The Besenbüren Lourdes grotto, dating from 1929, a half-timbered forge with a core structure dating from 1720, and the protected glacial landscape give Besenbüren several clearly distinct themes. There are also wayside crosses whose locations are connected to historic routes. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Besenbüren, you can explore the village according to your specific interests: local crafts, religious markers in the village landscape or the history of the landscape. These themes offer different perspectives on Besenbüren, rather than reducing the village to a single landmark.

Village History and Crafts

The Acta Murensia was written around 1160 and mentions Besenbüren. In the 19th century, agriculture and straw plaiting were important sources of income. The forge at Dorfstrasse 16 has a core structure dating from 1720 and is built using half-timbering. The last broom-making workshop in the canton of Aargau operated here until the late 20th century. The historical references thus span medieval mentions, an early building core and a craft that was still practised in the 20th century.

Since the 1990s, the forge has been used for social and cultural events. Since 2008, the Bäsibräu association’s brewery has been located at Steigass 2a. The Bäsibörer Häxe organise a children’s carnival with a procession, Guggenmusik and the burning of the Böög together with the Bünz district school. The HÖLLEFÄSCHT takes place every summer in the Besenbüren forest. If you are planning around a specific event, check its date; summer is the recurring time of year for the HÖLLEFÄSCHT.

Grotto and Wayside Crosses

The Besenbüren Lourdes grotto is small in scale and dates from 1929. It is located in a small forest clearing northwest of the village, on the Schanzhübel. Its location and scale set it apart from the wayside crosses found along historic routes. The Hinterdorf Kantonsstrasse wayside cross stands at the fork in the road at the western entrance to the village and marks the route of the historic road from Bünzen to Rottenschwil.

Another wayside cross stands on Bremgartenstrasse. It is made of shell limestone, dates from 1834 and features trefoil-shaped terminals and relief celestial bodies. It is located at the intersection of the historic routes from Bremgarten to Muri and from Bünzen to Rottenschwil. The two crosses therefore refer to former routes, but in different ways: one marks the course of a route, while the other stands at the intersection of two connections. They also differ in design: the Hinterdorf Kantonsstrasse wayside cross has Neo-Gothic mouldings, while the cross on Bremgartenstrasse is distinguished by its material and relief details.

Glacial Landscape on a Grand Scale

Besenbüren is part of the protected Bremgarten–Wohlen–Bünzen–Besenbüren glacial landscape. Its features include moraine ridges, meltwater channels, kettle holes, moraine hollows and erratic boulders left by the Würm-period Reuss Glacier. The landscape is considered a classic glacier-margin landscape of national importance. Unlike the forge and the wayside crosses, the focus here is on the geological history of an entire landscape. This offers a distinct theme if, in addition to local and cultural history, you would also like to explore the landforms shaped by the Reuss Glacier.

Breithau Forest Hut

Breithau Forest Hut is located in Besenbüren forest and can accommodate about 45 people. It is available to residents of Besenbüren, associations and visitors from elsewhere. The approximate capacity gives a general indication of its size; the stated users include both local residents and people from outside the village.

Discover more destinations: Aristau, Abtwil, Bünzen, Mühlau, Sins, Beinwil, Muri.

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