Ueken offers two distinct starting points for a cultural and historical exploration: St. Anthony’s Chapel, with its architectural history, and a Roman coin hoard. Its location in the Staffelegg Valley also helps place the village geographically. The architecture and archaeological find offer different ways to explore the past of the area; anyone interested in either topic will find specific historical points of reference in Ueken.
Village and landscape
Ueken is a village in the political municipality of Herznach-Ueken in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It belongs to the district of Laufenburg and lies in the southeastern part of the Frick Valley. The village comprises Oberdorf to the south and Unterdorf to the north, set slightly apart. The distinction is important for geographical context: Ueken refers to the village, while Herznach-Ueken is the political municipality. This distinction is also useful when looking for accommodation, so the village name is not confused with the municipality’s name.
Ueken lies in the Staffelegg Valley, a side valley of the Sissle. The valley, around 200 metres wide, is bounded on both sides by Tafeljura hills. These rise steeply in the lower section, while in the upper section they give way to extensive plateaus. The transition from steep valley slopes to broad uplands describes the shape of the valley and gives Ueken’s location a distinct landscape setting.
St. Anthony’s Chapel
St. Anthony’s Chapel was built in 1705 and stands immediately west of the former mill in Unterueken. Its features include six stained-glass windows made in the workshop of the renowned artist Arthur Nüscheler. During renovations in the 1920s, the chapel was extended by one third on the stream side. This makes it possible to distinguish several aspects of its history: the construction date marks when it was built, the extension a later alteration to the building, and the windows a specific connection to the workshop.
Roman coin hoard
Archaeologists recovered more than 4,000 coins from Ueken’s coin hoard, dating from between 260 and 293 AD. The Roman find is one of the largest hoards ever discovered in Switzerland. It was found in a cherry orchard. These details answer different questions: the number conveys the scale of the find, the date range places it in its historical context, and the orchard indicates where it was discovered. The coin hoard can therefore be explored as a distinct archaeological topic, separate from the chapel’s architectural history.
Planning your visit
The Klopfstelle Weichle is not an accessible stop for visitors: it is permanently closed for safety reasons and must not be entered. Do not include a visit to the Klopfstelle in your plans.
When choosing a cultural focus, there are two distinct interests to consider: the chapel’s architectural and decorative history, or Roman archaeology and the coin hoard. The chapel offers historical reference points from its construction in 1705 to its renovation in the 1920s; the coin find is dated to the period from 260 to 293 AD.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Laufenburg, Oberhofen, Kaisten, Wölflinswil, Frick.
Back to the main travel overview: Laufenburg.
