Pillbox 1

Pillbox 1

Topic of this cache are the defence works from the second world war around Kaiseraugst.

Starting locations with parking spots:

• Golf court Rheinfelden, N 47.545693 E 7.775711, approx. 1.75 km (1.09 Mi)
• Challereweg/Cholgrubenweg, N 47.537609 E 7.753020, approx. 2.21 km (1.37 Mi)
• Linerthalden, N47.533958 E 7.743987, approx. 3.17 km (1.97 Mi)

The ways in the wood are suitable for child's pushchairs with air tyres. 

For mountainbikers, try this Komoot tour https://www.komoot.de/tour/170281435?ref=wtd

Cache-Informations:

• 250 ml, round opening, 32 mm (1.26") in diameter
• Travelbugs 52 x 30 mm should fit
• only for very small items, if you want to exchange any.
• Be careful and don't drop the container when you put it back where it was.

The swiss army built fortifications after the outbreak of the second world war to defend the swiss border. Those close to the border should delay the german advance, by blocking of the transport routes into the inner of the country in case of an invasion. The road blocks use the terrain features as best as possible. 

The most important fortifications in Kaiseraugst (Zelglihof/Birch) are in the area of the motorway junction A2/A3. Their purpose was to block the road southwards in the direction of Arisdorf. You can find blockhouses on both sides of the motorway (which was built in the late 1960's) and tank obstacles.

A few kilometers to the east, between Rheinfelden and Magden, lies another passage to the south which was blocked in an area called Enge ("narrow"). The most extraordinary construction there is the small fortress Enge-Ost which was built into a rock wall in an old quarry.

Between these two well defended positions is a hill covered by wood, which belongs to the villages Kaseraugst, Olsberg and Rheinfelden. There are many ways through the wood, which had to be defended as well in order to prevent the enemy from bypassing the main positions. Most of the structures are pillboxes, small concrete bunkers, typically with 3 simple embrasures and lacking metal doors. The size is approximately 3x3 meters. There are several in this wood, most of them close to the ways.

The Cache is on one of the ways which is less often used by hikers. You find there a road block which is protected by two pillboxes which represent the two most usual types. Access to the inside of the pillboxes was blocked unfortunately. I recommend to have a look at them anyway .

More information about the fortifications in canton Argovia can be found in this report (in german & french): 

https://www.ar.admin.ch/content/ar-internet/de/armasuisse-immobilien/historische-militaerbauten/_jcr_content/contentPar/downloadlist_1316732688/downloadItems/16_1462277950213.download/aargau_060612_uns_de.pdf