Solothurn
The Solothurn OLM offers you the following advice for discovering the must-see places or activities in your region.
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Old town
Solothurn is known as the most beautiful baroque city in Switzerland.
It is particularly worth it:
- Saint-Ursanne Cathedral (weather permitting, it is worth climbing its tower. In good weather, the view is breathtaking).
- The Jesuit Church, a baroque jewel.
- The clock tower on the market square, with its group of moving figures and its astronomical clock.
- The Basel and Biel gates, which delimit the old town on the east and west sides.
- The remains of the imposing baroque entrenchment.
- The somewhat hidden Riedholz square, which transports visitors to times gone by.
- The path leading to the St. Ursus Cathedral via Propsteigasse or Nictumgässlein.
In the old town, there are restaurants, cafes and bars on almost every street corner, inviting you to take a longer or shorter break.
Museums
Solothurn has several museums with high-quality collections.
The Kunstmuseum has a collection of international importance that spans from the late Middle Ages to the contemporary period. The focus is on Swiss art from the 19th and 20th centuries (Amiet, Hodler, Giacometti and many others), but works by artists such as Picasso, Cézanne and Matisse are also on display.
The 300 suits of armour on display at the Old Arsenal Museum are also impressive.Museums
Solothurn has several museums with high-quality collections.
The Kunstmuseum has an internationally important collection that spans from the late Middle Ages to the contemporary period. The focus is on Swiss art from the 19th and 20th centuries (Amiet, Hodler, Giacometti and many others), but works by artists such as Picasso, Cézanne and Matisse are also on display.
The 300 suits of armour on display in the museum of the old arsenal are also impressive.
A visit to the Nature Museum is particularly recommended for children, as it regularly offers exciting special exhibitions.
A little outside Solothurn, in Derendingen, is the Enter Museum, which exhibits computers (including an Apple 1), entertainment electronics, calculating and printing machines as well as cinema vehicles.
Weissenstein
The "local mountain" of Solothurn, located in the middle of the first Jura chain, offers at 1,284 meters above sea level, in good weather, a fantastic panoramic view of the Alps. The summit can be reached on foot or comfortably by gondola. From the city, it is easiest to reach the valley station in Oberdorf by train (12 minutes' journey from Solothurn main station) or by bus no. 1 (to the terminus in Oberdorf, then about 15-20 minutes' walk). At the top, you can take a leisurely walk on relatively flat terrain. The view is particularly beautiful from the Balmfluehchöpfli (easiest to reach from the Nesselboden middle station) and from the Röti.
Attisholz site
Where cellulose was once produced, there is now one of the most exciting brownfield sites in Switzerland. In addition to huge halls, various workshops, bars and restaurants have moved in, while the site is used for a wide variety of events (street food festival, dance days, music festivals). But the former silos have also been transformed into exciting urban spaces.
Verena Gorges
A little outside the city of Solothurn lies the idyllic Verena Gorge, a place of mystical power. The pleasant walk from the city centre to the entrance of the Verena Gorge takes about 20 to 30 minutes. The romantic path leads through the forest, always along the babbling stream, to the hermitage. The small hermit's house is also impressive. A hermit still lives there today.