Brugg Black Tower

The Black Tower (Schwarzer Turm) in Brugg is the oldest and best-known landmark of this small town in the Swiss canton of Aargau. The square tower stands beside the town hall at Rathausplatz 2 and has watched over the Aare crossing since the Middle Ages.

What is the Black Tower?

It began as a defensive tower built to secure the bridge over the Aare on its right bank. The lower masonry dates to the second half of the 12th century, or around 1200 according to some guides. According to sources the tower is older than the town itself, and it first appears in written records in 1238. The Aargau heritage inventory also dates its base to the 12th century.

What will you see?

The tower shows two eras at once. The base is rusticated ashlar with Roman spolia, meaning stones reused from earlier buildings. In 1535-36 the tower was raised and fitted with an oriel window and a hipped roof, which give it today's profile.

In the first half of the 19th century the gates on both sides of the bridge were pulled down. Of the town's once extensive fortifications, only this tower survived, which is why it stands for Brugg as a whole.

Why was it built here?

At Brugg the Aare cuts through a limestone ridge and squeezes into a deep gorge only about 12 metres wide. A gap like that is easy to bridge, so according to accounts a crossing existed here in Roman times too. Standing by the tower, you can see why the spot mattered.

How to visit

You view the tower from the outside. Brugg's defensive structures are described as accessible only from the street, so do not plan on climbing it. A stop takes a few minutes and fits easily into a walk around the old town and along the Aare. The tower sits in the centre next to the town hall and the bridge, so it is an easy walk from the station or from elsewhere in the old town.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Black Tower? Available sources say it can only be viewed from outside. Access rules may change, so check with the Brugg tourist office before you go.

How old is the tower? The base dates from the second half of the 12th century or about 1200. The upper section with the oriel and roof was added in 1535-36.

Why is it called black? The name Schwarzer Turm has long been attached to this bridge tower. The sources give no reliable explanation of its origin, so we offer no guess.

Where is it? In central Brugg at Rathausplatz 2, north of the town hall, by the Aare crossing.

Is it the same as Altenburg castle? No. Altenburg is a separate fortress near Brugg, while the Black Tower is the town's bridge tower.