Wildegg Castle

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 und

 
Vindonissa Museum

Guided tours for groups

A day trip to the Vindonissa Museum is packed with highlights for groups: start an interactive adventure tour as an archaeologist, book a guided tour or discover the exhibitions on your own. All offer

 
Habsburg Castle

Collection

The Museum Aargau Collection has been assembled from various holdings since 1830. It consists of bequests from Aargau's castles and monasteries, numerous donations, objects acquired from company archi

 
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

 
Königsfelden Abbey

Tour of the Abbey complex

Visit the interactive 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 o

 
Wettingen Abbey

Tours for schools

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR VISITS IN 2025 The abbey church is closed in 2025 for restoration, the stained glass windows in the cloister are not accessible The museum is open from 4 April to 2 November 2025 (

 
Wettingen Abbey

Hire rooms

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR VISITS IN 2025 The abbey church is closed in 2025 for restoration, the stained glass windows in the cloister are not accessible The museum is open from 4 April to 2 November 2025 (

 
Museum Aargau

Vindonissa

MUSEUM SITES IN VINDONISSA Vindonissa Legionary Trail The Roman adventure park offers play/theme tours, events, roman overnight stays, guided tours and much more. Vindonissa Museum The Vindonissa Muse

 
Habsburg Castle

Hire rooms for weddings and events

Impressions

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.