mokka4

Ok, I am feeling the first stirrings of travel planning again!
Plan 9-10 nights mid-late September (thats all I can manage this year).
Not sure if I will go solo, or with a friend.
Using rail, so must have at least hourly connections in each direction.
LOVED Solothurn last fall, and ALWAYS love Murten.
Could do a reasonable hotel (limit 150 CHF/night if solo) or Fewo.
Have been to Switzerland many times. Looking now to explore 3 Lakes area in
more detail.
Comments from the pros?

dulciusexasperis

You have provided ONE word in regards to what you are interested in doing with your time mokka4. That word is 'explore'. It simply isn't enough for anyone to be able to make any suggestions.

What do you want to explore? How do you want to explore? There is plenty of information available to you online with the click of a button. Example: http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ca/j...ree-lakes.html

If you want personal input from people then you are going to have to say a lot more about what your interests are. Otherwise all anyone can tell you is what THEY like to do and see in that area. That just relates to THEIR interests which might be totally different from your own.

mokka4

Al fresco lunchtime dining in medieval city cafes. Meandering down narrow cobblestone lanes to find a small neighborhood restaurants in evenings. Climbing historic city towers or walls.
LOVE Regional/Fall festivals, to see local customs.
An OCCASIONAL museum, concert or art gallery.
Nearby Wandern, not high level, just in nature with nice views.
A little bit of shopping in unique, not outrageously expensive, non-chain stores.
Beer, chocolate. Have never 'done' Chocolate Factory Villars, so will likely taste-test there. No interest in cheese-making demo. Have watched the 'real thing' more than once in tiny alpine huts.
Visited Fribourg last October; nice to daytrip, but too big to make my evening home in.
ONE trip up to a local peak (for friend). No need for Berner Oberland or Engadin. Need something beyond typical tourist heights.
I am not high maintenance. Appreciate a good croissant and quality coffee for breakfast over stimulating nightlife.
Nuff said?

mokka4

Oh, and of course, one or two boat trips to sample villages like Twann, etc.!

dulciusexasperis

Nuff said, mokka4. From that, I would say you don't need any suggestions at all. You will just naturally find what you want to see and do. I mean that as a compliment. Some people need to be told how to tie their shoelace, some don't. The average tourist does, a traveller does not.

mokka4

Ok, taken as a compliment! Any impressions of Olten?
Suggestion for fairly local mountain (or high hill!) with a gondola to do midlevel hike?

kja

If you have any interest in prehistory, I strongly recommend the Latenium, even though you aren't that interested in museums. I thought it outstanding, not only for its collection, but also for its setting and the ways the architect and curators used both inner and outer space for the exhibits.

dulciusexasperis

Olten is nice but not near the Three Lakes area so I am a bit puzzled by that change in area.

Zoffingen to the south of Olten is a nice small town to visit. Hiking in the area is more rolling hills than anything approaching a 'high hill' I would say.

Maybe something like this one of you want some uphill hiking.
http://www.wandermap.net/ca/route/12...ue-haegendorf/

mokka4

Olten's old town and wooden bridge, plus its navigable size (pop. 17,000) were draws, plus less than an hour away by train. But maybe not quite enough to do. I will research Belchenflue more. It sounds like a contender. I love alpine heights, but enjoyed hiking in the rolling hills of Schwarzwald more (fear of open heights while walking!)

dulciusexasperis

I did a walk from Basel to Geneva one year mokka4, that might be something for you to consider. A small pack (30L) with some clothes, a rain jacket, etc. is all you need. I call it 'credit card camping'. In fact you do no camping, you just carry everything you need to go from one village to another where your credit card gets you a bed and food, thus the term.

Click on the map on the following link and you will see the Jura Crest Trail runnning through Olten. Why not consider a multi-day walk along part or all of it to Geneva.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/1c3afa0b7...1zro1_1280.png

dulciusexasperis

Oops, wrong link given, here is the correct link.

http://www.wanderland.ch/en/routes/route-05.html

mokka4

Dulcius: thanks for the hike info. I'd like to keep it to two 3-5 hour hikes during my stay. Liking Belchenflue and Stage 2 Jura Crest (Brugg-Staffelegg). Will investigate these further!

neckervd

Region des Trois Lacs

Check also
http://www.dreiseenland.ch/en/leisur...s/cycling.html
http://www.neuchateltourisme.ch/en/l...s/cycling.html

This area a lot of sights, like
entirely walled medieval town of Murten
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/welcome.cfm?
Roman amphitheatre and Roman Museum of Avenches
http://www.avenches.ch/en/page.cfm/siteetmuseeromain
Roman Villa of Vallon
http://www.pro-vallon.ch/allemand/mo.../mosaiques.htm
biggest Romanesque church of Switzerland and Monastery of Payerne
Nature Park of Grande Caricaie
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/dest...er-le-lac.html
http://www.bafu.admin.ch/dokumentati...x.html?lang=de
Medieval town and spa of Yverdon
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/...ure_Patrimoine
Roman mosaics of Orbe
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/en/orbe_region
Monastery of Romainmotier
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/...nmotier_region
Castle and Menhirs of Grandson
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/en/grandson_region
Menhirs and Dolmen of Onnens
http://www.onnens.ch/textes-1/dolmen...rthoud,38.html
medieval town of Neuchatel with castle, cathedral and many fine museums
http://www.neuchateltourisme.ch/en/decouvertes.html
Biel/Bienne with it's small but fine city center, good museums and a lot to see in the Lake Bienne area
http://www.biel-seeland.ch/en/discov...enne.1239.html
Medieval Bueren an der Aare with wooden brige over the Aar river
http://www.bueren.ch/de/inhalte/tour...anchor=1010025
Natural reserve of Altreu and it's storks
http://www.artenschutz.ch/AareAltreu.htm
Medieval town of Solothurn with baroque cathedral and many museums
http://www.solothurn-city.ch/topic2477.html
La Chaux-de-Fonds, capital of watchmaking
http://www.neuchateltourisme.ch/en/d...onds.1500.html

Gorges of Areuse, Seyon and Taubenloch

boats plying between Yverdon, Neuchatel, Murten, Biel/Bienne, Bueren and Solothurn
Cablecars Biel/Bienne - Macolin/Magglingen, Ligerz - Preles, St-Imier - Mont Soleil, Neuchatel - Chaumont
Many trains (the trains from Yverdon to Ste-Croix, from Neuchatel to La Chaux de Fonds and from Biel/Bienne to Tramelan bring you up to 1000 m of altitude).

neckervd

Don't miss the FETE DES VENDANGES DE NEUCHATEL, the most popular festival in the area
http://www.neuchateltourisme.ch/en/e...atel.1793.html

neckervd

Train traffic hubs in the area:
Biel/Bienne: trains to most places in Switzerland every 30 min, to Yverdon - Lausanne and Geneva only every 60 min,
cablecars to Macolin and Evilard every 15 min
Neuchatel: 2 trains to Biel/Bienne, Berne, La Chx-de-Fds every hr, 1 train to Yverdon, Travers - Buttes and Murten - Fribourg every hr, tram to Boudry every 15 min, cablecar to Chaumont about every hr.
Neuchatel is a more scenic place to stay than Biel/Bienne or Yverdon, directly at the shore of the Lake (and usually with fine viens to the Alps), whereas Biel/Bienne and Yverdon are turning the back to the lake.
Murten is charming and has some good hotels too, but train connections are not as good as from Biel/Bienne or Ntel.

mokka4

Thanks for the tip on the Fete! I have rented a Fewo in Altstadt Solothurn for a week, and am now considering either Bern or Luzern for a 3 night stay in a budget hotel for a different base. I did stay 8 nights last fall in Bern, and have some unfinished "must-sees" in both towns.
I will be there in the time of the festival!
Thanks again.

neckervd

I suppose you know that Berne is only 45 min by train from Solothurn. Trains at least every 30 min from 4.36am until 0.11am.

On the way from Solothurn to Lucerne, you may visit the small medieval towns of Zofingen, Sursee and Sempach.
You may also travel via Wiedlisbach (tiny medieval town with castle and pottery museum) - Aarwangen (castle) - Langenthal - Huttwil (tiny medieval town) - Willisau (tiny medieval town with a Gold Panning Museum and a famous Jazz Festival in the last week of August).

Boats from Solothurn to Neuchatel (until Sept 28th):
Solothurn dp 9.10 - Biel/Bienne 11.55/12.00 - Ligerz (small grape harvest festival 20/21 and 27/28 Sept) 12.40/15.20 - Ntel ar 17.15
http://www.asmobil.ch/vinifuni.html

dulciusexasperis

Reading 'Murten' and 'Sempach' made me think of my Victorinox battle series knives neckervd.

I was in Berne in 1983 and saw this beautiful Swiss Army knife with an engraved blade and inlaid handle. The store owner explained to me that it was the first in a planned series of knives that would be produced in a limited quantity of 9999. One each year for 10 years. As it turned out or perhaps the store owner got it wrong to begin with, 7 were produced in the series.

I bought the first one that day and arranged with the store owner to send me one each year. In the final year he sent me the display case as well.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=victo...w=1280&bih=687

On visits to Switzerland over the years I have made a point of visiting each of the places commemorated.

mokka4

Thanks again neckervd-my days are filling quickly!

dulciusexasperis

Leave some time for serendipity mokka4. ;-)