Aarau, Medieval cantonal capital in northern Switzerland
This cantonal capital in northern Switzerland sits at the southern foot of the Jura Mountains along the right bank of the Aare River at 384 meters (1,260 feet) elevation. The municipality serves as the administrative center of Aarau District and includes a protected old town with a church tower and several streets.
The counts of Kyburg founded the settlement in 1240 along the Aare and built a castle on the hill above the river. During the Helvetic Republic, the town served for several months in 1798 as the first capital of unified Switzerland before the government moved to Bern.
Painted gables decorate 16th-century houses that line narrow lanes, giving the center its recognizable appearance. The town church continues to hold services, and residents now move between old buildings and modern shops in daily life.
The railway station links the town to Zurich via S-Bahn line S11, and buses run throughout the municipal area. Visitors reach the old town on foot from the station within a few minutes and can explore the narrow lanes without special preparation.
The ruins of Habichtsburg stand on a hill northeast of town and mark the ancestral seat of the Habsburg dynasty, which later ruled large parts of Europe. The family name derives directly from this castle, which remains visible today as a stone ruin.
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