Trimbach brings together cultural and historical points of interest with walking and hiking trails: churches and chapels represent different periods of construction, while the railway trail focuses on transport history. The village stream and the wooded Jura slopes add a connection to the landscape. This makes it possible to explore culture, railway history and the landscape as distinct themes during a stay.
Location and history
Trimbach is a municipality in the canton of Solothurn, in the Gösgen district of Switzerland. North of Olten, at the foot of the Jura and on the left bank of the Aare, the municipality extends into the side valley of the village stream, at the starting point of the Lower Hauenstein Pass road. Wooded Jura slopes and open areas surround the village. Walking and hiking trails run along the village stream and through the wooded slopes; viewpoints such as Engelberg offer views of the landscape.
Trimbach was first mentioned in a document in 1244 under the name “Trinbach”. The area later belonged to the Counts of Frohburg, the Counts of Nidau, the Counts of Thierstein and the Counts of Falkenstein; in 1458, the city of Solothurn acquired the area. This sequence traces the municipality’s changing affiliations of rule.
Churches and architectural history
The parish church of St. Mauritius at Baslerstrasse 126 is listed as a protected site recorded by the canton (as of 31 October 2019). When it was rebuilt between 1774 and 1776, it acquired its cruciform floor plan; it was renovated in 1942. The church probably originated as a foundation of the Counts of Frohburg.
The Chapel of the Holy Trinity dates from the 15th century and served as a wayside chapel. Its distinctive little tower with a pointed onion dome adds a distinctive architectural accent. St. John’s Church was solemnly consecrated on 21 October 1951 and has since been a meeting place for young and old, including for ecumenical events. In chronological terms, the story thus spans the medieval chapel, the construction phases of St. Mauritius and the consecration of St. John’s Church.
Railway trail: railway history told on ten panels
The Trimbach railway trail tells the story of transport through ten illustrated information panels along the old Olten–Basel railway line and today’s Läufelfingerli. The panels trace the transition from the post coach to the railway, cover the construction of the Trimbach–Läufelfingen railway tunnel and address the 1857 tunnel disaster. The trail thus covers both changes in transport and a specific event in the region’s tunnel history.
The railway trail starts at Trimbach station and ends after about 800 metres at the footbridge above Trimbach’s municipal building or the Mühlematt schoolhouse. The trail can be reached from Sissach or Olten by taking the S9; check the current timetable before travelling.
Froburg Castle ruins and trails through the landscape
The first fortifications at Froburg Castle ruins were built around 1050; the castle was the ancestral seat of the Counts of Frohburg. To get there, take bus 506 from Olten railway station towards Wisen and get off at Hauenstein. From there, it is about a 20–30-minute walk. Check the current timetable before travelling.
Walking and hiking trails also run along the village stream and through the wooded Jura slopes. Viewpoints such as Engelberg offer views of the landscape. Unlike the railway trail, with its information panels, these trails focus on the landscape. This means you can choose between a clearly defined historical theme, the history of the castle ruins and trails focused on the landscape during your stay.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: StĂĽsslingen, Erlinsbach, Lostorf, Wisen, Kienberg, Hauenstein-Ifenthal.
Go to the main travel overview: Gösgen.
