Royal Murder at Lenzburg
The Lenzburg castle has a dark history, with one of its former owners, Johannes Parricida, being involved in the murder of King Albrecht in 1308.
Lenzburg Castle · · 💀 Dark history
Discover 60 curated stories about Solothurn in Switzerland — covering hidden gems, dark history, legends, weird facts and funny anecdotes.
The Lenzburg castle has a dark history, with one of its former owners, Johannes Parricida, being involved in the murder of King Albrecht in 1308.
Lenzburg Castle · · 💀 Dark history
Peter Viktor von Besenval, a Swiss military officer, was instrumental in the events leading up to the Storming of the Bastille, as he withdrew his troops from Paris, allowing the revolution to unfold…
Solothurn · · 🏛️ Legendary
A tragic incident occurred on a post bus in Kerzers, where a 65-year-old man set himself on fire, killing six people, including himself, and injuring a 32-year-old survivor who jumped out of the bus.
Kerzers · 💀 Dark history
A kangaroo and its joey escaped from the 'Maro's' experience restaurant in Lostorf and hopped through the streets, causing a surprise for the locals.
Lostorf · · 🤯 Weird
A record 6750 spectators attended a match between FC Solothurn and FC Basel at the Solothurn stadium on March 1, 1998.
FC Solothurn Stadium · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Weissenstein has a unique, steep pass road with inclines of up to 22%, making it one of the steepest in Switzerland. This road is closed to private traffic in the winter and transforms into a pop…
Weissenstein Pass · · 🤯 Weird
The Sesselbahn Oberdorf–Weissenstein, a chairlift that operated from 1950 to 2009, was the only one of its kind in Switzerland and crossed over the Solothurn-Münster-Bahn railway line in a unique man…
Oberdorf–Weissenstein · · 🤯 Weird
The Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, a 16th-century fountain, features a statue of Justice, but its history is marked by a dark event: in 1561, the year it was built, a severe plague swept through Solothurn, c…
Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen · · 💀 Dark history
The St. Ursen Cathedral has a peculiar obsession with the number 11, reflected in its design and construction, as well as the local beer Öufi Bier, which translates to 'Eleven Beer'. This fascination…
St. Ursen Cathedral · 🤯 Weird
Solothurn's Eschikofen is home to a remarkable treasure trove of over 700 Brakteaten coins, discovered in 1911 on a steep slope.
Eschikofen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
Basel was the site of a unique wedding in 1603, where Jacob Leringerst and his wife held a second ceremony, inviting the city's dignitaries despite their poverty.
Basel · · 🤯 Weird
In 1372, Basel witnessed extremely low wine prices, with a measure costing only 1 Schilling and 4 measures available for 1 Pfennig.
Basel · · 🤯 Weird
Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich, a Swiss composer, struggled with his life in Aarau and eventually took his own life on October 16, 1836, due to feelings of isolation and frustration with his career.
Aarau · · 💀 Dark history
A medieval manuscript, the Hornbacher Sakramentar, created around 983 in the Reichenau monastery, is part of the cathedral's treasure collection.
St. Ursenkathedrale · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Goetheanum building in Dornach was destroyed by arson on New Year's Eve in 1922/23, and the current building was constructed in its place between 1925 and 1928.
Goetheanum · · 💀 Dark history
The Gleichstromübertragung Kriegstetten–Solothurn is one of the first commercial facilities for the transmission of electrical energy in Europe, dating back to 1886. This pioneering achievement paved…
Gleichstromübertragung Kriegstetten–Solothurn · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Franziskanerkirche was once a 'Hofkirche' for the French ambassador and features an altar painting of the Assumption of Mary, gifted by King Louis XIV of France.
Franziskanerkirche · · 🏛️ Legendary
Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish military engineer and national hero, died in Solothurn in 1817. He had fought in the American Revolutionary War and led the Kościuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire…
Solothurn · · 🏛️ Legendary
A license plate with the number 'SO 1' was auctioned off in Solothurn for a staggering one million Swiss francs, more than triple the previous record for a license plate auction in Switzerland.
Solothurn · · 🤯 Weird
A license plate with the number 'SO 1' was auctioned off in Solothurn for a record-breaking 390,000 Swiss francs, making it the most expensive license plate in Swiss history.
Solothurn · · 🤯 Weird
A fox has been raiding trash bags in a Solothurn neighborhood, leaving a trail of chaos and concern among residents, with some speculating the animal may be sick with fox rabies.
Solothurn · · 🤯 Weird
A Solothurn cheese dairy was found to have a horrific infestation of mice, with dead rodents, mouse droppings, and spoiled food discovered in the cellar and production area.
Solothurn cheese dairy · · 💀 Dark history
A brothel in Solothurn hosted a provocative 'farewell party' for Pope Francis, offering free drinks to attendees, sparking outrage among the local Catholic community and politicians.
Solothurn · · 😂 Funny
A 20-year-old man was sentenced to 27 months in prison for pushing a stranger onto the train tracks at Olten train station in 2022, just 13 seconds before a high-speed train was about to arrive.
Olten train station · · 💀 Dark history
In a quiet residential area of Solothurn, two men have been organizing commercial gang bang parties with up to 30 paying participants, sparking concerns among neighbors who feel let down by the polic…
Solothurn · · 💀 Dark history
A large agricultural building in Zuchwil, Solothurn, was completely destroyed by a suspected arson attack, with two cars also caught in the flames and a firefighter requiring medical attention.
Zuchwil · · 💀 Dark history
In the Oberdorf area of Solothurn, a mysterious case of vandalism occurred where around 100 holly trees were deliberately cut down, leaving the forest with a significant loss of these ecologically be…
Oberdorf · · 🤯 Weird
A 2,000-year-old Roman villa was discovered in Deitingen during the A1 highway expansion, thanks to a hobby archaeologist's keen eye for ancient artifacts.
Deitingen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
A former firefighter was convicted of setting 12 fires in Solothurn, with a surprising motive: seeking a sense of community and being needed during fire extinguishing efforts.
Solothurn · · 💀 Dark history
The FC Solothurn stadium was sold to the city of Solothurn in 1973 for a fraction of its value due to financial difficulties, and the city agreed to maintain it and give the club priority usage.
FC Solothurn Stadium · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Krokus Denkmal, a memorial dedicated to the Swiss hard rock band Krokus, was unveiled in 2022 with the inscription 'IN ROCK WE TRUST KROKUS VON SOLOTHURN IN DIE WELT', which translates to 'In roc…
Krokus Denkmal · · 🏛️ Legendary
Solothurn's Eschikofen is known for its rare 13th-century Brakteaten coins, featuring unique designs like a bishop's head between a pedum and a lily.
Eschikofen · · 🏛️ Legendary
During the Revolution, the Brugg community suffered greatly, with capital stocks like the Challwyl'sche Pflege and the Horstamt Scholz-Pflege disappearing or significantly decreasing in value. The co…
Brugg · · 💀 Dark history
The Brugg community forest was severely damaged during the Revolution, with widespread logging and neglect leading to a significant decline in timber production. By 1800-1804, the forest was producin…
Brugg · · 💀 Dark history
In the vicinity of Lake Zurich, remnants of ancient pile dwellings have been discovered, revealing how early inhabitants built their homes on stilts over the water for protection and convenience. The…
Lake Zurich · 🔍 Hidden gems
Romain Rolland, a famous author, conceived his grand work while staying in the Jura region above Solothurn, where he was inspired by the story of Baron de Breteuil, a French nobleman who built a beau…
Verena Gorge · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 1656, Herdern Castle in Solothurn was attacked, and important documents from earlier times went missing, with their contents unknown at that time.
Herdern Castle · · 💀 Dark history
Hans Kaspar von Breitenlandenberg, the owner of Herdern Castle, complained about the loss of documents during the attack in 1656. This event highlights the turbulent history of the castle.
Herdern Castle · · 💀 Dark history
In 1604, a harsh winter caused the Undersee to freeze over, and a great snowfall hindered people and animals from traveling. Meanwhile, the Capuchin monks arrived in Oberkirch to await the Evangelica…
Oberkirch · · 🤯 Weird
The St. Ursenkathedrale's 66-meter-high Zwiebelturm was once home to a Turmwächter, a tower watchman, who lived in the tower for an unknown period.
St. Ursenkathedrale · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Roman settlement of Solothurn was transformed into a fortified town around 325-330 AD, with a 2-3 meter thick and 9 meter high wall. The wall's remains can still be seen in some houses in the old…
Old Town · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Kloster Beinwil, a former Benedictine abbey, was taken over by a byzantinisch-orthodoxes Kloster in 2019 and renamed Heiliges Orthodoxes Kloster Johannes Kapodistrias.
Kloster Beinwil · · 🤯 Weird
The Bally-Areal is a former industrial complex of the Bally shoe factory, featuring a unique blend of historic buildings and modern architecture. The site includes a workers' school, stamping hall, c…
Bally-Areal · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Ruine Balm is a unique cave castle, and one of the few in Switzerland, located at the foot of the Balmfluh mountain. Its name 'Balm' is derived from the Celtic word 'Balb', meaning 'overhanging r…
Ruine Balm · 🤯 Weird
The Kapuzinerkloster Solothurn, a former Capuchin monastery, was founded in 1588 and thrived for centuries, but was eventually abandoned in 2003 due to a lack of members. Despite its humble appearanc…
Kapuzinerkloster Solothurn · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Ruine Frohburg, a medieval castle ruin in Solothurn, is one of the largest in the Jura Mountains and has been designated as a national heritage site.
Ruine Frohburg · 🔍 Hidden gems
The St. Ursenkathedrale has a 66-meter-high Zwiebelturm that was once home to a turmwächter, a tower watchman. The tower's design was influenced by a never-realized second tower planned for the previ…
St. Ursenkathedrale · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The villa rustica in Biberist-Spitalhof is a Roman countryside estate that dates back to the Roman era. It's a rare example of a well-preserved Roman villa in Switzerland.
Villa rustica · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Krummturm's unique roof shape is due to its irregular five-sided base, making it appear tilted from most angles.
Krummturm · 🤯 Weird
Andreas Reize, a Swiss conductor, was born in Solothurn in 1975. He studied music in several Swiss cities and became the 18th Thomaskantor in Leipzig, following in the footsteps of Johann Sebastian B…
Solothurn · · 🏛️ Legendary
Adelheid Rüschli, a Solothurn benefactress, donated extensive properties to the Augustinian convent in Frauenkappelen in the 14th century. Her generosity helped establish the convent as a significant…
Frauenkappelen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Solothurn cantonal police received over 17,000 false emergency calls in 2024, mostly triggered by Android smartphones, causing a significant burden on their work.
Solothurn cantonal police · · 😂 Funny
A rare Goldaugenspringspinne was spotted in the region of Basel, specifically in Hornussen AG, which is unusual for this area as the species is more commonly found in the Mediterranean region.
Hornussen AG · 🤯 Weird
In Solothurn, a police dog named Hailey helped apprehend two burglary suspects, one of whom was caught in the cellar of a vacant house and the other who attempted to flee on foot.
Solothurn · 💀 Dark history
The Solothurn train station has undergone significant changes over the years, with the original station being renamed and a new main station being built in its place.
Solothurn Train Station · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Solothurn-Niederbipp-Bahn, a narrow-gauge railway, was opened in 1925 and ends on the station square, but has no connection to the other narrow-gauge line, the Solothurn-Zollikofen-Bern-Bahn.
Solothurn Train Station · · 🤯 Weird
The FC Solothurn stadium has a peculiar feature - a artificial turf field, which was installed in 2009, and is located west of the main tribune.
FC Solothurn Stadium · · 🤯 Weird
The original name of the tower of Herdern Castle was Barbenstein, and the owners of the castle were known as the Herren von Herdern und Barbenstein.
Herdern Castle · 🔍 Hidden gems
The St. Ursenkathedrale was built on a site where two previous churches stood, with the current building being constructed between 1762 and 1773 by the Pisoni family.
St. Ursenkathedrale · · 🏛️ Legendary
A Roman cemetery was discovered in the area of the current St. Ursen church, with urn and cremation burials dating back to the Roman era.
St. Ursen Church · · 🔍 Hidden gems
💀 Dark history · 😂 Funny · 🔍 Hidden gems · 🏛️ Legendary · 🤯 Weird
Hidden stories of Switzerland beneath your feet
Facts are sourced from various open websites and may have been edited. Copyright of original content belongs to their respective owners.
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