The relaxing one. «Solothurn–Grenchen» circuit

This varied cycle route from Solothurn to Grenchen and back is suitable, for example, as an after-work trail or a pleasure trail. The motto: explore the Solothurn region on a relaxing cycle ride. The Aare meanders through the Witi in Selzach and Grenchen. Formerly a flood area, it’s now a retreat for a growing population of brown hares. Above it is Hasenmatt in the Jura Mountains, the highest point in the canton of Solothurn, and the Weissenstein mountain.

 

Up to Arch, the tour is identical to SwitzerlandMobility Veloroute 44. You leave the city along the Aare in a south-westerly direction, past the Krummturm. The short climb towards Spitalhof will bring you up to the necessary operating temperature. In a gentle up and down, the trail leads through the agricultural landscape towards the west. The villages are rural in character. In Arch you leave the SwitzerlandMobility route at the level of the schoolhouse and head north. The watchmaking town of Grenchen lies ahead, which you reach via the Aare and motorway bridge. With a bit of luck, you can watch small aircraft taking off and landing. Via Bahnhofstrasse, Bettlachstrasse you reach the market square. From there, the Kastelsstrasse, signposted with hiking signs, leads to the edge of the forest, becoming steeper and steeper. Via Allmendstrasse you reach the Höhenweg. You now head east along the southern foot of the Jura. The view of the Mittelland and the Alps is magnificent. At the height of Selzach, the stork village of Altreu is visible far below, directly on the Aare. After the Lochbach bridge, the forest path briefly becomes a trail. At the entrance to Lommiswil, you cross the Solothurn-Moutier railway tracks. Passing the modern church, the trail heads swiftly towards Heimlisbergwald. From Langendorf, the way back leads across the grounds of the psychiatric clinic back to Solothurn.