Luterbach brings together a variety of things to discover: the history of hydropower, electronic musical instruments and a riverside landscape with paths and places to relax. The old power station and the Emmekanal industrial heritage trail offer an insight into the area’s industrial history. At Synthorama, the focus is on listening to and trying out instruments, while Attisholz Riverside Park draws attention to the Aare and its landscaped riverbank. Which stop interests you most depends above all on whether you prefer the history of technology, music or spending time by the water.
Hydroelectric power station and industrial heritage trail
Built in 1888, the Luterbach hydroelectric power station is one of the oldest surviving facilities of its kind in the canton of Solothurn. It was restored in 1988 and opened as a museum. The old power station includes a Francis turbine dating from 1906, which is still in operation. This site therefore brings together a historic building and a piece of technology that is still working today.
The Emmekanal industrial heritage trail leads back to its starting point at the power station via Emmenschachen or through Luterbach’s newer residential neighbourhoods. For the most part, it follows the Solothurn hiking trail network; signs put up by the Solothurn Heritage Preservation Society also point the way. The circular route consists of sections that can be combined. This means you can shorten or extend it and choose your starting point freely. The different sections make it possible to adapt your visit to the time available, without assuming a single fixed route length.
The easiest way to explore the industrial heritage trail is by bicycle, using the cycle path along the Aare from Solothurn towards Olten. Luterbach is also accessible by bus: route 9 stops at “Kraftwerk”. Check the timetable before you travel to make sure your journey fits your plans. The bus connection offers another option for planning your visit, alongside the flexibility to choose your starting point and route section.
Electronic instruments at Synthorama
Synthorama in Luterbach is a museum of electronic musical instruments. The exhibition covers around 400 square metres and presents 360 mainly analogue synthesizers and 60 rhythm instruments from ten countries. Visitors can try out the instruments themselves, with a few exceptions. For music enthusiasts, this offers a different experience from an exhibition focused solely on viewing: trying things out is part of the museum visit. Some exceptions apply to this offer; current visitor arrangements may change.
The figures give a concrete sense of the collection: as well as synthesizers, it includes rhythm instruments, and the exhibits come from ten countries. This makes Synthorama a distinctive attraction alongside the power station’s industrial history. When choosing what to explore in Luterbach, you can therefore decide between learning about the development of hydropower and visiting an exhibition about electronic sound production, rather than treating both as the same experience.
Attisholz Riverside Park and the Aare landscape
Attisholz Riverside Park in the municipality of Luterbach offers various ways to spend time by the water. It features a wide cycle path and a promenade for walkers, as well as barbecue areas with wooden benches. A nature window provides access to the Aare, and there is also a bathing beach. The former settling basins can be reached on foot via passageways, stairs, bridges and walkways. Small islands of gravel and boulders were created in the water to allow flora and fauna to flourish. Alongside its paths and places to relax, the park also offers a designed natural environment.
The riverside landscape is part of a broader geographical picture. Luterbach lies 3.5 kilometres east of Solothurn as the crow flies, on a gravel plain east of the Emme and at the southern foot of the Jura in the Solothurn Mittelland. The municipality includes a section of the groundwater-rich gravel plain in the Inner Wasseramt. To the north, the Aare forms the natural municipal boundary; to the west, the Emme marks the boundary of Luterbach at the so-called Emmenspitz. To the east, the area extends across the plain, with the canalised stream beds of the Dorfbach and RĂĽttibach, as far as the Dornwald and Affolterwald, which form a belt of woodland on the alluvial plain. These landscape features complement the experiences at the power station and in the riverside park by showing how the location is shaped by its surroundings.
Discover more destinations: Bolken, Subingen, Horriwil, Zuchwil, Aeschi, Hersiwil, Kriegstetten, Steinhof.
View the broader travel guide: Wasseramt.
