Solothurn is adorable and small. It’s the kind of town where you can recognise people and run into folks that you know (even when you don’t know many). It’s a very old town, complete with town walls and Roman wall ruins located on the banks of the beautiful Aare River.
Eating Out in Solothurn
- Enjoy breakfast at: Get a breakfast tower at any of the cafes in town, pastries, bread, jam, sometimes also cheese or Bircher Muesli. Stadt Roasterei would be a great option, their coffee is wonderful. Also, buy some coffee beans to take home from the cafe or their roaster further into the cafe space.
- Grab a coffee at: Get coffee at any of the places by the river. The cappuccino at Cafebar Landhaus is exceptionally good, but the spot is even better. Barock Cafe is also in that area. They have a breakfast tower too that I’d love to try.
- For authentic Swiss hospitality: Head to Brasserie Jägerstübli for any kind of fondue you could want. They have other dishes too. Or if you are in the mood for Rösti, Härdöpfu-Huus is the place to go!
- Grab something sweet at: The Schogi-gipfel at Duo Backerei in Zuchwil is incredible. Their almond one is very good too.
- For drinks: The winner for view is the bar at the top of the H4 hotel. It’s called the Penthouse Bar for good reason.
- In between Sightseeing take a break: My favourite summer place is Bademeister. It’s a great outdoor restaurant, complete with good beer, cocktails and great food too! (The smoked salmon salad is my favourite, though you can’t go wrong with the burgers either!) Another great summer option is Hafebar. It only exists in the summer and it’s right on the river, across from the Old town.
- Try the local speciality: The local tort is called the Solothurner tort. It’s layers of Hazelnut meringue and cream.
- For Date night: Solheure has a great location, food and plenty of drink options too.
- For a hipster vibe: Viktor in the middle of town is a great option for an arty hipster vibe. It’s a great place to sit outside for an Apero/coffee with wonderful people watching. Follow the river into Zuchwil and find Riveryard. Both of these places don’t have an extensive menu. They post changes to their instagram.
Where to Shop in Solothurn
- Buy your groceries at: Stadt-Chäsi has cheese and more. There’s also plenty of other grocery options in town, including three organic markets, plus some Italian markets too.
- Visit the Farmers Market: There’s a market in the centre of town every Wednesday and Saturday. Go early though, they start packing up at noon.
- Chocolate lovers shouldn’t miss: Head to Chocola where you can customise your hot chocolate, picking the type of chocolate, milk and optional flavourings. They also have a drink called the Cafe Chocola. It’s espresso, milk and chocolate. Incredible and never too sweet.
- The best Cheese can be found: Chäs Plus is in neighbouring Biberist and has an excellent selection of cheeses.
- Find something for the home at: You know those shops that are super interesting, with a little something for everyone? Lila is that shop. Everything is beautiful. They have cards, women’s clothes/jewelry, kids items, and nice things for your home also.
- Hire Skis from: You can hire skis, snow shoes and other items at Bergsport Bordogna. When there’s enough snow, snow shoeing Weissenstein is lovely.
- Grab a nice bottle at: Vino Thek always has very friendly people working.
Acitivites In and Around Solothurn
- Hop on a bike and cycle: You can cycle along the Aare or on many bike paths in the area. Follow the bike path signs (especially 5/8 if you want to stay along the river). Heading from Solothurn towards Biel takes you past plenty of restaurants and even a Stork-focused reserve. If you are a mountain or gravel biker, there’s plenty of options for that too.
- Take a dip: Bring a float, a tube, or yourself and hop in the river. The current usually is a meandering pace. You can rent paddle boards or small canoes right in town also. (Outdoor Solothurn)
- Pull on your hiking boots and: hike the Weissenstein. Oberdorf is a short bus/train/or car ride from Solothurn. Follow the signs to Weissenstein or Hinterweissenstein. (There’s a gondola too if you only want to hike one way.)
- Families love to visit: There’s a free nature museum in town. Plenty of dioramas including local animals.
- For something different explore: The Solothurn swimming pool is quite popular in the summer. It’s 6 CHF per day for an adult, 3.50 CHF for kids 7-16. There’s multiple pools there, snack bar, and even river access too.
- If it is raining : There’s a lot of musuems in Solothurn, especially for the size of the town.
- Don’t miss a visit to: For unique views, climb the Cathedral tower. Take cash (3 CHF per adult, less for kids) and climb the stairs. The views are worth it!
- Locals ski at: There’s a small ski hill at Balmberg. With enough snow, ski touring is possible in the Jura Mountains.
- For the best views: Head to Oberdorf and take the gondola (or hike!) up to Weissenstein. Alternatively views of the city from either bank are beautiful. Or, find any small hill to see the Alps on a clear day.
All the Locals of Solothurn Know
- Local festivals not to miss: There’s a film fest (Solothurner Filmtage) showing the best Swiss films in January. Fastnacht is also a large celebration in Solothurn. There’s plenty of confetti and Guggenmusik.
- The locals eat at: There’s usually a line outside Vitamin Station for gelato. It’s worth the wait!
- Don’t get caught out at: If you plan to eat dinner in a restaurant, a reservation is a very good idea.
- It is busier on: The river front cafes and bars can get quite busy, especially on weekends. Take care if biking by.
- The best time of year to visit is: While it can get quite foggy in October and November, usually, sun can still be found in the mountains above Solothurn. Seeing the fog from above is a magical sight.
- Best place to watch the sunset: Find yourself a place by the river, on the opposite side of the old city, the sky turns all sorts of wonderful colours, especially over the mountains.
Getting Around Solothurn
- Best to get around on: There are plenty of buses if you like. However, the town itself is so small, it’s entirely walkable too.
- Closest airport/train station/bus stop: There’s a train stop right in Solothurn making it very easy to get to. The Zurich airport is a little over an hour away, as is Basel Airport too.
- Traffic Tips: Don’t plan to drive through town. Park in a garage or space outside and walk around.
- Rent bikes/Scooters from: You can rent bikes at the train station.
- A great place to rest your head: People talk about the breakfast at H4 and the location can’t be beaten. Located right across the river from the Old Town, the views are incredible.
