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Major city · Switzerland

Solothurn

Give Solothurn one full day and one night: the baroque old town is a 10-min walk from the station and is done in 2–3 hours.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CHF
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Oct–Feb (fog in the valley)
Airports
ZRH · BSL · GVA · BRN
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Switzerland ↗Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not the EU: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Switzerland ↗Switzerland is outside the EU customs area: allowances on meat, alcohol and tobacco are strict and checked at borders.
  • Switzerland ↗Motorways need a vignette (sticker or e-vignette) before you drive on them.

Solothurn is a small baroque town on the Aare, the capital of its canton, with a compact old town that takes two to three hours on foot. It works as a one-night stop between Bern and Basel or as a day trip from Bern, and it is the base for the Weissenstein mountain and the Verena gorge. Most travellers do not need more than one night.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Solothurn, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCHF 4–6
  • Sit-down mealDinner, mid restaurantCHF 25–45
  • Beer0.5 l in a barCHF 6–9
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekCHF 15–30
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Altes Zeughaus, Waldegg)CHF 6
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCHF 40
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid hotel, a night, per roomCHF 190
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid hotel, a night, per roomCHF 340

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CHF 90 · Mid CHF 160 · High CHF 280

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

St. Ursen CathedralBaroque old town and the number 11Weissenstein mountainAare river swimming
Airports
ZRH Zurich Airport (Direct hourly train, about 1 h 20 min) · BSL Basel EuroAirport (Train with changes at Olten and Basel SBB, about 1 h 30 min) · GVA Geneva Airport (Direct train, about 2 h) · BRN Bern Belp (Train and bus, about 1 h 20 min; few scheduled routes)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Solothurn: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

3°C

−2°C

10 rd

Feb

5°C

−2°C

9 rd

Mar

10°C

1°C

10 rd

Apr

15°C

4°C

10 rd

May

19°C

8°C

12 rd

Jun

23°C

12°C

11 rd

Jul

25°C

14°C

10 rd

Aug

25°C

13°C

10 rd

Sep

20°C

10°C

9 rd

Oct

14°C

6°C

10 rd

Nov

8°C

2°C

10 rd

Dec

4°C

−1°C

10 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The old town is 500 m north of the station and is fully walkable; use the Kreuzackerbrücke footbridge for the best approach. Regional buses and trams cover the suburbs and the station is the regional hub. Trains run along the Jura foot line to Bern, Biel, Olten, Zurich and Geneva.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Weissenstein

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Train or bus to Oberdorf, then the cable car up

Views over the plateau to the Alps; the classic escape from valley fog.

Verenaschlucht hermitage

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus 4 to Rüttenen, Brüggmoos, then walk the gorge

30–45 min walk from town; candles lit in the rocks in the evening.

Biel/Bienne

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Train along the Jura foot line

Bilingual lakeside town; pairs well with a boat back in summer.

Bern

go

Door to door: About 1 h

RBS train, direct

Easy half-day or full-day add-on.

Schloss Waldegg

caution

Door to door: About 30 min

Tram to Feldbrunnen, then 5 min on foot

Small aristocratic museum, CHF 6; check opening days before going.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Old town (Altstadt)

Bars, cafés and the cathedral on the doorstep; 10 min on foot from the station.

Station area

Cheapest beds and easiest bags-on arrival; 10 min walk to the old town.

Riverside (Aare)

Quiet, good for summer swimming access; still walkable to the centre.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
CHF 90–140 excl. bed
Mid
CHF 140–220 excl. bed
High
CHF 220+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid hotel1 × 1 night × CHF 190CHF 190
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × CHF 160CHF 320
Train Zurich Airport ↔ Solothurn, both ways2 × CHF 100 · checkCHF 200
Weissenstein cable car, return2 × CHF 30 · checkCHF 60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CHF 20CHF 40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCHF 81
Trip total≈ CHF 446 per person per day, bed includedCHF 891≈ US$1,200

2026 estimate in Swiss francs; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeCHF 4–6
Lunch, café or bakeryCHF 12–20
Dinner, mid restaurantCHF 25–45
Beer, 0.5 l in a barCHF 6–9
Museum entry (Altes Zeughaus, Waldegg)CHF 6
Freibad an der Aare, adultcheckCHF 6
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekCHF 15–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe. The real risks are river currents after rain, ice on the old-town cobbles in winter and pickpockets only in the usual crowded market moments.
  • Valley fog from October to February can last for days; the Weissenstein cable car is the usual escape.
  • The cathedral tower is closed in winter and the fee is posted at the door, paid at the top.
  • Aare swimming is only for summer; the flow is slow near town but check conditions after rain.
  • Shops close on public holidays in this traditionally Catholic canton.

Emergency numbers

Police
117
Ambulance
144
Fire
118
European emergency
112
Rega air rescue
1414

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

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SolothurnSolothurn

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Bitte zu dieser AdresseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police117
  • Ambulance144
  • Fire118
  • European emergency112
  • Rega air rescue1414

Embassy

No embassies in Solothurn; most countries have embassies in Bern, about 1 h by train.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Solothurn → Bern, RBS: about CHF 15–20, about 1 h (check)
  • Solothurn → Zurich Airport, direct: about CHF 50, 1 h 20 min (check)
  • Weissenstein cable car, return: about CHF 30 (check)

Say or show

  • Grüezi — Hello (GRUE-tsi)
  • Merci vielmal — Thank you (MER-si FEEL-mal)
  • Bitte — Please (BIT-teh)
  • Was kostet das? — How much is it? (vas KOS-tet das)
  • Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? — Can I pay by card? (kan ikh mit KAR-teh TSA-len)
  • Wo ist der Bahnhof? — Where is the station? (vo ist dair BAHN-hof)

Tipping: service is included; round up for good service.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Solothurn. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Oct–Feb (fog in the valley) · month by month →
  2. 4 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contracts for ZRH, BSL, GVA and BRN: last-train cutoffs, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: old town, cathedral and Hauptgasse, riverside, station.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (cathedral tower, Altes Zeughaus, Kunstmuseum, Naturmuseum) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Fog-season and Aare-swimming fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Switzerland

Sources