Hike from Holderbank up to the Second Jura Crest Trail in the Thal Nature Park

Wednesday April 22, 2026 -- A beautiful sunny day, so we headed to the Jura Range for a change (more specifically, into the Thal Nature Park in Canton Solothurn), hoping for clear visibility and a view of the Alps to the south, which can sometimes be quite spectacular.

Unfortunately, and what we hadn't been ready for, was one of the coldest north-easterly winds we'd even experienced, which weren't even helped by the pure sunny day. Also, visibility wasn't what we expected and we could just barely make out the Eiger North Face. 

Nevertheless, we quite enjoyed the "loop hike" we planned from the town of Holderbank in the valley to the ridge and across the Höchi Flue Crest (such crests are plentiful here), with lots of blossoming fruit trees, cows in the meadows, a stop for coffee at a mountain Gasthaus, and views of massive fortress ruins. In the forested sections there was barely any wind, and the uphill section was not too hot and went quickly. Once we were done, it barely seemed like the three-hour walk that it turned out to be. 

As our train heads toward Oensingen (for a transfer into the Thal Nature Park), we can actually see the "Flue" or "Fluh" (a strip of cliffs common in the Jura mountain range) which we will be walking across. In fact, we walked across the entire crest seen on this photo, starting from the other side. The fields of canola (rape) are really glowing now!

This beautiful fortress ruins is called Neu-Falkenstein, and sits atop a cliff across from the town of Balsthal (where we change to a bus after traveling on the shortest train line in Switzerland). The narrow opening between the cliffs leads into a large crater-like depression, and out again into the next valley. 

A close-up look at the beautiful Neu-Falkenstein fortress ruins. We have yet to visit this one!

After a 2¼-hour trip we got to the start of our hike at 10:37 in the village of Holderbank, which was first mentioned in documents of 1226 (!) as "Halderwanc", which means "On the hillside meadow". Here we are at the very eastern edge of the Thal Nature Park in Canton Solothurn, between the two drawn-out Jura ranges. 

Always, if time permits, we first have a look into the village church....

The date on this painted sundial on the side of the church is 1864. The time indicated is fairly accurate at 9:40 or so, if you don't consider the change to summer time! (Might be an argument to keep to the winter time). 

Interior of the St.Fridolin parish church in Holderbank. The church was built in 1701/1702, and the sandstone baptismal font on the right dates from 1475 from the earlier church here. 

Gasthof Kreuz in Holderbank. We now start our on our hike up the hillside at 10:50.

Although this was a 3-hour hike up the hillside to the Crest of the first Jura Range, then over the cliffs called Höchi Flue, it did not seem that long nor was it strenuous. Without the extremely cold winds (and lack of view of the mountains), it would have been perfect.

I was very happy that we could still experience blossoming trees here, as the landscape has become green very quickly now, and blossoming season is already almost gone. 

Heading up the road out of the village of Holderbank. 

Now starts the time when the cows are out in the pastures. 

A display at a farm along the way: This is a display of a family of cows, all of whom have names starting with "O" and ending with "a"! (Mom's name is Opana). A later search revealed that there is a judging competition currently taking place (from March to May) of such family lines, and this particular family of cows were actually on display and judged here this very day at 8:45!

Enjoying the still blossoming trees here in the valley. 

This section of the uphill walk, although along a paved road, was more comfortable, as it was not so exposed to the wind!

After walking for 35 minutes, we got to the mountain restaurant Tiefmatt at 11:25, where we decided to stop for coffee in the hopes that the wind would die down somewhat! It was nice and warm inside, but we stayed only 20 minutes. 

We are now on the crest of the long Jura Range and following the National Trail no.5: "Jura Crest Trail" (of which we have done several sections). It is now 11:45, and our next goal is "Schlosshöchi", from where you get a nice view of another magnificent fortress ruins: Alt-Bechburg. 

Unfortunately this is not the view we were hoping for! This is looking south now across the Central Plateau of Switzerland, and on a clear day you can see almost the entire range of the Swiss Alps. 

Even with the wind, it was a very lovely landscape here, and more of a stroll rather than a hike!

View of the landscape on the north side of the crest, mostly part of the Thal Nature Park. The Canton border with Baselland is near here, and the mountains in the background are in that Canton (we are here in Canton Solothurn). The farm below is called Untere Wies.

A really lovely trail to walk. 

The first glimpse of the Alt-Bechburg ruins. The houses down below are in the town of Langenbruck, near where we ended our hike.

And behind us a close-up view of Holderbank where we started on our hike. 

A nice view over the entire Thal Nature Park

We got to our next milestone (Schloss Höchi, i.e. "Height of the Castle") at 12:22, almost exactly 30 minutes after leaving the restaurant!

Views of the ruins of Alt-Bechburg (= "Old Bechburg"). The information panel shows how the castle/fortress might once have looked. Other information: A small fortified building was erected here in the 11th Century by the Barons of Bechburg, then expanded into a massif fortress over the next few decades. The fortress burned down in 1713 and the local farmers used some of the remaining stones as building material. During excavations in 1937, a treasure of 5216 silver coins was discovered. (Currently displayed in a museum in Solothurn). 

A final view of the Bechburg ruins. We chose not to hike via the ruins as we had done a hike in April 2014 also starting in Holderbank, hiking up to this point here after inspecting the ruins, and then hiking down from here on the south side of the mountain. (Photos HERE). 

Continuing on along the crest now, our next goal is the look-out point at Höchi Flue on the cliffs we saw from the train earlier. So far it's three x 30-minute sections. 

So pretty

We encountered only a handful of other people on the trail. 

For a change, not a single cow looked at Urs as we walked past here. 

As it was now 1 p.m., we had to stop at the first bench we came to in the forest, to eat our sandwiches. This is the place from where we now do our last ascent to the cliff trail across the "Höchi Flue". 

This was a very nice trail to walk, not the usual rocky trails we have encountered previously on these Jura Crests. 

We then got to the look-out point at Höchi Flue at 13:20. (Our next goal is going to be Santelhöchi on the eastern end of the cliffs). 

Studying the panorama placards for the names of the mountains we cannot see!

View over the central plateau to the south. We can barely make out the line of the Alps. The view is down to the city of Egerkingen, where we walked down to on the April 2014 hike. 

A zoomed view of the Alps to the south. We can just make out the outline of the Eiger north face. 

From here I can see the range we have walked

View of the first line of the Jura Range where we walked this day. 

On the way back down from "Höchi Flue", we came across a natural spring, where I happily filled my water bottle!

Now a view to the north again, small mountain farms with blossoming trees. 

Heading back in the direction of Holderbank now, on the north side of the hill and back in the valley... there was a forest road which would have saved us walking on the paved road, but it was a detour. Also, right along this road is the Canton border, with Solothurn on Urs' left, and Canton Baselland (including the road) on the right. On the other photo, I am sitting right at the border of the two. 

And now we have reached a small village called Bärenwil. We walked through here on a different hike in July 2018, starting in Langenbruck close by, and heading to a gorge called the "Teufelsschlucht" (= "Devil's Gorge"). Heading there we walked on that road on the other side of the village. (Photos HERE)

The little village of Bärenwil, on the way back to Holderbank.

We took a little detour into the village of Bärenwil before heading back to the trail. When we were here last in July 2018, the fountain was decorated with pretty flowers. (HERE is that particular photo). 

Continuing on now from Bärenwil with more spectacular blossoming trees. 

Only the actual village of Bärenwil was in Canton Baselland, and the road now continues in Canton Solothurn. For the rest of the hike back to Holderbank, we had to walk 1 km on this road, then would have had another 1½ kilometers on a paved road, so we decided to shorten our hike to a nearer bus stop on the road to Langenbruck. 

Here at this farm was a bench under a tree and we took a 10-minute break here. 

This is a Valais Black-Necked goat, which you usually only see in Canton Valais in the south. 

Here is looking back at where we took a shortcut past the horse corral (we were being closely observed the whole time!) to a nearer bus stop on the main road between Langenbruck and Holderbank. (Only later I realized that you can see the ruins of Alt-Bechburg from here). 

We got to the road-side bus stop with a few minutes to spare for the 15:16 bus back to Balsthal. 

Heading back to Balsthal by bus, we see the ruins of Neu-Falkenstein in the afternoon light. 

Gorgeous Neu-Falkenstein. I am looking forward to going up there one day!

A final look at Neu-Falkenstein as we enter the city of Balsthal, from where we return on Switzerland's shortest railway line back to Oensingen, and then home, a total trip of just over two hours. 

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. Starting in Holderbank, we walked 35 minutes to the crest trail, another 30 minutes to above the fortress ruins of Alt-Bechburg, 30 more minutes to Höchi flue, and the rest of the way to the bus stop before Holderbank, altogether a 3-hour hike. (The thin grey line is the Canton Border. Most of our hike was in Canton Solothurn to the south, except for just the village of Bärenwil in Canton Baselland in the north.)

These are all the hikes we have done in this region, including a couple of more sections of the Jura Crest Trail on either side of the Hauenstein Pass.