Schloss Lenzburg crowns a rounded hill above the town, so prominent that you can see it from miles away on the motorway, and it has been watching over this part of the Aargau since the eleventh century. The castle has passed through the hands of counts, the Habsburgs, the city of Bern and private owners, and today it is a museum, with gardens and views over the Seetal and the Jura.
The Aargau is sometimes called the canton of castles, and with reason. Wildegg, Brunegg and Hallwyl are all nearby, and the Habsburg, the original seat of the dynasty that went on to rule half of Europe, stands on a hill near Brugg. Schloss Hallwyl, at the northern end of the Hallwilersee, is a moated castle on two islands, one of the most beautiful in Switzerland.
Lenzburg itself has an old town with a long main street, fountains and arcades, and it is the home of Hero, the jam and food company founded here in 1886. The smell of fruit sometimes drifts through the town.
The Grand Tour of Switzerland passes through this region on its way between Basel and Zurich, and the roads here are a mix of busy main routes and quiet country lanes. Swiss speed enforcement is strict, with fixed and mobile cameras, and fines are high. Ride within the limits, especially in towns and villages.
On a warm afternoon, drop south to the Hallwilersee for a swim from one of the public lidos; the water is clean and the Alps sometimes show at the far end. Lenzburg itself takes care of fuel and lunch, and its long main street is a calm place to sit while the castle looks down.