Solothurn
Alte Brennerei Unterramsern: Art in a 1905 Potato Distillery
A 1903 potato schnapps distillery in the Bucheggberg turned into one of Switzerland’s most unusual art galleries. Its history, how to visit, and my reviews of its exhibitions, starting with Schang Hutter.
Aare Boat Solothurn to Biel: Route, Timetable & All Events
The complete guide to the Aare boat between Solothurn and Biel: every stop, the timetable, tickets, the MS Siesta, the history of the Romandie and all events and theme cruises.
HESO Solothurn: History, Highlights & Tips
Every September, Solothurn quietly turns into the busiest city in the canton for ten days straight. Around 100,000 people pass through the Schanzengrabengelände at the edge of the old town for HESO, the Herbstmesse Solothurn, and if you have never been, the name alone does not tell you much. It sounds like a trade show,…
Chilbi in Switzerland: The Swiss Village Fair Explained
What is a Chilbi? A local’s guide to the traditional Swiss village fair: its history, rides, food, prices and tips, with the Chilbi Biberist and its rubber duck race as an example.
Altreu: Boat Trip from Solothurn to Switzerland’s Stork Village
How to take the boat from Solothurn to Altreu and back, see the storks of Switzerland’s stork village and have lunch at the Restaurant zum Grüene Aff.
Best Restaurants in Solothurn: Why This Small Swiss Town Eats So Well
If you type “best restaurants in Solothurn” into Google, you are probably standing on a cobblestone street in the old town, phone in hand, slightly overwhelmed. That reaction is completely normal. Solothurn, Switzerland’s baroque “ambassadors’ city” on the Aare river, is famously said to have the highest number of restaurants per square meter of any…
Swimming in the Aare River: The Complete Guide to Switzerland’s Favorite Wild Swim
There’s a moment almost every visitor to Switzerland remembers: standing on a riverside path, watching locals of every age casually jump into a fast flowing, glacier fed river and float away like it’s the most normal thing in the world. That’s Aare swimming. It’s not a spa activity and it’s not a lazy river at…
Stadtfest Solothurn: Inside the Baroque Old Town’s Biggest Party
Once every two years, the quiet cobblestone streets of Solothurn’s old town stop being quiet. Fountains that normally just trickle become gathering points, the Kreuzackerplatz fills with a Ferris wheel, and the Aare river gets a soundtrack of live concerts drifting over the water until two in the morning. This is Stadtfest Solothurn, the city’s…
Events in Solothurn: The Complete Yearly Calendar
Solothurn looks like it should be a quiet town. Baroque facades, eleven church bells, a slow-moving Aare river, the kind of place you picture reading a book on a bench. And for most of the year, that picture holds up. But scattered through the calendar are pockets of time when this small city turns almost…
Christmas in Switzerland: A First-Timer’s Experience
Christmas in Switzerland is one of the most atmospheric times to see the country: snow on the mountains, old towns lit up, Christmas markets full of mulled wine and raclette, and a quiet, family-focused celebration on Christmas Eve. I grew up with it in Solothurn, but this year I got to experience it fresh again,…
