THE CANTON OF SOLOTHURN
If you have traveled by train in Switzerland going north to south or west to east, you’ll soon apply the old adage that “all roads lead to Rome” to the City of Olten in the Canton of Solothurn. Solothurn is often overlooked by visitors to Switzerland and yet it offers, as most of Switzerland does, some really neat and interesting places to visit. Olten’s Old Town, albeit small, is quite attractive with its wooden covered bridge over the Aare River. A few miles from Olten is the town of Schönenwerd where in 1851 Carl Franz Bally established his world famous shoe factory. Today you can visit its museum featuring shoes from all over the world dating back to ancient civilizations and enjoy the beautiful park with its Chinese Pavilion & Stilt-houses.
The capital of the canton, the City of Solothurn, has been called by many “the most beautiful baroque city in Switzerland”. The majestic Cathedral of St. Ursus which overlooks the city certainly attests to that., as does the Jesuit Church which stands in its shadows. If you like numerology you’ll be fascinated to learn of the significance of the number eleven in Solothurn. The bell tower of St. Ursus Cathedral measures 6 x 11 meters, it houses 11 bells, the outer staircase comprises of three sets of 11 steps, the number of pipes in its organ is divisible by eleven, the cathedral has 11 altars, eleven clocks and it took 11 years to build. Solothurn is home to 11 museums, 11 fountains, and needless to say the local brewery is named “11-Öufi” (eleven in the local Swiss-German dialect). As a kid I enjoyed visiting castles to explore their nooks & crannies, but most of all to check out the middle age armors, uniforms & weapons. If you too share this interest, be sure to visit the Old Arsenal Museum (Altes Zeughaus) which boasts of having one of the most significant collections in Switzerland.
If you have reached the saturation point looking at museums, churches & historical sites, take a walk along the Aare river and visit the Verena Gorge just north of town. If travelling with children or if you are a child at heart, you definitely will want to visit the Adventure Park in Balmberg located about eight miles from Solothurn. A trip to Solothurn would not be complete without taking an Aare River cruise from Solothurn to Altreu to visit the Stork Colony, then if you are not pressed for time continue your journey to the Lake of Bienne in the Canton of Bern.
Checkout the videos & web sites by clicking on the highlighted links above.
If you have traveled by train in Switzerland going north to south or west to east, you’ll soon apply the old adage that “all roads lead to Rome” to the City of Olten in the Canton of Solothurn. Solothurn is often overlooked by visitors to Switzerland and yet it offers, as most of Switzerland does, some really neat and interesting places to visit. Olten’s Old Town, albeit small, is quite attractive with its wooden covered bridge over the Aare River. A few miles from Olten is the town of Schönenwerd where in 1851 Carl Franz Bally established his world famous shoe factory. Today you can visit its museum featuring shoes from all over the world dating back to ancient civilizations and enjoy the beautiful park with its Chinese Pavilion & Stilt-houses.
The capital of the canton, the City of Solothurn, has been called by many “the most beautiful baroque city in Switzerland”. The majestic Cathedral of St. Ursus which overlooks the city certainly attests to that., as does the Jesuit Church which stands in its shadows. If you like numerology you’ll be fascinated to learn of the significance of the number eleven in Solothurn. The bell tower of St. Ursus Cathedral measures 6 x 11 meters, it houses 11 bells, the outer staircase comprises of three sets of 11 steps, the number of pipes in its organ is divisible by eleven, the cathedral has 11 altars, eleven clocks and it took 11 years to build. Solothurn is home to 11 museums, 11 fountains, and needless to say the local brewery is named “11-Öufi” (eleven in the local Swiss-German dialect). As a kid I enjoyed visiting castles to explore their nooks & crannies, but most of all to check out the middle age armors, uniforms & weapons. If you too share this interest, be sure to visit the Old Arsenal Museum (Altes Zeughaus) which boasts of having one of the most significant collections in Switzerland.
If you have reached the saturation point looking at museums, churches & historical sites, take a walk along the Aare river and visit the Verena Gorge just north of town. If travelling with children or if you are a child at heart, you definitely will want to visit the Adventure Park in Balmberg located about eight miles from Solothurn. A trip to Solothurn would not be complete without taking an Aare River cruise from Solothurn to Altreu to visit the Stork Colony, then if you are not pressed for time continue your journey to the Lake of Bienne in the Canton of Bern.
Checkout the videos & web sites by clicking on the highlighted links above.