© Lonely Planet Publications 264 Basel & Aargau Switzerland’s northwestern cantons come as a pleasant surprise to those who take the time to visit. Experience everything from the latest in architectural creation and a buzzing art scene in good-looking, industrious Basel to Roman ruins and the canton of Aargau’s proud castles, pretty medieval villages and rolling green countryside. Basel has a slew of attractions for gallery lovers and architecture groupies. The Beyeler Foundation boasts one of the most vital collections in Switzerland, there’s an absorbing mu- seum devoted to madcap sculptor Jean Tinguely and, in nearby Weil am Rhein’s Vitra Design Museum, there are showpieces by some of the world’s best contemporary architects. Basel’s old city centre is a spotlessly maintained treasure chest of the past. Its 11th-century cathedral and 16th-century town hall are landmarks and strolling the narrow streets high above the Rhine is a pleasure. For ancient-history buffs, there’s the best-preserved Roman remains in Switzerland at Augusta Raurica, a short train ride east of Basel on the Rhine. Just over the cantonal border, Aargau is dotted with one-time Habsburg possessions, including Rheinfelden (of Feldschlösschen beer fame) and the castle and village, near the Aare River, that gave the family their name. A journey along the majestic Aare also takes in other gems such as coquettish Aarau, the equally fetching bath town of Baden, and various castles and villages, like charming Lenzburg. With its gentle countryside (and spectacular autumn colours), Aargau canton rewards off-the-beaten-track exploration in spades. HIGHLIGHTS Being wowed by the art and architecture of the superlative Beyeler Foundation ( p269 ). Vitra Design Catching interior design exhibits across Museum the German border in the Vitra Design Beyeler Foundation; Museum ( p269 ). Museum Jean Tinguely Admiring Jean Tinguely’s madcap Baden mechanical sculptures in the Museum Aarau Jean Tinguely ( p269 ). Lenzburg Wandering the enchanting streets of Aarau ( p276 ), lined with centuries-old houses. Climbing to the mighty medieval castle in Lenzburg ( p276 ) and wandering the largely baroque village below. Taking to the mineral-water baths in Baden ( p276 ) and exploring the charming Old Town. BASEL & AARGAU BASEL & AARGAU POPULATION: 1,035,930 AREA: 1958 SQ KM LANGUAGE: GERMAN lonelyplanet.com BASEL •• Orientation 265 0 10 km BASEL & AARGAU 0 6 miles To Freiburg (68km); Waldshut Rhine Karlsruhe (195km) G E R M A N Y Tiengen To Donaue- Weil am Rhein schingen Koblenz (48km) Rhine Rhine Zurzach Basel Rheinfelden N7 EuroAirport N5 Kaiseraugst AARGAU N3 Augusta Raurica ZÜRICH F R A N C E Brugg Baden A2 BASEL Sissach Wettingen LAND Dornach Liestal Habsburg Windisch Scherz To Zürich A1 (3km) Laufen BASEL Wildegg Reuss SOLOTHURN LAND To Porrentruy N5 Dietikon (24km) Breitenbach Aarau Lenzburg Delémont Mutschellen Wohlen JURA Olten Seon SOLOTHURN Wasserschloss Aarburg Hallwyl Seengen Balsthal BERN Boniswil Zofingen A1 Hallwilersee Muri Moutier Welschenrohr Reinach Weissenstein A2 Aare (1284m) To Zug To Biel-Bienne Solothurn LUCERNE (8km) (13km); Neuchâtel Langenthal Beromünster (42km) Baldeggersee Grenchen Sursee Hochdorf Sempachersee BERN Eschenbach Huttwil Willisau A14 To Bern (18km) Lucerne Orientation The city-canton of Basel is tucked up in the BASEL northern corner of the country on the Rhine pop 163,080 / elevation 273m River, abutting France and Germany. Around Although famous for its Fasnacht and Vogel it to the south and east spreads the bigger Gryff festivals in spring and winter, perhaps canton of Basel Land. the best time to visit Basel (Bâle in French, The much larger canton of Aargau, cut sometimes Basle in English) is in summer. in half by the pretty Aare River, spreads out The city shucks off its notorious reserve to east between Basel Land and the canton of bask in, strangely for its northerly location, Zürich. some of the hottest weather in Switzerland. Along the northern edge of the cantons As locals bob along in the fast-moving Rhine of Aargau and Basel Land flows the majes- (Rhein) River, whiz by on motor scoot- tic Rhine River, marking the border with ers, and dine and drink on overcrowded Germany. pavements, you could almost be in Italy, The region is well connected internation- rather than on the border with both France ally via EuroAirport in the west and Zürich’s and Germany. airport in the east and has excellent rail and Basel’s year-round attractions are the road links to France, Germany and the rest engaging Old Town, some of the coun- BASEL & AARGAU of Switzerland. See also p273 . try’s best art collections, and compelling modern buildings. Information Basel Tourismus ( p267 ) will handle most Orientation queries for the entire region, but if you really Basel is the closest Switzerland comes to want to get off the beaten path, ask Aargau having a seaport: the Rhine, from this point Tourismus (%062 824 76 24; www.aargautourismus.ch) until it reaches the North Sea in Holland, is for extra tips. navigable for decent-sized ships. It describes .