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Voykit pocket guide · 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.
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.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Oct–Feb (fog in the valley)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CHF
- Money
- Currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; euros are sometimes taken with change in francs.
- Daily spend
- Budget CHF 90–140 excl. bed · Mid CHF 140–220 excl. bed · High CHF 220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt sell prepaid SIMs (ID needed); Swisscom covers the most mountain terrain.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 118 · European emergency 112 · Rega air rescue 1414
- Plugs
- Types J, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Swiss three-pin sockets are recessed: thin two-pin (type C) plugs fit, but thick German Schuko plugs do not — bring a Swiss adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.; Café or bar: Round up.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Optional; CHF 2–5 for porters.; Mountain guide: CHF 20–50 for a day, optional.
- Water
- Tap and fountain water is excellent. Restaurants usually charge for bottled water; ask for 'Hahnenwasser' / 'eau du robinet'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | CHF 4–6 |
| Lunch, café or bakery | CHF 12–20 |
| Dinner, mid restaurant | CHF 25–45 |
| Beer, 0.5 l in a bar | CHF 6–9 |
| Museum entry (Altes Zeughaus, Waldegg) | CHF 6 |
| Freibad an der Aare, adult | CHF 6 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CHF 15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- 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
Typical fares
- 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)
Get 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 and do
Known for
- St. Ursen Cathedral
- Baroque old town and the number 11
- Weissenstein mountain
- Aare river swimming
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Weissenstein | Train or bus to Oberdorf, then the cable car up | About 1 h |
| Verenaschlucht hermitage | Bus 4 to Rüttenen, Brüggmoos, then walk the gorge | About 1 h |
| Biel/Bienne | Train along the Jura foot line | About 30 min |
| Bern | RBS train, direct | About 1 h |
| Schloss Waldegg | Tram to Feldbrunnen, then 5 min on foot | About 30 min |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | GrüeziGRUE-tsi |
| Thank you | Merci vielmalMER-si FEEL-mal |
| Please | BitteBIT-teh |
| How much is it? | Was kostet das?vas KOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-teh TSA-len |
| Where is the station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof?vo ist dair BAHN-hof |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Skipping the greeting in shops
- Punctuality: Be exactly on time; avoid: Running for the train expecting it to wait
- Language: Greet in the local language, then ask for English; avoid: Speaking German in Geneva as a default
- Quiet: Low voices in trains; quiet carriages are marked; avoid: Speakerphone calls
- Money: Keep financial talk discreet; avoid: Asking people's salaries
- Recycling: Separate PET, glass and cans; avoid: Leaving rubbish in hotel or flat bins unsorted
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Solothurn yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- St. Ursen Cathedral
- Baroque old town and the number 11
- Weissenstein mountain
- Aare river swimming
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Solothurn city (official): www.stadt-solothurn.ch/
- Solothurn tourism: www.solothurn-city.ch/en/
- SBB timetable: www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
- Wikivoyage: Solothurn, revision 5306013 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5306013
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Solothurn
Bitte zu dieser Adresse
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Solothurn; most countries have embassies in Bern, about 1 h by train.
Tipping: service is included; round up for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/solothurn). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.