Solothurn

Solothurn
Location of Solothurn
Solothurn
Solothurn
Coordinates: 47°12′30″N 7°32′14″E / 47.20833°N 7.53722°E / 47.20833; 7.53722
CountrySwitzerland
CantonSolothurn
DistrictSolothurn
Government
  ExecutiveGemeinderat
with 30 members
  MayorStadtpräsidentin (list)
Stefanie Ingold SPS/PSS
(as of 2021)
  Parliamentnone (Gemeindeversammlung)
Area
  Total
6.28 km2 (2.42 sq mi)
Elevation
(Chapel of St Peter)
432 m (1,417 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)
  Total
16,777
  Density2,700/km2 (6,900/sq mi)
DemonymGerman: Solothurner(in)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
4500
SFOS number2601
ISO 3166 codeCH-SO
Surrounded byBellach, Biberist, Feldbrunnen-Sankt Niklaus, Langendorf, Rüttenen, Zuchwil
Twin townsHeilbronn (Germany), Kraków (Poland), Le Landeron (Switzerland)
Websitewww.stadt-solothurn.ch
SFSO statistics

Solothurn (/ˈslətʊərn, ˈz-/ SOH-lə-toorn, ZOH-; German: [ˈzoːlotʊrn] ; French: Soleure [sɔlœʁ]; Italian: Soletta [soˈletta]; Romansh: Soloturn) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains.

The town is the only municipality of the district of the same name.

The town got its name from Salodurum, a Roman-era settlement. From 1530 to 1792 it was the seat of the French ambassador to Switzerland. The pedestrian-only old town was built between 1530 and 1792 and shows an impressive array of Baroque architecture, combining Italian Grandezza, French style, and Swiss ideas. The town has eighteen structures listed as heritage sites.

The official language of Solothurn is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect.