Solothurn Jura: Beinwil to Büsserach along a Crest Trail

Monday May 29, 2023 -- This being a religious holiday and another nice day, we again went out for a hike, and still having a hard time thinking of something where there would not be too many people.

We went into the Northwestern part of the country, traveling south from Basel City into the Solothurn Jura, a hilly region with steep cliffs of Jura rock called "Flue". Following a suggestion we found on an Internet hiking website, we were expecting a challenging hike across one of these ridges, followed by a visit to a large castle ruins.

It was a real let-down, as not only was the hike not challenging, most of it was along wide forestry roads with only a couple of small meadows. More than half was through the forest, and even though the trails along the two crests were narrow, they went on straight as an arrow with little views. Worst of all, once we got to the castle at the end, we found out it is only open for viewing on the final Sunday of every month....

The notable experiences on this four-hour hike were the beautiful ceilings in the former monastery buildings at the start of our hike in Beinwil (SO) and watching a farmer harvest his dried grass and press it into what we call the "marshmallows". The landscape with its rolling hills was pretty, and best of all, it wasn't too hot, and there were barely any other people along the way. 

The hike starts at the former monastery in the community of Beinwil in Canton Solothurn

The first thing we did before setting off on the hike was to look at the interior of the monastery church. It has a beautifully painted ceiling made of wood panels. 

At a slightly higher elevation there was a small chapel (St.Johannes), so we had a look here as well. The chapel was built in 1513.

The chapel also had a beautiful ceiling of painted wood panels. The altar is from 1607, and the four paintings were originally hung on the walls, but then put together to form the "leaves". When the leaves are closed, another picture is formed from the backs of the paintings. 

To enter the chapel you walk over the gravestone of one Mr. Franz Xaveri Walter, former governor of Beinwil, born 1792 and died in 1861

One more look at the chapel as we now head up the hill

A look down past the chapel and former monastery in Beinwil

And a final look at the monastery compound as we head around the corner

We started at the bus stop near the monastery at 9:30. This was a long hike, over four hours and about 13 km. We got on the bus at Büsserach at about 15:10. That means we took 5-1/2 hours for the 4-hour hike. 

The first four kilometers to the restaurant at Meltingerberg were almost exclusively on paved roads or wide forest roads. On this section our map showed a shortcut, but we found out that the trail didn't exist here, even though it is part of an official themed trail called "Via Surprise". It was definitely a surprise!

Mama and baby, and they even chew at the same time! These pretty goats are a breed called "Pfauenziegen", or "Peacock Goats", a breed originally from Cantons Graubünden and Ticino. 

This is the nicest time of year with all the pretty meadow flowers

Even though the hike to this point was on paved roads, the landscape sure is lovely. 

After four kilometers along paved roads and forestry roads, we get to the restaurant at Meltingerberg. After this the trails changed to forest and meadow trails. 

Finally a narrow meadow trail, the kind we like!

A final look across the "valley" to where we had come from, before heading into the forest for a 30-minute stretch along a crest, without a view

After the 30 minutes in the forest, more meadows. After the long period of rains, the meadow grass has grown very high. 

This was a good section

There are lots of butterflies now, mainly this kind, the Tortoiseshell Butterfly

With finally a few nice days, the farmers are all busy cutting, drying and baling the grass. We stopped here for a while to watch how the grass is gathered and wrapped into what we call "marshmallows"

VIDEO:

Watching a hay baler

 

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"Marshmallows" of harvested and dried hay wait on the shorn fields to be brought into the barns. 

It's a lot of work harvesting mountain hay!

Before starting on the second and longer ridge, we get a look to communities to the East

Whereas some of the hay has already been "packaged", at other places it is being cut and dried

You don't often see bulls in the fields, but this one is MASSIVE!

One last look at the rolling hills before heading onto the next crest and into the forest. 

The sign says that the crest trail is "steep and narrow" and we were expecting an adventure. Unfortunately it was just a regular crest trail like many we have done before, a good narrow trail, but a never-ending 45 minutes in the same direction without only 2 places with a view, before we even got to the interesting part. 

One of three places where we actually had a view

A view to the west now. The community on the far left is the one we descended to. 

Another warning that the trail is steep and small, and that there was a ladder involved!

After a boring 2-1/2 kilometers through the forest we finally got to the "interesting" part. Since we have walked often on such terrain, it wasn't particularly exciting for us. 

Another view of Büsserach and the other communities to the north, which we passed through later by bus on our way to the train station in Zwingen. 

Shortly before the descent to the fortress. 

The third and final view from the crest, this time to the south to a community called Erschwil, which we passed through on our way to Beinwil, to the start of our hike. 

The ladder!

The only glimpse we had of the fortress tower on our descent at the west end of the ridge. This is one of those times when you would see more in winter, without the leaves!

The castle is called Neu Thierstein and was built in 1294 by the Earl of Thierstein as his residence. 

We headed up the stairs to the large doors in the castle walls, but they were locked. That's when we checked the Internet and discoved the fortress is only open to the public on the final Sunday of each month. What a disappointment!

At our destination in Büsserach

Impressions of the community of Büsserach, and the old mill buildings, where the bus stop was. 

On the bus now heading north, the community flag depicting the Neu Thierstein fortress mocks us as we leave without even having seen the interior...

Our 4-hour hike as depicted on Google Satellite maps. In 2017 we did a different hike nearby, starting in Meltingen and walking through the Chaltbrunnen Gorge. Those photos are HERE. Interesting is that Meltingen is in Canton Solothurn (as was our hike this day), but the Chaltbrunnen Gorge is in Canton Basel Land. 

Location of our hike in Switzerland. 

Our trip started with a ride in the TGV on its way to Paris via Basel! (7:30 a.m. in Zurich)