AUGST (Augusta Raurica)		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History & Occupation:

Augusta Raurica was originally founded in 44 BC, as a timber fortress on the headland above the river Rhine (this has long gone leaving no remains.) Gradually, as the nature of the locale altered, the military site gave way to a thriving town, which became a large city with an upper and lower town, and eventually a Provincial capital. Augusta Raurica became extremely important, as all goods and personnel for the Rhine frontier went through here from Italy, being loaded onto boats for shipping down the river. The city continued to grow until the invasion of the Alemanni in the late 2nd century, when it was laid waste and never truly recovered. While the city of the upper city with its great public buildings fell into ruin, the lower city by the river was replaced with a heavy fortress of a similar type to Britain's Saxon shore forts. Thus a celtic place became a Roman military site, then a civil site, reverting to a military site and finally back to barbarian invaders.

Remains and Visit:

Augst is the largest collection of Roman ruins in the country. The museum is cheap, and all other sites to visit are free (though only open during normal hours - they closed at 5 when I visited.) Arriving by train, you are between the upper and lower towns. Heading towards the river, you quickly encounter the massive walls of the late fortress (now known as Kaiser Augst), with a late Roman basilica and a set of baths by the riverside. Heading away from the river, you reach the 'commercial house', which is well-preserved and well-kept. Beyond this, a climb leads up to the upper town (modern Augst), with a well-preserved (though heavily-restored) theatre, various remains of the forum, baths, housing, a museum and a beautiful mosaic. Further afield, a circular walk takes in the remains of the east gate, a stretch of well-preserved sewer that one can walk along, and the amphitheatre. Of the four great temples that have been found in Augst, two can be viewed above ground - the Shonbuhl podium temple opposite the theatre, and the distant but impressive Grienmatt temple.

Images:

Fortress walls	Paleochristian basilica	Fortress baths	Commercial house
The museum	Painting in museum	The theatre	Theatre detail
The Schonbuhl temple	Fountain in the forum	The hypocaust house	Curia building
Bath house	A sewer	Amphitheatre	The Grienmatt temple