Aarau is located by the southern foot of the Jura foothills in the centre of the big city triangle of Zurich, Basel and Lucerne. The central location was recognised early on which is why Aarau for a brief few months in 1798 was Switzerland’s first capital and home to Switzerland’s first Houses of Parliament.
The many painted eaves, the so-called “Dachhimmel” which predominantly date from the 16th century when the town underwent considerable extension, are a special feature of the old town of Aarau. It’s for this reason that Aarau is regarded as the town of beautiful gables.
