Solothurn Tourist Attractions
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Solothurn (French Soleure), capital of the canton of the same name, lies astride the river Aare at the foot of the Jura hills. Numerous Renaissance and Baroque buildings bear witness to the one-time splendor of the town, which in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries was the residence of the French ambassadors to the Confederation.The number 11 is significant for Solothurn. It was the 11th canton to join the Confederation in 1481, there are 11 churches and chapels, 11 historic fountains and 11 towers. St Ursen Cathedral has 11 altars and 11 bells and its staircase is divided into sections each with 11 steps.The town of Salodurum ranked with Trier in Germany as one of the oldest Roman settlements north of the Alps. In AD 303 two members of the Theban Legion, Ursus and Victor, were martyred here. Solothurn joined the Swiss Confederation in 1481.
St Ursen Cathedral
Just inside the Baseltor (Basle Gate, 1508), where the Baselstrasse enters Solothurn's old town, stands the Cathedral of St Ursen (St Ursus: 1763-73), in Italian Baroque style, which has been the cathedral of the diocese of Basle since 1830.
Cathedral Treasury
On the ground floor of the 60 m/197ft high tower of St-Ursen Cathedral in Solothurn is the rich Treasury containing goldsmiths' work, textiles of 15th-19th C. and papal coins. On the steps leading up to the cathedral are two fountains with figures of Moses and Gideon.
Old Arsenal
The Old Arsenal (Altes Zeughaus, 1610-14), northwest of the cathedral in Solothurn, houses the largest collection of arms and armor of Europe. The extensive arsenal has weapons and uniforms from the 16th and 17th C. to the present-day.
Town Hall
Almost opposite the Old Arsenal is the Solothurn Rathaus (Town Hall), of the 15th and 17th C., with a fine Renaissance doorway; in the north tower a cantilevered winding staircase dates from 1632.
Marktplatz
In the Solothurn Marktplatz is the 12th C. clock tower (Zeitglockenturm), with mechanical figures (1545) of a king flanked by Death and a soldier. Close by is the Mauritius fountain decorated with a figure by the famous master Hans Gieng of Fribourg.
Jesuit Church
In Hauptgasse, which runs between the Marktplatz, is the Jesuit church (1680-89) with an interior decorated with stucco work by Ticenese artists. In the cloister is an interesting lapidarium with Roman inscriptions.
St Peter's Church
St Peter's chapel in Solothurn has been extensively restored. It contains the tombs of the Theban martyrs Ursus and Victor.
Nature Museum
The nature museum Solothurn is a modern family museum, which exhibits animals, plants, fossils, rocks and minerals of the region.
Museum of Art
The Museum of Art, houses works by old masters (including a Madonna by Hans Holbein the Younger) and by 20th C. artists.
Blumenstein Castle and Historical Museum
North of the Solothurn Museum of Art is the Schloss Blumenstein Historical Museum, with collections of applied art (patrician domestic interiors of the 18th C.).
St Mary's Church
On the western outskirts of Solothurn, St Mary's church (1953) has the largest stained-glass windows in the country (some 100 sq. m/1,076 sq. ft) by H. Stocker.
Map of Solothurn Attractions
Map - Solothurn
