Grindelwald - Solothurn


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Europe » Switzerland » North-West » Solothurn
July 16th 2011
Published: July 16th 2011
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The River Aare running through the Old TownThe River Aare running through the Old TownThe River Aare running through the Old Town

The River Aare (the longest in Switzerland) runs through the Old Town of Solothurn and eventually into the Rhine.
Yesterday was a "stay around" day of shopping, cleaning, a walk up the Lauterbrunnen Valley from Zweilutschenen, and helping Mariann - not worth a writeup.

Today, Mariann phoned to say that going to Fribourg with her was off as she has injured her leg and needs to go to the Doctor. Since B&G recommended Solothurn as an interesting place to visit, we headed there. It is northwest of Bern towards Basel and on the Aare River. Solothurn Old Town is classified as Switzerland's most beautiful baroque city. It has a wall surrounding it that also includes the houses as part of the defence, several arched gates, the wall itself, a past moat, several watch towers and a vibrant centre with lovely old buildings and many fountains. There are the usual museums and churches to visit if you wish. Also acting as part of the city defence is the river Aare (the longest in Switzerland) which by the time it reaches Solothurn is very wide. The headwaters of the Aare is from a glacier near the Grimsel Pass where we were the other day up the valley from Innerkirchen. It then flows down into Lake Brienz then lake Thun, on through
The Riedholz Tower bastion and moatThe Riedholz Tower bastion and moatThe Riedholz Tower bastion and moat

Picture shows one of the Defence Towers from outside of the walled town. There also appear to be sentry boxes with the old moat now grassed.
Bern, into Lake Bien, through to Solothurn and eventually into the Rhine River.

We arrived to the Saturday Market in Solothurn Old Town so it was very busy with people buying and sitting in cafe's drinking and eating - a favourite European occupation. We of course joined them, then walked around the outside of the town, back into it and eventually back to the station for the two and a half hour trip back home. We took a secondary route back rather than heading back to Bern. This took us through the Emmental area again which has beautiful old farm buildings, small villages dotted over the hills, forest and gently rolling country. It is very pretty and typically Swiss.




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The Basel GateThe Basel Gate
The Basel Gate

Seen from inside the Old Town, this is the Basel Gate, one of the main entrances into the Old Town


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