JC Travels
April 18, 2023
Baden  ·  Switzerland
Baden Switzerland — River Limmat and Castle Stein
Week 481  ·  ABB  ·  Castle Stein  ·  River Limmat  ·  Miss Pickwick

Baden

JC Travels  ·  my-jc.blog

Although Baden was originally famous as a spa town, for the last 130 years it has been one of about 10 company towns globally that is the foundation of electricity development and manufacturing. In the US, Schenectady, NY is very similar — home of General Electric. The original companies have broken apart into three different firms (ABB, GE, and Ansaldo) which are all co-mingled in the old part of town.

The Town — Picturesque & Walkable

We were busy all week with meetings and the rain continued — but I did get out for a long walk when the sun appeared and hit all the major sites. It is a small town but very picturesque.

Background — Baden & the Electricity Industry

Baden, Switzerland became the world centre of electrical engineering in the late 19th century when Brown Boveri & Co. (later BBC, then ABB) was founded there in 1891. At its peak, Brown Boveri employed over half the town's working population and was one of the largest industrial companies in Europe. The 1988 merger of BBC with Sweden's ASEA created ABB (Asea Brown Boveri), still headquartered in Zürich. Baden's counterpart in the US is Schenectady, New York — founded as a GE company town in 1892 — with identical dynamics: a single company defining an entire city's identity, architecture, and economy for over a century. Baden's historic Roman baths (the Roman name was "Aquae Helveticae") were used for 2,000 years and still operate today as thermal spa facilities fed by 18 natural hot springs.

River Limmat — Baden One of the modern buildings — Baden
Central Plaza / Train Station — Baden Stein Castle — Baden
River Limmat  ·  Modern buildings  ·  Central Plaza / Train Station  ·  Stein Castle
Hike up to Castle Stein
Hike up to Castle Stein — Baden View from Castle Stein — Baden
View from Castle Stein — Baden View from Castle Stein — Baden
Hike up to Castle Stein  ·  Views from the top
Back Down to River Level
Back down to river level — Baden Back down to river level — Baden
Coffee house on the river — filled up quickly with the sun out Elevator back up to the central plaza and train station — Baden
Vines at the top of the valley — Baden Baden town centre
Baden Public hot tub — just along the river Baden
Kayak course — Baden Coffee house on the river — Baden
Back down to river level  ·  Coffee house filled up as soon as the sun appeared  ·  Elevator back up to plaza  ·  Vines at the top of the valley  ·  Public hot tub along the river  ·  Kayak course
Leeds vs Liverpool — Miss Pickwick & McDonalds

My co-worker was a big Leeds fan and he knew some other Leeds fans and we found an Irish/English pub to watch a big game for Leeds — unfortunately they lost badly. And they stopped serving food at 8pm so I had to go down the street to McDonalds — country number 31.

On Miss Pickwick & McDonalds Country #31

My co-worker was a big Leeds fan and we found an Irish/English pub — Miss Pickwick — a tradition for expats. Leeds vs Liverpool was tense for about 5 minutes. They stopped serving food at 8pm — so I had to go down the street to McDonalds. Country number 31. Never heard of "skylarking" — apparently a thing.

Miss Pickwick Pub — a tradition for expats in Baden Leeds vs Liverpool — tense for about 5 minutes
Never heard of skylarking — Baden pub McDonalds dessert spread — Baden — country number 31
Miss Pickwick Pub — expat tradition  ·  Leeds vs Liverpool — tense for about 5 minutes  ·  Never heard of skylarking  ·  McDonalds dessert spread — I just got a Big Mac

"It is a small town but very picturesque. They stopped serving food at the pub at 8pm — so I had to go to McDonalds. Country number 31."

BadenSwitzerlandABBCastle SteinRiver Limmat
Week 481  ·  April 18, 2023