The historic town center on the German side
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This fall I spent a couple days with my dad who lives in the High Rhine region in Germany. I couldn’t miss out stopping by in the very picturesque Laufenburg again. The town is one of my favorites in the area. If you’re looking for beautiful Swiss and German architecture and a city with an abundance of history then that’s Laufenburg is the place to visit.
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If you didn’t know, the town is most famous for being split into two by Napoleon. The Rhine river separates Laufenburg’s Swiss side from its German counterpart and acts as a border.
By crossing the “Laufenbrucke” (Laufen-bridge) you basically walk from Germany into Switzerland and vice versa.
The best spots in Laufenburg?
Even though you have some of the best views of Laufenburg next to the “Heilig-Geist-Pfarr”- church on the German side of Laufenburg, I do prefer the Swiss side by a tiny bit.
The old town of Switzerland’s Laufenburg is popular with tourists and locals alike. Especially on the weekends you see many people strolling through the, otherwise empty, streets. Keep in mind though, that most of the shops and even restaurants are closed on weekends, so you might want to bring a packed lunch.
Cute chocolate shop in Laufenburg
Due to its exemplary preservation of its buildings and sights, Laufenburg’s old town was awarded the Wakker (preservation) Prize by the Swiss Heritage Society.
A lot of the oldest buildings in town were made into museums which you can visit for free during weekdays.
If you get a chance to visit Laufenburg I recommend to just take a walk and explore the narrow, cobbled alleyways, stunning hiking paths and outlook spots around town. I found a cute hand-made chocolate store and an abundance of great photo spots!
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You can easily walk through both sides in under 40 minutes and I am sure you will enjoy it just as much as I did!
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