Tour of the Abbey complex

Visit the exhibitions at Königsfelden Abbey and travel back to the time when the convent church was built. The Habsburgs built Königsfelden Abbey on the ruins of the Roman legionary camp of Vindonissa. Today, the convent church with its impressive stained-glass windows is the most important surviving feature of the former Abbey. The convent church can be explored on your own. Museum Aargau offers self-guided tours and audio tours (in English). Take a stroll through the idyllic church complex, where Franciscan monks and Poor Clares once lived. There are special offers for schools and groups . Opening hours 1 April to 1 November 2026 Tue – Sun, holidays: 10 am – 5 pm Mon: closed

Events

Castle Estate & History

Wildegg Castle Estate includes all lands and properties outside the castle walls. It comprises numerous buildings to this day including Gasthof Bären and an organic farm. Wildegg Castle Estate has undergone many changes and conversions over the course of the centuries as a result of sales and purchases. In around1770 it achieved its maximum extent of approximately 120 hectares of cropland, meadows, vineyard and commercial premises. From the 18th century onwards the Effinger family sold off parts of the property. Along with the Castle Estate, the Effinger family also held governing rights over the villages of Möriken and Holderbank - including taxation and lower-level legal jurisdiction. The family passed judgement on smaller-scale offences, appointed the priest and was allowed to open commercial enterprises such as inns and mills. Apart from the fishing rights, these governing rights were lost when the French invaded in 1798. After 1912, the Swiss Confederation was able to buy back some of the properties sold by the Effinger family such as Gasthof Bären in Wildegg. Today the estate has a surface area of some 100 hectares and comprises 37 buildings, a vegetable and pleasure garden, an organic farm, grapevines, forestry and fishing rights. In 2011, Wildegg Castle Estate was converted into a foundation of the same name. The foundation is responsible for administering the entire estate. Museum Aargau runs the museum and takes care of the gardens. The aim is to give visitors the opportunity to experience all the facets of a Baroque castle estate in situ. Enquiries and contact +41 (0)848 871 200 schlosswildegg@ag.ch Telephone availability Tuesday to Friday 9 am – 12 midday 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm History Under Habsburg rule Wildegg Castle was built in the first half of the 13th century by order of the Habsburgs. Perched on a ledge with a striking main tower and residential annex, the castle was first mentioned in 1242. It was the seat of a branch of the Habsburg family that belonged to the lower gentry, the stewards of Habsburg and Wildegg. Before 1348 the castle was granted to the Lords of Hallwyl as a fief by the Habsburgs. Thüring I of Hallwyl had the complex elaborately modernised in 1372. More Less 13/14th c. Under Bernese rule When Aargau was conquered in 1415, Wildegg Castle also fell to the Bernese. The Hallwyls sold the castle in 1437. After various changes of owner it was purchased by the City of Bern. In 1483 it was then sold along with all its lands and rights to Kaspar Effinger, a member of the Aargau gentry. More Less From 1415 The Effinger family Wildegg remained in the possession of the Effinger family for eleven generations until 1912. The Effingers belonged to the lower nobility and appeared in the town of Brugg in the 14th century where several of them were mayors. When they purchased Wildegg, the Effingers also acquired Bernese citizenship rights and were among the ruling families of Bern from 1680. The castle virtually burned to the ground in 1552 after being struck by lightning. It was then reconstructed in the Late Gothic style. In around 1700 Bernhard Effinger had the castle converted into a Baroque manor house, with extended gardens replacing the demolished fortification structures. In the 17th century and again in the 19th century the Effingers also owned nearby Wildenstein Castle in Veltheim. However, the last owners in the 19th century preferred to reside in the more comfortable Erlachhaus and at the country house in Wildegg. More Less 1483-1912 Under the ownership of the Swiss Confederation In 1912 the last in the family line, Julie von Effinger, bequeathed Wildegg and most of its furnishings and lands to the Swiss Confederation. Zurich National Museum turned the castle into a residential museum which has been open to the public since 1917. The castle underwent extensive renovation in 1938 and then again from 2007. More Less 1912-2010 Under the ownership of the canton of Aargau Since January 1st 2011 the castle and its estate have belonged to the Wildegg Castle Estate Foundation established by the canton of Aargau. Museum Aargau is responsible for running the museum. More Less Since 2011

Guided tours for groups

An excursion to the Vindonissa Legionary Trail is packed with highlights for groups. Some of the offers can be booked in English on request. Swap your jeans for a Roman tunic and follow the legionaries on a journey back to ancient times. In addition to self-guided tours of the Roman sites , the Vindonissa Legionary Trail offers fascinating guided tours, workshops and other offers for groups. Explore 2,000 years of history at Vindonissa, watch and listen as you are transported back into the lives of the legionaries and their officers. The Vindonissa Legionary Trail offers one tour in English (see below). Other offers can be booked in English on request. Please contact our advice & sales team for details. Offers for groups (in German) Contact +41 (0)848 871 200 Send a message Telephone availability: Tuesday to Friday 9 am - 12 pm / 1 pm - 4:30 pm November to March only in the morning

Tours for schools

Wettingen Abbey offers guided tours and workshops for schools. These can also be booked in English on request. Offers for schools (in German) Contact +41 (0)848 871 200 Send a message Telephone availability: Tuesday to Friday 9 am - 12 pm / 1 pm - 4:30 pm November to March only in the morning

Rent rooms for weddings and events

Impressions

Roman Garden of Vindonissa

Price: Included in the museum admission fee 0 Reconstructed Ornamental Garden of the Legion Commander The Roman garden at the Vindonissa Museum is an oasis of tranquility and sensory delight. A colorful array of plants flourishes in the flower beds, while water splashes in the fountains and basins. A colonnade frames the 450-square-meter complex, which is unique in Switzerland in terms of its size. The garden features around 40 plant species for which there is archaeobotanical evidence locally. The design, with its ornate bed borders and water features, is modeled after ancient examples and exudes a sense of opulent splendor. This is what the ornamental garden at the house of the legion commander might have looked like 2,000 years ago. Experience the Roman garden of Vindonissa: a unique oasis of tranquility featuring ancient plant species and splashing water displays.

Quiz Tour

Interactive tour for children Suitable for Ages 7 and over Price Included in the museum admission fee Duration 45 minutes Booking Not required 0 Trough the museum with the treasure map Our archaeologist on duty, Walter Scatterbrain, has been dreaming of grand palaces and glittering treasure again. He forgot where he stowed his latest finds from the last excavation. Help him find his objects and fill in the gaps in his diary. An exciting quiz for big and small. Join the quiz tour at the Vindonissa Museum! Help archaeologist Walter Schussel find his artifacts. A thrilling adventure for children aged 7+.

AKTUELL display

Admission: Museum entrance fee Highlights from the Cantonal Archaeology Department The AKTUELL display presents special treasures from the former legionary camp at Vindonissa. A new display is installed by the Cantonal Archaeology Department every year. Themes include current excavations, unusual finds and research results from throughout the canton of Aargau. The vernissage takes place every November.

Permanent exhibition on Vindonissa

Admission: Museum entrance fee Discover original objects from excavations! How did the Romans live 2,000 years ago on the territory of present-day Switzerland? What did they eat? What weapons and clothes did they wear? For more than 100 years, archaeologists in the Brugg/Windisch area have been researching the site where the only legionary camp on the territory of present-day Switzerland once stood. Largest collection of Roman writing tablets The Vindonissa Museum shows original objects from these excavations in its permanent exhibition. It presents life and everyday routines in the legionary camp in various thematic areas and features the world's largest collection of Roman wooden writing tablets. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a three-dimensional model of the legionary camp, which gives a detailed view of the inside. With films, audio stories and games, the exhibition offers an interactive exploration of the Roman past of the Brugg/Windisch region. The texts in the permanent exhibition are translated into English.