Vindonissa Legionary Camp

Vindonissa was founded in the first century as the base of a full legion - the only permanent legionary fortress on what is now Swiss territory - guarding the confluence of the Aare, Reuss and Limmat. Three legions garrisoned it in succession before it was given up around AD 101. The amphitheatre outside the walls held around ten thousand, and its oval is still legible in the ground. What makes the site scientifically important is the rubbish: waterlogged deposits in the fortress ditch preserved organic material - leather, wood, textiles, writing tablets - that normally rots away, so the museum holds objects of daily military life that are rare anywhere in the empire.

The main sights

• Switzerland's only legionary fortress - the permanent base of a full legion.
• An amphitheatre for ten thousand - the oval still readable in the ground.
• Organic finds from the ditch - leather, wood and writing tablets preserved wet.
• A three-river position - the confluence the camp was built to hold.

When to go

April to October for the outdoor remains; the museum runs all year. Half a day.

Practical notes

Above ground there is not a great deal - the amphitheatre and fragments of wall, with the modern town over most of the fortress. The museum carries the visit. It closes on Mondays. Labelling is in German.

Nearby

Konigsfelden monastery is adjacent; Habsburg castle is on the hill above.