Mountain Races in the Canton of Solothurn

Seen from the old town of Solothurn, the Weissenstein looks like a green wall blocking the north. Behind it, the Jura folds the canton of Solothurn into a series of parallel ridges, with the Grenchenberg, the Balmberg and the Hasenmatt as its highest points 🗻.

For a mountain race in the canton of Solothurn, there's no need to aim for 4,000 m. Here, everything is played out on steep slopes, sometimes so steep you end up putting your hands on your thighs. A gondola lift connects Oberdorf to the summit of the Weissenstein, handy for coming back down after a timed climb or an uphill interval session. The trails starting from Oberdorf or Selzach offer several variations, from the express steep climb to the long ascent past alpine farms, with the Alpine chain in sight at every flat stretch. The season runs from April to November, with autumn mornings often bathed in sunshine above the fog 🌤️.

The Solothurn mountain race calendar is still to be filled in on Finishers, but the nearby Bernese Jura offers a great foretaste. In Moutier, Les Courses de Moutier-Graitery climb in September to the summit of the Graitery, perched above the gorge 🧗. Further south, the Inferno half-marathon starts in August from Lauterbrunnen, in the heart of the valley of 72 waterfalls. For more climbs, explore the mountain races in the canton of Bern, those in the canton of Jura or the Mountain Races in Switzerland page.

The Weissenstein long attracted spa guests, who came to breathe the pure air at the grand hotel perched at its summit. Today, paragliders happily launch from it, while families sled back down in winter ❄️. Below, the St. Ursus Cathedral watches over the baroque city and its eleven fountains. Whether it's an express vertical kilometer or a long ascent, choose the slope that suits you 🔥.