iSwitzerland Suggestion: Augusta Raurica

Augusta Raurica

Augusta Raurica was once the oldest Roman settlement on the Rhine, with 15,000 inhabitants at its peak. Today, it is an extraordinary open-air museum where you can both stroll and take part in a variety of exciting activities.

You can even take part in an authentic excavation and share with archaeologists the fascination of bringing to light objects that have been buried for 2000 years!

Augusta Raurica is the largest archaeological park in Switzerland, recognised and protected as a monument of national importance by the Swiss Confederation. It is also an internationally renowned centre for archaeological research into the Roman era.

It contains the longest publicly accessible Roman sewage tunnel in Switzerland, the largest treasure trove of late antique silver, the best preserved Roman theatre north of the Alps and the largest restoration workshop in Switzerland specialising in Roman antiquity.

We wandered around on a beautiful Monday morning in August, when the site was completely deserted, to share with you a harvest of exclusive photos. Because if you want to experience the magic of this exceptional place, it is probably best to avoid weekends: Augusta Raurica is the most popular tourist site in the canton of Basel-Landschaft!

We went back in 2021, this time to capture some panoramas, so be sure to check them out!