 Solothurn - The finest baroque town of Switzerland. The city is a melting pot for the splendor of Italian architecture, the charisma of French architecture and the Swiss German mentality of stability and open mindedness.
The number ‘11’ is considered sacred by the inhabitants of this beautiful town. In 1481 Solothurn became the eleventh canton of the Swiss Confederation; the city has eleven churches and chapels, eleven towers and eleven fountains. The cathedral of St. Ursen has eleven bells and eleven alters, the impressive staircase leading down from the main portal is divided into flights of eleven steps. A Stroll through the picturesque old town will reveal that almost everything is in sets of ‘11’.
Solothurn is situated on the banks of the River Aare at the south foot of the Jura mountain range. The town is also known as St. Ursen. St. Ursen Cathedral is the city’s emblem and is the most dominating structure in the city’s skyline.
The city is also referred as the City of Ambassadors. Solothurn was the seat of the French ambassadors to Switzerland from 1530 to 1792. It was during this period when many of Solothurn’s fine baroque monuments were built. Besenval Palace, Waldegg Castle and numerous aristocratic mansions and manors are all built in the French baroque style.
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