of the senses. The Rhine flows to continue its journey, while a Belgian flag turns up Thermal springs, also a gold mine. The hunger for salt gave birth to the Zurzach spa. languidly by, a filigree railroad viaduct is stamped on behind us. Here the Rhine opens up into a large river, Train viaduct over the Rhine the sky. with river power stations providing a potent backdrop.

Eglisau (ZH), structural fabric are largely intact. Today the main Romantik Hotel Gasthof Hirschen *** building houses the restaurant and guest rooms, while www.hirschen-eglisau.ch a bistro, a lounge and additional apartments are located in the attached western section. During a 1974 The first documentary evidence of the Hirschen in renovation restorers discovered paintings on the fa- Eglisau dates back to 1523. The largest secular build- çade, which they were able to bring back to life with ing in this medieval town lies directly on the Rhine, the help of the cantonal office for the preservation of integrated into the lowest row of houses on the river. historic buildings and monuments. They are among Over the centuries, the building has been renovated the most significant façade paintings in the Canton of and expanded several times, but its structure and Zurich and give the building a special place in the historic townscape. Following a change in owners, the new proprietors decided on a comprehensive renovation of the building. Between 2003 and 2007, the interior and façades were carefully renovated and restored. Original fur- nishings were returned to their historic locations within the building and period elements from else- where incorporated into the historical context. At the same time, the new owner furnished the hotel with an impressive collection of valuable furniture. Mod- ern touches have been skillfully integrated. In 2009, Icomos named the Hirschen Historic Hotel of the Year. It has been a member of Swiss Historic Hotels since 2008. (RF)

14 15 In the distance, the cranes of the Rhine harbor tickle hotel is owned by a Basel foundation which promotes filmed at the Krafft. The hotel bar is on Rheingasse in the summer clouds. Soon, there is a golden glow from housing and jobs for the socially disadvantaged. the inconspicuous hotel annex. The former Consum or the other, Kleinbasel bank: Hotel Krafft. A city hotel The dining room, large and busy even on a normal grocery store is now an in place to meet, where you could not ask for a better location, a worthier vis-à-vis weekday, discreetly calls to mind the Belle Époque. can sit (or stand) with a glass of prosecco, white or would also be hard to find: the old town with the ca- But historic does not necessarily mean Belle Époque. red wine, enjoy some canapés and chat. The Schwar- thedral and the former seat of the centuries-old uni- Stripping away layers to bring back the old is the mot- zer Bären, where Mr. Krafft worked before opening his versity. While at the back sits Kleinbasel, the world of to here. The Krafft guest rooms, designed with this in own hotel on the Rhine promenade in 1873, is just a the worker and pub-goer. Between the hotel and the mind, are furnished with chairs, tables and lamps dat- few steps away. Rhine, people stroll in the shade of the trees. And jog, ing back to the heyday of Swiss furniture design. have a coffee or an aperitif. In summer the swimmers Return to modern times in the attic, where Hermann float by, in winter fog steams up from the water. Franz Hesse once worked on his Steppenwolf and where his Xaver Leonhardt, the manager of the almost century- wife Ruth Wenger and parrot lived. It was not just the and-a-half-old Krafft hotel, wrote in a childhood es- Hesses’ relationship which would offer fodder to the say that he wanted to have a hotel on the water. The film industry; much later parts ofSteppenwolf were

tel was taken under the wings of the Edith Maryon Foundation at the initiative of its current leaseholder. With the support of the office for the preservation of historic buildings and monuments, the historic hotel was skillfully renovated over the next few years. The renovation’s main aim was to leave the checkered history of the hotel visible rather than introducing a uni- Rheinsprung, leading to form style. Reasons to linger in Basel the Basel cathedral Since then, Swiss ‘Typenmöbel’ from the 20th century have provided the hotel with an unmistakable atmo- City tour on your own with tram 15 (round trip, via Bru- Krafft Restaurant derholz), board at the Mittlere Brücke (tram stop Basel sphere. The hotel’s designation as Historic Hotel of the Schifflände). Year 2007 was a logical consequence of this careful Basel, Mittlere Brücke S Harbor circuit by boat On workdays from Basel Schiff Basel (BS), Hotel Krafft Basel *** renovation, carried out with much cultural-historical lände round trips to the Rhine harbor [3701]. Or take tram www.krafftbasel.ch professionalism. The Icomos jury also noted the con- 8 to Basel Kleinhüningen, then walk to the harbor to the Rostiger Anker restaurant; www.rostigeranker.ch temporary touches added with fresh creativity and Staircase at Hotel Krafft In 1872, Ernst Krafft replaced three medieval artisans’ particularly the enthusiasm with which the current Fondation Beyeler A must for those interested in art houses on the Kleinbasel banks of the Rhine with a managers have brightened up and brought back to life and architecture. Take tram 2 to Badischer Bahnhof (Ger- new hotel. Over the years the four-story hotel, seven this historic city hotel. This success apparently inspired man train station), then take tram 6 to the Fondation Beyeler; www.fondationbeyeler.ch. Afterwards, walk along window-axes wide, with its prime location on the the owners to subsequently take over the neighboring the Wiesen river towards the city – as far as you like. Rhine and a view of the cathedral hill had its share of building at Rheingasse 19, location of Kleinbasel’s first Vitra Design Museum Weil am Rhein The museum famous visitors. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962) wrote Consum store. In 2009, they opened the annex, again for industrial furniture design – particularly interesting much of Steppenwolf here. After a lean period in the very professionally renovated. Modern guest rooms for Krafft guests. Take bus 55 from Basel Claraplatz or 20th century, during which old hotels were no longer are on the top floors while a popular bar occupies the from Badischer Bahnhof (German train station) to Vitra, held in high regard, the Krafft was renovated and ex- main floor. The Krafft has been a member ofSwiss see www.design-museum.de panded in 1958. Following another standstill, the ho- Historic Hotels since 2005. (RF) Other museums www.basel.com > Kunst & Kultur > Museen

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Day three: from Basel to Solothurn

View from the Basel cathedral It’s just a few steps to the ferry that connects the to the Wettstein Bridge Hotel Krafft with the cathedral; the ferryman turns out to be a ferrywoman. Those at their best in the morning may want to climb the 111 steps to the top of the cathedral tower, while those who are less fit may prefer to walk directly to the train station. Large murals from the 1920s display some highlights of Switzerland to travelers arriving in the main con- course; the white of the Margna glacier in a picture entitled “Lake Sils, Engadine/Graubünden” glitters above us. This glacier has disappeared. If current con- ditions continue, the glaciers on the other murals will also melt away in this century. Sissach, Läufelfingen, Hauenstein: the heart of the Baselland countryside, the gentle Jura hills, capped by light-colored limestone rock. This is where railway history was made with construction of the upper Hauenstein tunnel. No one had ever drilled through an entire mountain range in Switzerland before, and no one, except the engineers, believed that the two teams working from opposite sides of the mountain would actually meet in the middle someday. Construction began in 1853. Using pickaxes and chisels, gunpowder and sledge hammers, the teams worked their way to the center of the mountain, fighting against incoming water. In the most catastrophic fire in the history of Swiss railway construction, 63 workers lost their lives.

Mängisch chöme mer bis Olte The Olten train station opened in 1856, and its restaurant soon became a central fixture in the life of Swiss national associations. The Swiss Alpine Club (1863), the Free Democratic Party (1894), the writers’ group Gruppe Olten (1971) were all founded here. “No one can escape Olten’s pull. It washes conflict into consensus, pours visions into bylaws and absorbs chaos into a file on a shelf,” wroteNZZ Folio in a tribute. The fight against chaos has not always been so simple. The Olten Aktionskomitee launched the 1918 general strike, while the Olten Bündnis took an active role against the WEF in Davos. The Olten city government would have been glad if these outsiders had acted like the GsoA (Group for Switzerland without an Army), who were put off by the thought of meeting at the Olten station restaurant; they much preferred the atmosphere of the Kreuz cooperative café in Solothurn. “Mängisch chöme mer bis Olte, das het früener ou öppis golte,” sings the Swiss group Stiller Has. (“Sometime we make it to Olten, that used to count for something.”) The Olten train station restaurant now belongs to Italy’s Autogrill Schweiz Inc.