Biking the Mittelland Route – Stage 4 Aarau to Solothurn

Stage 4 of the Mittelland Bike Route was 59 km and went from Aarau to Solothurn. This stage follows alongside the Aare river for the most part. We did this stage over two days to accommodate our schedule. The first day had perfect weather and it is a shame we didn’t do the whole thing that day. On day two, we didn’t quite outride the weather and got hit by a downpour. Still, this was another fun stage and a good ride.

Detail Summary
Where:Aarau to Solothurn
Canton Aarau and Canton Solothurn, Switzerland
Train:Zürich HB -> Aarau – 35 min
Solothurn -> Zürich HB – 56 min
What:Mittelland Trail – Stage 4 Aarau to Solothurn

Red cycle path signs with a blue number 5
Stats:Length 59 km (43 asphalted, 16 natural surface), Ascent 420 m, Descent 380 m

Additional Info

Photo Stories for All Stages

Getting There

This trail starts near the Aarau train station. When we finished stage 3, we left our bikes locked at the train station, so we didn’t need to bring the bikes on the train when we started stage 4 the following Thursday.

The streets by the train station are rather busy, so getting back to the trail was a tiny bit stressful.

The Trail – Day 1 Aarau to Aawangen Schloss

When we had finished stage 3 were exhausted so we took a shortcut to the train station. I was worried we would miss Aarau old town but as it turns out the pat we skipped was simply a spur off the trail to get to the train station. So, today we started the trail by doing what we had missed last time, and rode down through the cobbled streets of Aarau until we met up with the main path again. Once on the main path, we simply followed alongside the river.

I was surprised by how close the path took us to the Gösgen Nuclear Power Plant. I felt like we were right in its shadow.

After passing the nuclear plant, the trail meanders along the river.

When we reached Olten, we parked our bikes for a bit, and wandered the old town stopping at a mediocre restaurant to eat. The tables were shaded and the service was good, so it was still a nice lunch break. Plus, there was a couple of street performers who did a tango/acrobat routine that we watched. Cute, but not spectacular.

After lunch, we pedaled along the river some more and took a diversion through some woods and fields. Then, back to the river again, with the lovely castle at Aawangen Schloss.

There is a train station right on the trail at Aawangen Schloss. When we checked the time, we decided to end for the day because my son had made some plans for the evening that he did not want to miss. We parked our bikes for the night, and took the next train home.

The Trail – Day 2 Aawangen Schloss to Solothurn

When we returned, we got our bikes and headed out to do the rest of the trail, another 20 km or so.

The weather wasn’t great, but I thought we would be able to escape the rain. And, for the first 19 km, it was at most a light drizzle.

While the trail veered away from the river at times, it always came back to it. We crossed the red bridge just before getting into Solothurn.

With about a kilometer to go to get to the train station, it began to pour. I stopped taking pictures and we pedaled fast to get to the end.

Getting Back

At the Solothurn train station, we parked our bikes in the underground bike parking lot and headed up to the platform to catch our train home.

Looking forward to the next stage, and as always hoping that our bikes are still there when we return.

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