Aarau

Founded about 1240 by the Counts of Kyburg, picturesque Aarau, with a population of around 16,000, lies on the River Aare at the foot of the southern slopes of the Jura mountains. The town’s central location, within easy travelling distance of Basel, Bern, Lucerne and Zurich makes it an ideal meeting point and it has a variety of thriving industries. It is also known as the town of beautiful gables thanks to its colourful baroque-style buildings with painted gable roofs. Aarau is also a town of culture with the Naturama natural history museum, the historic Schlössli museum and Kunsthaus art museum. And Aarau is also well-known for its lively traditional festivals such as the Maienzug (May Day Procession) and Rueblimärt (Carrot Festival).