A city trip to Frick in the Swiss canton of Aargau is always worth it…because dinosaurs are inspiring for young and old people alike.
The rural village entered the news when the first dinosaur skeletons were found here in the 1960s. The treasures collected here over the decades are housed by the Dinosaur Museum which came into existence in 1991. After the archaeologists and palaeontologists it is now dinosaur enthusiasts who come for a short trip or a mini-break to Frick every Sunday. The village is easily accessible from Germany as it is not far from the river Rhine and therefore only a stone’s throw from Southern Germany. Frick is located on the Motorway A3, about halfway between Zurich and Basel. This makes it easy to plan a quick stop at the Dinosaur Museum while on a city trip. The roundabout at the motorway exit greets visitors with a dinosaur sculpture which is several metres high.
The Dinosaur Museum in Frick came to fame as it is home to the only, complete skeleton of a Plateosaurus in Switzerland. This dinosaur was an herbivore giant, between 7 and 8 metres long, and probably moved upright on its hind legs. The specimen in Frick was not fully grown but is still quite impressive.
The dinosaur educational trail is also the only in all of Switzerland. It takes visitors on a relaxing stroll from the Dinosaur Museum to the clay pit where excavations are still taking place today. Eight information stations provide visitors with information about the history of the earth and its earlier inhabitants. At the end of the trail, a BBQ spot awaits which is frequently used by families as rest stop.
Apart from dinosaur bones, Frick also impresses with a number of fossils. The gallery primarily displays fossils from the Jurassic Sea which covered the area around Frick about 200 million years ago. Snails and mussels as well as numerous bizarre sea creatures, such as primeval fish, inspire children and help them discover their own imagination.
Be sure not to miss the “Klopfplatz” (tap square). This is a special area where everyone can come at any time and search for fossils personally. However, it is important to bring tools as they are not provided. And please respect the barriers so as not to endanger the professional excavations.
A city trip to Frick will provide memories for a life-time and will be fondly spoken of in many conversations to come.
