🇨🇭 Canton guide
Aargau: living, going out and working in the canton
Everything about the canton of Aargau: language, politics, tax for cross-border workers (outside the 1983 agreement), transport, food and wine, castles and museums, thermal baths, festivals, and an interactive map.
Photo (cropped): Zairon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- residents at the end of 2025 (Statistik Aargau)
- 743,643
- of the population are foreign nationals (2025)
- 28.1%
- in Switzerland: Aargau is not in the 1983 agreement, French cross-border workers pay at source
- At source
- foreign cross-border workers working in Aargau (Q3 2025)
- 15,787
10 sections≈ 13 min readSources checked on November 6, 2026
The interactive map
41 places marked: landmarks, museums, transport, restaurants, nights out and events. Tap a point to learn more.
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Places on the map (41)
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Aargau is a large canton of the Swiss Plateau, between Basel, Zurich and Lucerne, German-speaking, with Aarau as its capital. It touches Germany to the north, along the Rhine, and not France. Above all, it is not one of the eight cantons of the 1983 agreement: for a French cross-border worker, that means you are taxed at source in Switzerland, at the ordinary scales, and not in France as in Basel or Neuchâtel. This is what the Aargau cantonal tax office itself says.
This page gathers what you need to know to live, go out and work in Aargau: language, politics, tax, transport, food and specialities, museums, thermal baths, bars, festivals. The figures come from official sources listed at the bottom. Venues open, close and change their hours: always check with them before you travel. The interactive map further down places sites across the whole canton.
1. Aargau at a glance
| Marker | What to know |
|---|---|
| Population | 743,643 inhabitants at the end of 2025 (747,753 at the end of June 2026, i.e. +0.55% in the first half-year) |
| Foreign nationals | 28.1% at the end of 2025; 534,379 Swiss citizens |
| Average age | 42.5 years (2025) |
| Municipalities and districts | 196 municipalities, eleven districts; Baden is the most populous district (155,798 inhabitants) |
| Capital | Aarau (22,892 inhabitants on 31 December 2025) |
| Official language | German (§ 71a) |
| Parliament and government | Grand Council of 140 members, government of 5 members, elected for 4 years |
| Tax for French cross-border workers | At source in Switzerland (outside the 1983 agreement) |
| Places that come up often | Aarau, Baden, Lenzburg, Brugg, Rheinfelden, Zurzach, Hallwilersee |
The population figures come from the cantonal statistics (the cantonal residents' register, kept by the municipalities). Aargau presents itself as "the spa canton": four thermal baths are listed (see section 7).
2. Languages
German is the official language (§ 71a). The same article states that authorities and offices may also communicate in the other national languages or in English, provided this causes no disadvantage to the other parties to the procedure. The canton therefore has no official French: forms, payslips and contracts are generally in German.
| What is written | Source |
|---|---|
| Official language: German | Constitution, § 71a, para. 1 |
| Authorities may also use the other national languages or English | Constitution, § 71a, para. 1 |
No main-language statistics were read for Aargau: we therefore give no percentage of French speakers.
3. How the canton is governed
Aargau is a direct democracy: "state power emanates from the people" (§ 1). The canton is divided into municipalities, which manage their own affairs autonomously under cantonal supervision (§ 5), and eleven districts, which also serve as electoral constituencies (§ 77).
| Institution | What the Constitution says |
|---|---|
| Grand Council | 140 members (§ 76), elected by proportional representation; the districts are the constituencies, with seats distributed according to resident population (§ 77) |
| Government | 5 members (§ 87), elected by majority vote (§ 61) |
| Term of office | 4 years for the authorities (§ 70) |
| Seat of the authorities | Aarau (§ 71) |
| Popular initiative | 3,000 voters (§ 64) |
| Optional referendum | 3,000 voters for a law (§ 63) |
| Mandatory referendum | Any amendment of the Constitution (§ 62) |
| Right to vote | Swiss citizens aged 18 or over living in the canton (§ 59); no waiting period for Swiss citizens (§ 60) |
Resident foreigners do not vote at cantonal level. A cross-border worker has no right to vote in the canton.
4. Working in Aargau as a cross-border worker
Tax: at source, in Switzerland
According to the information sheet of the cantonal tax office (valid from 2021, as of 1 January 2026), Aargau did not join the special agreement of 11 April 1983 with France: French cross-border workers are therefore subject to source tax at the ordinary scales, according to circular no. 45 of the Federal Tax Administration.
| Point | What the Aargau texts say |
|---|---|
| Scales | A, B, C, H (ordinary scales), no special agreement with France |
| Where the tax is due | In Switzerland, withheld from salary by the employer (employer based in Aargau) |
| French tax | Cross-border workers are not exempt from ordinary French tax: they receive a credit up to the tax that the Swiss income would have borne there |
| Agreement cantons | BL, BS, SO, VD, VS, NE, JU and BE have the 1983 agreement (tax in France, 4.5% paid to Switzerland); not Aargau |
| Subsequent ordinary assessment | A person taxed at source can request a subsequent ordinary assessment (NOV) until 31 March of the year following the due date |
| Recalculation | The same 31 March deadline applies to request a recalculation of source tax (error in salary, in the income determining the rate or in the scale) |
| Contact | Cantonal tax office, source tax section, Tellistrasse 67, 5001 Aarau |
German cross-border workers
For German cross-border workers, the information sheet describes a separate regime: special rate of 4.5% (convention of 11 August 1971, art. 15a), provided the person regularly returns home. By car, the return is considered reasonable up to 100 km one way; by public transport, if the fastest connection takes at most 1 h 30. Beyond 60 days of non-return a year, cross-border status lapses and Switzerland regains its full right to tax. This is not the subject of this page.
A figure to size up the subject
According to the canton's statistical yearbook, which takes up the federal cross-border statistics, 15,787 foreign cross-border workers worked in Aargau in the third quarter of 2025, against 14,253 in the first quarter of 2021. The breakdown by country was not read.
The minimum wage
No official Aargau page on a cantonal minimum wage was found. We therefore do not say there is none: check the collective agreement of your sector, notably in hospitality (see our guide on the CCNT).
5. Getting around
Public transport journeys in Aargau fall under a tariff network, the A-Welle. It announces a fare increase of 3.6% on average at the timetable change on 13 December 2026, and says that about 78% of tickets are already bought digitally. It offers a zone map and an online price calculator.
| Mode | What we read |
|---|---|
| A-Welle | Tariff network: zone map, online price calculator, fares up by 3.6% on average on 13 December 2026 |
| Baden station | The Badenfahrt 2027 pass includes public transport in the defined area, extra buses and trains included |
We did not read timetables, a network map or detailed fares, and there is no direct link with France: Aargau does not touch France. Check your journey on the SBB site before choosing where to live.
6. Eating and drinking
The Aargau tourist board highlights, among its addresses:
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| Restaurant Habsburg | "Dining like the counts in the castle" (Schlossgasse, Habsburg) |
| LägereBräu (Wettingen) | "Industrial vibe and craft beer" |
| Gasthof zum Ochsen | Bib Gourmand distinction |
| Gasthof Homberg | "The taste of freedom" (Reinach AG) |
| Waldgasthaus Baden, Ochsen 1596, Schifflände, Restaurant Plü | Cited by the tourist board; addresses not pinned |
Aargau wine
The tourist board presents Aargau as a wine region: Schinznach vineyard trail, Roman vineyard of Villigen, Roman vineyards of Remigen, a walk through the vines of the Zurzibiet, Wine-growing Museum in Tegerfelden. Three autumn events: Erntedank at the Hartmann estate in Remigen (14 and 15 November 2026, 10 am – 8 pm), Trottenfest of the Heuberger estate in Bözen (15 November 2026, 10 am – 5 pm) and "Wild. Wald. Wein." at the Neuhof in Birr (19 November 2026, 6:30 pm – 11 pm).
No official restaurant ranking was read; we only give the addresses cited by the tourist board.
7. What to see and do
Castles, monasteries and Roman sites
Museum Aargau, one of the largest history museums in Switzerland, brings together four castles, two monasteries, Vindonissa, the collection and the IndustriekulTOUR Aabach. A pass gives access to three sites (Lenzburg, Hallwyl, Wildegg) at a special price.
| Site | What we read |
|---|---|
| Schloss Lenzburg | "Castle of knights and dragons"; a tower rises above Lenzburg's old town |
| Schloss Habsburg | "Ancestral castle of the Habsburgs"; a fortress above the Aare valley; murder-mystery dinner on 19 December |
| Schloss Hallwyl | Moated castle reflected in Lake Hallwil; a "culture and nature experience"; children's audio tour included in the admission |
| Schloss Wildegg | Baroque castle and garden experience (Museum Aargau); Christmas market |
| Kloster Königsfelden | "Place of remembrance of the Habsburgs"; monastery and stained glass ("Kloster & Glasfenster") |
| Klosterhalbinsel Wettingen | One of Museum Aargau's two monasteries, on the Limmat |
| Klosterkirche Muri | "Benedictine heritage and a baroque pearl" |
| Legionärspfad and Vindonissa Museum | Roman camp of Vindonissa (Windisch, Brugg); game tour "Schätze aus Vindonissa" (ages 8+, 90 min, no registration) |
Museums
| Museum | What we read |
|---|---|
| Stapferhaus (Lenzburg) | "Test centre for safety and risk" |
| Aargauer Kunsthaus (Aarau) | "The museum for art from Switzerland" |
| Naturama (Aarau, Feerstrasse 17) | Dinosaurs, Aargau habitats; exhibition "Die Katze. Unser wildes Haustier" from 25 September 2026 to 5 September 2027; Tuesday to Sunday 10 am – 5 pm |
| Historisches Museum Baden | History of the baths, industry and the Diet; Tuesday to Saturday 1 – 5 pm, Thursday 12 – 7 pm, Sunday 10 am – 5 pm |
| Classic Car Museum (Safenwil) | More than 50 classic cars from the post-war years to the 1980s, on three floors |
| Wine-growing Museum (Tegerfelden) | Open to the public from 4 November 2026 to 21 April 2027, 1:30 – 4:30 pm (days not specified) |
Thermal baths and nature
Aargau is "the spa canton": sole uno (Rheinfelden), Therme Zurzach, FORTYSEVEN (Baden) and Bad Schinznach. On the nature side, the tourist board cites the "water castle of Switzerland" (where rivers meet), the Klingnauer Stausee (birds), the Flachsee, the Auenschutzpark ("Switzerland's Amazon"), Lake Hallwil, the Linde von Linn ("one of the mightiest lime trees in Europe"), the Emma Kunz grotto in Würenlos and modest summits: Geissfluegrat (908 m), Stierenberg (872 m), Strihe (867 m), Wasserflue (844 m), Gisliflue (772 m).
8. Bars, cellars and nights out
| Venue | What we read |
|---|---|
| KIFF (Aarau, Tellistrasse 118) | Concert hall; Wolves in the Throne Room on 6 November 2026; "KIFF 2.0" restaurant |
| Palass (Zofingen) | Jazz in Zofingen on 11 December 2026, with Christina Jaccard and Dave Ruosch (tickets from 11 November to 10 December 2026) |
| UnvermeidBAR and Teatro Palino (Baden) | Reopening announced by the city; address not read |
Argovia philharmonic: the 2nd subscription concert, "El amor brujo", brings flamenco and orchestra together for the first time.
No official list of clubs was read: we kept only the venues whose sites we read.
9. Festivals and highlights
| Event | When | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Helle Nacht | 4 November 2026 | Industrial-culture night in Aargau |
| Erntedank in Remigen | 14 and 15 November 2026 | Harvest festival at the Hartmann estate |
| Bözen Trottenfest | 15 November 2026 | Tasting and festival tent, Heuberger estate |
| Wine & Dine "Wild. Wald. Wein." | 19 November 2026 | Wine and game evening at the Neuhof in Birr |
| Jazz in Zofingen | 11 December 2026 | Concert at the Palass |
| DinnerKrimi at the Habsburg | 19 December 2026 | Murder-mystery dinner at the castle |
| Christchindli-Märt Bremgarten | Date not read | 31st edition, more than 250 stalls |
| Fantoche | 2027 date not read | Animation film festival in Baden; "Oscar Qualifying Festival" |
| Badenfahrt 2027 | Dates not read | Big ten-day festival in Baden; ten-day pass at CHF 50 until 31 December 2026; pass compulsory from age 16 |
Sources
- Constitution of the canton of Aargau (SAR 110.000): version in force since 30 June 2024; § 1, 5, 59 to 64, 70, 71, 71a, 76, 77, 87. Text in German.
- Statistik Aargau: Kanton Aargau in Zahlen and population: population, foreign nationals, municipalities and districts; statistical yearbook 2025, chapter "Arbeit und Erwerb": cross-border workers.
- Cantonal tax office: persons subject to source tax and information sheet "Besteuerung von Grenzgängern im Kanton Aargau" (as of 1 January 2026).
- Site guides, checked against official sources: G permit, contract and salary (CCNT).
- Aargau Tourismus (nature, baths, wine, restaurants); Museum Aargau; Historisches Museum Baden; Naturama; Aargauer Kunsthaus; Stapferhaus; KIFF; Fantoche; Badenfahrt; City of Baden; City of Aarau.
- A-Welle (tariff network).
- Map coordinates: © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked address by address when the address is known; base map © swisstopo.
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