Canton Solothurn
Solothurn’s Baroque Town Centre
The quiet town of Solothurn has a sleepy vibe but at the same time offers so much to keep your senses alive. It is well worth an overnight stay. You can sit beside the tree-lined Aare river while discovering the many fascinating stories of Solothurn’s past.
When you see the Piazzas, churches, city gates, unique town clock and imposing cathedral, and market stalls you will understand why Solothurn is often called Switzerland’s most beautiful baroque town.
One interesting story includes a number that keeps popping up all over Solothurn and is considered a magical lucky number by the residents of this town. The number öufi – 11.
St Ursen Cathedral
This huge baroque cathedral stands over the old town of Solothurn. This neo-classical Cathedral is made of locally sourced marble.
Number 11 can be found all over this cathedral.
- Three sets of 11 imposing steps lead up to the cathedral.
- The cathedral has 11 altars.
- The tower has 11 bells.
- The third complete reconstruction of the cathedral took place from 1762 to 1773 according to a design by Gaetano Matteo Pisoni from Ascona – lasting exactly 11 years.
- Pisoni’s nephew, Paolo Pisoni, managed the later years of the construction. (I personally noticed that his name has 11 letters.)
- 11 bells from the Kaiser foundry in Solothurn (1764–1768) hang behind a large acoustic opening and, finally,
- there are 11 churches and cathedrals in Solothurn.
St Ursus Cathedral Bild von Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto auf Pixabay
Marktplatz and The Clock Tower
The Medieval market square with its 13th century Clock tower is in the centre of the old town.
Markets have been regularly held here since the middle ages. These days the markets are held weekly – on Wednesdays and Saturdays (not during public holidays). Monthly craft markets are held on the second Monday of the month with stalls spread from one end of the historical centre to the other – Klosterplatz to Bieltor.
The Clock Tower (Zeitglickenturm) is the oldest building in the town. The solid 13th-century building towers over the market square and is a feast for the eyes. It consists of a large astronomical clock (built 1545) with sun and moon hands that move over the signs of the zodiac. Positioned proudly above the clock are a knight, a king and a Grim Reaper, waiting to do their symbolic movements on the hour. The clock shows the time, day and year with the hands reversed – the smaller one showing the minutes.
The meaning of the Knight, the Grim Reaper and the King on the Clock Tower.
The Knight
The Knight stands on a pedestal on the left-hand side. He is wearing a helmet and armor and holding a battle-ax in his right hand and a sword in his left. With every fifteen-minute strike, he turns his head against death and hits his chest with his left hand. This is how he testifies his loyalty to his king.
Death
On the right is death. In his right hand, he holds an hourglass, which he turns just before the hour strikes. He symbolizes the opposites of life, such as good-bad, life-death. In his left hand, he holds the deadly arrow that can hit anyone at any moment. With every strike of the hour, he turns his head against the warrior.
The King
The king sits on his throne between warrior and death. In his right hand, he holds the scepter, which he raises and drops again with every strike of the hour. In addition, the king counts the hours by moving his lower jaw in time. The scepter symbolizes his power and the beard his wisdom. The king is wearing a fool’s cap. This symbolizes that power turns into tyranny when a king cannot combine it with the wisdom and wit of a court jester.
Enjoying the Aare River
Sitting beside . . .
Landhausquai offers trendy cafes, bars and restaurants with outdoor seating by the river.
Biking Along . . .
National Bike routes number 5 & 8 take you through Solothurn’s riverside locations then further west, along the Aare River and the Nidau-Büren Canal to Lake Biel and beyond. Note: The light blue numbered panels on red signs point you in the right direction.
You will find Switzerland’s largest stork colony in Altreu, the lovely historical town of Büren and you will bike through the flat Witi conservation area with even more storks along with other wildlife.
The biking trail is called the Aare-Route, – beginning and ending at the train stations. This is 32.8 km long and takes approx. 2.15 hours.
Bikes can be hired from the main train station on Dornacherstrasse – or reserved directly from the Rent a Bike AG website.
The Trail of Megaliths – the boulders deposited by the Rhone Glacier
The Megalithweg is a circular themed trail that makes its way through forests and alongside streams. 13 Information boards explain how the Rhein Glacier carved its way through this region. The main themes of the Megalithweg are the impressive boulders left by the glacier and how they were used by prehistoric people. The last stop is the tiny Verena Gorge complete with church, chapels and a hermitage cottage.
The parking at Schloss Waldegg is a good starting point. From here it is a 20-30 walk back to Solothurn.
More on the Verena Chapel and mini Gorge
The two Verena chapels and hermitage cottage, along with the surrounding garden, stream and carved rock faces are a bit like something out of a fairytale – you just need to use a bit of imagination. In fact, there is still a hermit living in the little cottage today.
From here, a trail leads along a pretty stream with waterfalls, caves and moss-covered rocks.
Einsiedelrei (Verena Chapel) Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
Route: Solothurn – Verena Gorge – Verena Chapel
Length: 50 minutes; Distance: 2 km; Elevation: 40 m. Is buggy friendly.
Walking: Approx 20 mins from centre of Solothurn to the entrance of the gorge.
Bus: No. 4 towards Rüttenen (St. Niklaus stop)
Guided tours
Guided tours or torchlit hikes through Verena Gorge can be booked via Solothurn Tourism.
Kloster Marianstein, a Benedictine Monastery and Rotberg Castle
This Monastery is hidden away in the Leimental, an area in the northwestern pocket of canton Solothurn. Kloster Marianstein is considered to be one of the most beautiful Abbeys in Switzerland.
The Abbey has existed here since the end of the 14th century as a Marian pilgrimage and in 1648 a nearby Benedictine monastery relocated here and built the monastery complex.
Sights
- The Chapel of Grace is a natural cave with access through an underground passage and a staircase.
- Chapel of the Seven Pains (end of the 15th century),
- Monastery church (late Gothic, New Baroque furnishings)
- St. Anna Chapel on the edge of the forest (around 1700)
Churches and chapels are open during the day.
Places to stay
Klosterhotel Kreuz
Paradiesweg 1, Mariastein, Tel. 061 735 12 12, Fax 061 735 12 13,
info@klosterhotel-kreuz.ch, www.klosterhotel-kreuz.ch
Down Paradiesweg, across from the Monastery, in the middle of the beautiful park you can find the Klosterhotel. This hotel is all about relaxation, refueling and distancing yourself from everyday life. Meetings and seminars are also held here.
Rotberg Youth Hostel
For information: Tel. 061 73110 49, mariastein@youthhostel.ch,
Details: www.youthhostel.ch/mariastein Open from: March 1st to mid-December Getting There: Driving from Basel: approx. 30 mins; Public Transport: Approx 1 hr; Driving from Solothurn: approx. 1 hr
Rotberg Castle is perched on cliffs overlooking Mariastein, surrounded by thick forest… This is a proper fairytale castle. When you first see it, you can image Rapunzel letting down her hair from one of the tower’s top windows. The real story is not so interesting. This castle was the seat of the 13th century Lords of Rotberg and was actually only inhabited for a short time. It fell into disrepair then gradual to ruin. In 1934 it was rebuilt and has been serving as a youth hostel since then. This is available to schools and youth groups. The entire castle can be rented for private events.
Public events: Walpurgis Night (always on April 30), is a Summer Night Festival.
Acknowledgments for images: Waldegg Castle: marcelkessler auf Pixabay; Rotberg Youth Hostel: CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59734331; Meditationsweg und Megalithweg am südlichen Verenaschlucht-Eingang: Jochen Ihle, CC BY-SA, Solothurn Tourismus (Signpost pic. in Verena Gorge section).
