From Weissenstein to Röti

"Although the view is less picturesque than that from Rigi, the panorama – from the mountain peaks of Tyrol to Mont Blanc – is more extensive," wrote Karl Baedeker in his 1844 travel guide Die Schweiz, Handbüchlein für Reisende. In those years, Weissenstein was among the most visited heights in Switzerland. No wonder, transport services were established early on, followed by a road and stagecoach, and at the beginning of the 20th century, half a dozen railway projects were initiated on the beautiful Jura summit. There used to be a chairlift to the Solothurn home mountain, and since December 2014, a modern gondola has been operating. It conveniently takes excursionists and hikers from the fog-plagued region on the southern Jura foothills up to the sun. And then this short ascent to Röti: that completes the panoramic bliss!

The history of the cable car at Weissenstein is wonderfully documented in the book "Die Sesselbahn am Weissenstein 1950–2009," published by Rothus Medien, Solothurn. The book starts with the first daring lift projects by railway pioneers, reports on the history of mountain gastronomy, and ends with the construction of the new gondola with its striking structures.