UrbanAffair
Senior Member
Hey everyone,
I wasn't sure where to post this exactly, but this seemed the appropriate thread. My wife is from Switzerland, and so, as a dutiful husband, I am easily convinced to take the yearly trip over to see my in-laws. Jokes aside, my in-laws are incredible people, kind, warm, and welcoming and Switzerland is a great place to visit as I am sure many of you know.
My wife's parents live in the north of the country, in Leibstadt, which is in Canton Aargau. It's about the midpoint between Zurich and Basel and about a 7 minute walk over the Rhine river to the German border. It's beautiful, but probably not the Switzerland you picture most of the time since it is hilly, but not mountainous. There is a "castle" or "schloss" nearby in the town of Bad Zurzach, which my wife's godparents have partnered on and are renovating (restoring actually) to its former glory. It was built in 1900, so not a typical castle per say, and sits on a parcel of land which will be reopened as parkland, while the building itself will be a museum and artists residence, if I recall correctly. The river adjacent to the town is the Rhine.
Restoration work is fascinating, but complex. In order to restore something properly, you truly need people who actually know the materials, can source those uncommon materials where necessary, and have the knowledge to build based on the customs typical of that era. This is why they are partnered with a large regional construction company, Birchmeier.
We were able to visit this property and take a look at the work so far, although it is far from finished. The property also includes a few multi-residential buildings, which provide the income required to take on the restoration work. I have included a few photos of the paintings and sculptures we came across also.
I hope you enjoy!
I wasn't sure where to post this exactly, but this seemed the appropriate thread. My wife is from Switzerland, and so, as a dutiful husband, I am easily convinced to take the yearly trip over to see my in-laws. Jokes aside, my in-laws are incredible people, kind, warm, and welcoming and Switzerland is a great place to visit as I am sure many of you know.
My wife's parents live in the north of the country, in Leibstadt, which is in Canton Aargau. It's about the midpoint between Zurich and Basel and about a 7 minute walk over the Rhine river to the German border. It's beautiful, but probably not the Switzerland you picture most of the time since it is hilly, but not mountainous. There is a "castle" or "schloss" nearby in the town of Bad Zurzach, which my wife's godparents have partnered on and are renovating (restoring actually) to its former glory. It was built in 1900, so not a typical castle per say, and sits on a parcel of land which will be reopened as parkland, while the building itself will be a museum and artists residence, if I recall correctly. The river adjacent to the town is the Rhine.
Restoration work is fascinating, but complex. In order to restore something properly, you truly need people who actually know the materials, can source those uncommon materials where necessary, and have the knowledge to build based on the customs typical of that era. This is why they are partnered with a large regional construction company, Birchmeier.
We were able to visit this property and take a look at the work so far, although it is far from finished. The property also includes a few multi-residential buildings, which provide the income required to take on the restoration work. I have included a few photos of the paintings and sculptures we came across also.
I hope you enjoy!
Last edited: