Augst - Blog Posts
Augusta Raurica
Founded in the 1st century by Lucius Munatius Plancus (which sounds a bit like a joke name but he also founded what is now Lyon), the Roman city of Augusta Raurica had all the amenities you'd expect: a drama theatre, temples, a gladiatorial amphitheatre, baths by the Rhine, and, in the 4th century, a Christian church.
And like all Roman cities, it largely fell into disrepair, the stones reused for other constructions. Restoration was carried out in the last century or two, and... maybe "reconstruction" is a more accurate term?
As such, the theatre is now used for outdoor shows. Along with the foundations of the temple opposite, it's basically become the town park. Same goes for the amphitheatre on the outskirts of the town, now equipped with barbecues and benches, and was hosting an event on the afternoon I went there (I can't find what).
Some underground remains are also open, consisting of basement levels of the baths and 4th-century church, where the heating and water systems were located. The least touched outdoor ruin seems to be this temple, of which little is known.
All in all, the reconstructions and atmosphere make Augusta Raurica less of a geeky history spot and more of a park with a backstory. Not my favourite Roman site, but a leisurely visit, particularly suited for families I'd say.
Two crossings of the Rhine
The Swiss city of Basel lies on the border with France and Germany, and, as it's Switzerland, it hasn't changed hands or been attacked much (though the French did use Basel as target practice for a new cannon from their fort at Huningue once). It has a well-preserved historic centre, and, with the Rhine's current being consistently strong, it has a rare form of transportation.
This little ferry has no motor. It is tethered to a wire that crosses the river, and a lever at one end of the tether on the boat is all that's needed to turn the boat into the current which does the rest.
It's incredibly simple and easy! For a more engaging version of the story, here's a video by The Tim Traveller.
While I rode the boat with my sister, I continued upstream alone to another crossing, a bridge which doubles up as a dam for hydro-electric power stations on either side - or Kraftwerk as it's known in German.
Unlike in Basel, the Rhine at this point is an international border: Germany on the right-hand side, and Switzerland on the left-hand side. But with Germany and Switzerland being signatories of the Schengen agreement, this is what the border looks like:
The Rhine sees some impressive barges navigate roughly between Schaffhausen and Rotterdam, so there is a rather impressive lock next to this dam and the Kraftwerken. This is the view downstream from the top of the lock, with what I suspect was a border post on the right? I don't know, but I seem to remember that black and white stripes had some significance.
