Solothurn

Solothurn is the most complete baroque town in Switzerland and a good deal smaller than its architecture suggests. The Aare runs through it and the Weissenstein rises directly behind — a first ridge of the Jura reached by funicular, with a view across the entire Mittelland to the Alps on a clear day.

That combination is unusually convenient: flat riverside work and a serious climb start from the same square. The town is quiet, and weekday sessions are easy to arrange.