Lake Hallwil is a long, narrow lake in the Aargau, lying north to south between low hills, and it is the quiet cousin of the bigger Swiss lakes. At its northern end stands a moated castle, Schloss Hallwyl, a grey medieval fortress surrounded by water that looks as if it belongs on a stage, and which holds a museum of its centuries of family life. The lake's shore is a mix of reed beds, meadows and villages, and the water is clean enough for swimming in summer. Rowing boats and small sailboats drift across it on warm afternoons.
Agelmoos, on the eastern shore near Meisterschwanden and Reinach, belongs to the very old story of the lake. Over the last five thousand years, Neolithic and Bronze Age people built villages on posts at the water's edge here, and the wetland and marsh soils that later covered them preserved wood, textiles, seeds and tools in extraordinary condition. The names in the label, Halbinsel and Sumpf, meaning peninsula and swamp, hint at the landscape of that time. This is part of the UNESCO listing for the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, but there is nothing to see in the open air, and the real finds are kept in museums, such as the one in the castle at Lenzburg and in the national museum in Zurich.
The riding is what you would want from the Swiss midland: gentle, green and well kept. The roads in the Seetal, the lake valley, wind over low ridges among apple orchards, fields and small villages, with views of the Alps on clear days and a pleasant sense of calm. Corners are open, gradients are mild and the surface is smooth, though weekend traffic can be heavy and cyclists are everywhere. On the ridge of the Lindenberg to the east, a road runs along the top with views across the lake and the plains.
Reinach, three kilometres away, has fuel, supermarkets and cafes. Look for the local specialities, such as Bernese platter in the winter, and the smoked sausages from the region. A Swiss motorway vignette is required if you use the autobahn, and speed limits are strictly enforced, so keep to them. The best seasons are May to October, with the lake at its warmest in July and August.