Vindonissa Museum

Opening hours and entrance fees

Opening hours Regular opening hours Monday* closed Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 1 pm – 5 pm Saturday closed Sunday, public holidays* 1 pm – 5 pm For schools and groups : We open on request add

 
Vindonissa Legionary Trail

Opening hours and entrance fees

Opening hours 1 April to 2 November 2025 Monday* closed Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9 am – 5 pm Saturday, Sunday, public holidays* 10 am – 6 pm * Open on the following public holidays: Easter

 
Vindonissa Legionary Trail

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 legionarie

 
Hallwyl Castle

Hire rooms for weddings and events

Hallwyl Castle rents out rooms for weddings, celebrations and events: get married in a moated castle, celebrate your birthday in a historical ambience or host a drinks reception in the castle courtyar

 
Wettingen Abbey

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 availa

 
Lenzburg Castle

Hire rooms for weddings and events

Impressions

 
Habsburg Castle

Hire rooms for weddings and events

 
Wildegg Castle

Hire rooms for weddings and events

 
Königsfelden Abbey

Opening hours and entrance fees

CLOSED FOR RESTORATION Königsfelden Abbey is currently being restored and will be open again from 11 July 2025 (Friday to Sunday). Guided tours for groups and schools can be booked starting 8 July 202

 
Wettingen Abbey

Opening hours and entrance fees

Opening hours Opening hours of the museum (with admission fee) Opening hours of the museum with monks' church (part of the abbey church), cloister, parlatorium, auditorium and puzzle tour of the abbey

Gradian
Nordtor auf dem Legionärspfad Vindonissa

Roman sites

North Gate (Porta Decumana)

North Gate (Porta Decumana)

Not only was the North Gate used as a look-out to oversee shipping traffic on the River Aare, the steep embankment in front of it also served as a rubbish tip. Today the latter is an absolute treasure trove for archaeologists. The North Gate can be visited without museum admission.

The discovery of the North Gate (porta decumana) in 1905 was a major breakthrough for early Vindonissa research. Any remaining doubts were finally dispelled: Vindonissa really had been a legionary camp and not a civil settlement.

The gate is situated at the northern periphery of the Windisch plateau, directly above the slope running down to the River Aare.

From here there is an impressive view to the north where the Aare cuts through the Jura Mountains. The Romans had clearly identified the outstanding strategic position of the plateau at the confluence of the Aare, Reuss and Limmat rivers and near to the important Aare gorge to the north. This excellent geographical location at Switzerland's natural moated castle enabled fast and convenient transport of large quantities of goods and personnel for military purposes. The waterways integrated Vindonissa in the vast Roman network of long-distance trade. Good connecting routes for troop movements and furnishing supplies to the soldiers were a key instrument of power in the Roman Empire.

The embankment running down to the Aare was presumably too steep for carriages, which is why the North Gate served another function as well as being a sentinel: large amounts of rubbish were carted out of the camp through the gate and deposited on the northern slope, eventually creating an enormous mound. This mound is an immense asset to archaeological research since it contains thousands of preserved objects - particularly leather and wooden items including some 600 wooden writing tablets. These unique artefacts provide fascinating insights into the everyday lives of the Vindonissa legionaries and can now be viewed at the Vindonissa Museum in Brugg.

The North Gate can be visited without museum admission.