Weissenstein-Balsthal: Hike in the Thal Nature Park

Most of the time the weather turns out to be better than predicted. So last Saturday morning we made our way to the Thal Nature Park – a corner of Switzerland that was previously unknown to me. Rain jacket and umbrella were packed “in a pinch”. Somewhat puzzled, we looked out of the laundry shortly after Oensingen when thick raindrops slapped against the train window. That’s not how we ordered it. Luckily, we were already on the road, otherwise we would have preferred the sofa variant in view of the dark cloud front.

We left extra early to stroll through Solothurn’s old town before the planned hike. On Saturday mornings, the weekly market takes place on the market square. First we headed for the St. Ursus Cathedral. It was dry in there. Afterwards we walked via Rathausgasse to the market square. Solothurn has taken my heart by storm with its pretty alleys despite the bad weather. Next time we will come back to the beautiful baroque city with more time – and hopefully – sunshine.

Start of the hike on the Weissenstein

Actually, we could have taken two or three more hours. The gondola lift took us from Oberdorf into the middle of the thickest fog. Nothing there with a magnificent view over the Swiss Plateau to the Bernese Alps. Well. We sat down in the restaurant of the Kurhaus Weissenstein, ordered hot chocolate and apricot cake. Soul food. Two hours later, our patience was rewarded. The rain subsided and the cloud cover thinned.

At eleven o’clock we set off. Two hours later than originally planned, but still within the scope to complete the 5-hour hike without stress. The Thal Nature Park can be explored on a wide variety of hiking and themed trails. My choice fell on the Jura High Trail. A classic that leads from Dielsdorf to Nyon along the first Jura chain. The paths are well signposted and if you start on the Weissenstein, you will have mastered a large part of the altitude difference comfortably thanks to the gondola. So there is enough leisure to soak up the great landscapes. Between the first and second Jura chains there is an open, idyllic valley landscape.

The weather was getting better and better. Shortly before the steep ascent to the Hällchöpfli, the sun won over the fog and made us sweat after all. It’s a pity, the mystical fog fits so well with the Jura. In the end, we agreed that the gloomy weather forecast from the morning had changed for the better. How boring would it have been to hike for five hours under a cloudless blue sky?

Practical information and tips on the Jura High Trail stage Weissenstein-Balsthal

The route can be found on the map below. The distance from Weissenstein (summit) to Balsthal is about 19 kilometres. If you hike downhill, you have to cope with a gradient of around 1,200 metres in altitude and an ascent of around 400 metres in altitude. The hiking time is about 5 hours without breaks (signposted are 5.40 minutes, which we easily “undercut”). With the Weissenstein cable car, you can reach the summit from Oberdorf in no time. GA travelcard/Half-Fare travelcard are valid and a “half one-way” costs 9 CHF. From Balsthal you can reach Oensingen in 10 minutes by train, where there are hourly train connections to Zurich and Biel. On the way there are two or three “broom pubs” and at the height of Balmberg a rope park attracts daredevils into the treetops. The hike is part of the Jura High Route No. 5, which leads from Dielsdorf to Nyon.