Solothurn Switzerland

  

click photo to enlarge		 The city of Solothurn was rebuilt in 14-37 AD by the Roman Emperor Claudius and became a Roman stronghold. That's how old this city is. This picture looks across the Aare river at our hotel. The hotel An der Aare was once a hospital. We went to visit our friend Conny who lives on Solothurn.

click photo to enlarge		 The streets of the city are more like large alley ways. It is built like a maze. During the Middle Ages the settlement grew around the remains of the Roman fortress and the religious house of St. Ursen, founded in the 8th century.

click photo to enlarge		 The city is walled in on 3 sides and the fourth side is protected by the river. The old town was built between the 1500's and 1800. The city calls itself Switzerland's largest Baroque city. Solothurn has a special affinity to the number eleven. Solothurn is the Canton of Solothurn and it was the 11th canton to become part of the Swiss Confederation. There are eleven churches and chapels, as well as eleven historical fountains and eleven towers. The St. Ursus cathedral has eleven altars and eleven bells, and the stairs in front of the cathedral have levels between every eleven steps.

click photo to enlarge		 Click this link for some history on the city. Solothurn was a wonderful city to visit and like everyplace else we went in Europe you never have enough time. The picture below shows the walls and the moat that went around the city for protection.

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