Olten lies at the junction of the north-south Basel-Chiasso and east-west Geneva-St. Gallen railway lines. Moreover, a national Autobahn junction is also in the immediate vicinity. The central location of Olten in Solothurn canton is legendary, and the Olten railway buffet is a popular meeting point since it is equally close for all Swiss. Its good accessibility already made the town a popular location early on for trade and industry.

The town has numerous hotels and restaurants with a sought-after infrastructure for meetings. Benefiting from having been well maintained is the historic core of the old town. The pedestrian zones with their attractive arrays of shops, the active music scene and a vibrant nightlife with various clubs are all popular.

When undertaking a tour through the old town, a visit to Olten’s museums, the nature museum, art museum and “Wertpapierwelt”, the historical museum of shares and bonds, is well worthwhile. Those with a yearning for the exotic will find Switzerland’s largest Thai temple in nearby Gretzenbach. Finally, on travelling around Olten, visitors will encounter a multitude of interesting fortresses, ruins, castles, churches and chapels.

Numerous excursions, walking trails and bicycle tours in a surprisingly untouched natural environment with light broadleaf forests lead towards the Jura and along the course of the river Aare. After a climb through “Devil’s Gorge” on the “Allerheiligenberg” (All Hallows Mountain) one is rewarded with a magnificent panoramic vista across the Swiss Mittelland. The numerous steep Jura faces, climbing walls and quarries attract ambitious climbers to the region. A sulphurous and gypseous spring, as well as an educational nature trail and a riding stable await in the nearby thermal spa of Lostorf.

Golf enthusiasts will find a beautiful, 18-hole golf course between Olten and Aarau. The solar bobsleigh run in Langendorf by Oberen Hauenstein is aimed at children and the young at heart. When snow falls suffice, small ski areas are operated at several other Jura slopes in the winter. However, the ‘Jurahöhen’ (Jura heights) primarily remain a much-loved cross-country ski region in winter.

Highlights

• Olten Nature Museum – an attractively designed museum for learning and information; dedicated to the nature and natural history of the region.
• Zofingen – a small and pretty mediaeval town, with a particularly well maintained old town that was built to a uniform plan. In Heitereplatz, Zofingen boasts of having the most beautiful festival square in the country.
• Belchenfluh – a prominent border point (1098 m) between the canton of Solothurn and the Baselbiet region. Panorama across the Mittelland, Alps chain, Black Forest and Vogesen mountains.
• Jacob’s Ladder near Egerkingen – a walk with a half-hour climb on the 100-year-old ‘ladder’ with 180 steps leading up to the “Höchi Flue” (966 m) offering up a beautiful panorama.
• Bally Park – from 1868 onwards, the shoe manufacturer Bally arranged for an English-style landscaped park, complete with a straw-roofed lakeside dwelling, to be created along the Aare near Schönenwerd.
• Former Cistercian Abbey of St. Urban – the baroque abbey between Olten and Langenthal is an extraordinarily beautiful testament to Cistercian architecture in Switzerland.

The small town of Thun is beautifully situated at the western end of the lake of the same name and offers views of the snow-covered Alps. The impressive castle towers above the late-medieval town: the Romanesque residential tower with its four angle towers is a popular photo subject. The high pavements in the main street of Thun where businesses and restaurants are arranged on two levels are also well worth seeing. The pedestrian-friendly “Bälliz” street is great for shopping.

A walk along the shores of the River Aare to the Schadau Park with a view of the lake is a refreshing experience. Schloss Schadau, Thun’s second castle which is built in the style of the French Loire Castles, houses a restaurant as well as a gastronomy museum.

It goes without saying that water sports are very popular in Thun. Thun is home to the oldest sailing school in Switzerland. A beautiful bathing beach attracts a great many bathers in summer. And there is an extensive route network for cyclists and bike riders catering for all abilities.

There are interesting castles and ancient Romanesque churches to visit all around Lake Thun. The railway station, bus station and boat embarkation point are located right next to each other in Thun, making it easy to combine the various modes of transport to explore the region. The town is an ideal starting point for excursions by train and boat, whether to Spiez, Interlaken or the many famous holiday resorts, such as Gstaad, Adelboden, Lenk etc, in the Bernese Oberland. And day trips, for example to the world-famous Jungfraujoch, are possible too. The surrounding hiking and ski regions are just a short distance away with the nearest ones being the Stockhorn in the lower Simmen Valley and the Niederhorn near Beatenberg.

Highlights

• Old town with castle – shopping and culture combined at close proximity.
• Wocher Panorama – the 7.5-metre high and 38-metre long 360° circular painting in the Schadau Park depicts the town of Thun at about 1810.
• Stockhorn, Niesen, Niederhorn – accessible by mountain transport facilities, they are fantastic vantage points in the immediate vicinity.
• Cruising on Lake Thun – motor- and paddle-powered ships sail to Interlaken regularly (in winter motor ships only).
• Water sports by and in Lake Thun – the clean water of the lake is perfect for bathing, sailing, surfing, diving etc.

Top Events

• Thun Fasnacht (Carnival) (February/March).
• Literature Festival (March).
• Swiss Performers’ Fair (Künstlerbörse) (April).
• Swiss Economic Forum (May).
• International Festival of Itinerant Entertainers (May).
• Thun Castle Concerts (May/June).
• Thun Festival of Musicals (July/August).
• Fulehung (shooting and youth festival) (September/October).

Lake Biel is ringed by romantic vineyards that offer some of Switzerland’s loveliest hikes. Or enjoy the St. Peter’s Island, where Rousseau once wrote some of his most seminal works. Put in a stop in Ligerz and visit the Vintners’ Museum or take the Vinifuni to Prêles, from where you can enjoy the pleasant views.

One of the prettiest river cruises is between Solothurn and Biel on the Aare. Here, visitors get to see Altreu with its imposing stork colony and Büren, a charming medieval village with a beautifully crafted wooden covered bridge.Then it is on to the rocks of Port, where the water level of the Jura lakes are regulated.

The Three-Lakes cruise (Lake Biel, Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Murten) takes in the vineyards of Lake Biel, the romantic St. Peter’s Island, the Zihl and Broye Canal and finally winds up in medieval Murten.

Winter Cruise: the Three-Lakes cruise is also possible from November through March on every Sunday.

Routes:
Lake Biel cruise: Biel – Erlach – Biel
River Aare cruise: Biel – Solothurn or vice-versa
Three-Lakes cruise: Biel – Erlach – Murten or vice-versa

Old Bern

Bern was the scene of a disputation in 1528 between Roman Catholics and Reformers that led to its acceptance and subsequent championship of Protestant doctrines. In the 18th century Bern governed 52 territories, and its patricians exercised considerable power. The whole system of Bernese patrician government was swept away by the French in 1798; it was partially revived in 1815 but ended in 1831. Bern became the political capital of the Swiss Confederation in 1848.

Old Bern, connected by several bridges to newer parts of the city on the right bank, preserves more of its medieval appearance than any other Swiss city. It is characterized by 2.3 square miles (6 square km) of covered arcades, towers, and 16th-century fountains. The Gothic cathedral (1421–1598), with its 328-foot (100-metre) spire—the highest in Switzerland—is the dominant landmark. Also notable are the City Hall (Rathaus; 1406–16, restored 1942) and the Nydegg Church (1494). The Federal Palace (Bundeshaus; 1851–1902) houses the Swiss federal parliament, as well as the administrative and executive offices of the federal government. The famous Clock Tower (Zeitglockenturm), with a 16th-century clock and mechanical puppets that perform four minutes before every hour, and the Cage Tower (Käfigturm) are the two remaining towers of the old walls that once protected the city. A favourite decorative motif is the bear (Old High German: bero), commemorating the legend of the first animal killed by Berthold V in the year the city was founded; this legend is said to be the source of the city’s name. Perhaps the most famous Bern landmark is the bear pit, where bears have been kept on display at the city’s expense since 1480. Old Bern was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

The University of Bern was founded in 1834 and incorporates the Theological School (founded 1528). The City and University Library (1528) contains many manuscripts and rare books. The Swiss National Library (1895) is also in Bern, as is the headquarters of the Swiss National Bank. The Museum of Fine Arts (Kunstmuseum), opened in 1879, houses the world’s largest collection of works by the Swiss painter Paul Klee—a total of more than 2,000 items.

In addition to being the Swiss federal capital, Bern is the headquarters of the international postal, telegraph, railway, and copyright unions. Its industries include the manufacture of chocolate, machinery, electrical equipment, textiles, and chemical and pharmaceutical products. It is also a market for agricultural produce and a busy rail junction. The airport at Belpmoos, 6 miles (10 km) southeast, has a regular summer service linking Bern with Zürich’s international airport. The population is mainly German-speaking and Protestant. Pop. (1996 est.) 127,469.