Canton: Aargau
The health resort of Baden has long been an important market town. The picturesque old town, the core of the medieval settlement, lies in the Limmat defile under the Lägern hills; downstream is the spa, with its 19 sulfur springs (48°C/118°F), already used for medicinal purposes in
Roman times. To the west of the spa, where the valley opens out, are the newer parts of the town, with large industrial plants, (Brown-Boveri). Known to the Romans as Aquae Helvetiae, Baden became in the Middle Ages the country's leading curative resort, the hot sulfurous water (1,000 cu. m/35,310 cu. ft daily) being piped up from a great depth. The town's central situation and its political activity made it a place of importance in the old Confederation, and the Diet frequently met here. The first hydroelectric power station was brought into operation in Baden in 1892.