Solothurn

Solothurn (called Soleure in French and Soletta in Italian) is a town in Canton Solothurn in the Swiss Jura mountains.

Solothurn is the capital of the Canton Solothurn, which grew outward from this ancient town.

In the 1850s, efforts to connect Switzerland by rail came to Solothurn. The town was connected directly to Bienne with the Jurafusslinie, constructed in 1857. This direct line passed through Selzach, Bettlach, Grenchen, Lengnau, and Pieterlen before reaching Bienne. To the east of Solothurn the railroad veered east through Herzogenbuchsee to avoid crossing the Aare river before continuing north to the "railroad town" of Olten. In 1876 a direct line from Solothurn to Olten was constructed. In 1908 another line was constructed north of Solothurn, to Langendorf and Oberdorf, through a tunnel to the Grand Val towns of Corcelles and Moutier.