Olten

The Alte Holzbrücke was first mentioned in 1295, making it one of the oldest documented bridge sites in Switzerland. Spanning 89 metres across the Aare, it has been repeatedly destroyed by floods, ice, and fire. The current structure dates to 1803. A severe fire in 1844 caused significant damage. It is one of the last historic covered wooden bridges still in daily use in Switzerland.

Olten served as the provisional 'Kilometre Zero' for the Schweizerische Centralbahn network — a memorial stone on track 12 commemorates this. The Hauenstein Summit Tunnel (2,495 metres) was Switzerland's first railway tunnel, built 1853-1858 by English contractor Thomas Brassey. A shaft fire in May 1857 killed 52 workers and 11 rescuers. The tunnel opened 1 May 1858. The railway transformed Olten from about 1,000 people to 7,000 by 1900. Today Olten station handles 1,100 trains and 80,000 passengers daily.

In 1971, prominent Swiss writers including Max Frisch, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Peter Bichsel, and Adolf Muschg founded the Gruppe Olten at the Bahnhofbuffet — the station restaurant chosen as neutral, accessible ground. They seceded from the Swiss Writers' Union, championing political engagement in literature. At its peak the group comprised 22 established writers. It disbanded in 2002. The Schriftstellerweg in Olten today features over 70 listening stations with six audio tours narrated by Swiss authors.

The Stadtturm was originally built in the 13th century by the Frohburg counts. Rebuilt by Konrad Gibelin in 1521, it was raised between 1628 and 1676 to approximately 42 metres. Its clock face dates to 1577 and measures nearly four metres — one of the largest and oldest working public clocks in Switzerland. The tower has served as watchtower, prison, council chamber, and fire station. The oldest of its five bells dates to 1402.

On 4 February 1918, the Oltener Aktionskomitee was founded in Olten, chosen for its central rail connections. Chairman Robert Grimm led the committee's nine demands including women's suffrage, the 48-hour work week, and old-age insurance. On 10 November 1918, approximately 250,000 workers participated in Switzerland's largest labor action. The strike ended 14 November. The 48-hour work week was achieved in 1919; women's suffrage took until 1971.

Werner Munzinger (1832-1875) was born in Olten. He served as French consul at Massawa, explored Eritrea and Sudan, and was killed in 1875 leading an Egyptian expedition near Aussa, Ethiopia. Alex Capus's novel Munzinger Pascha (1997) tells his story. Olten's nickname 'Dreitannenstadt' (City of Three Fir Trees) comes from its coat of arms showing three fir trees on a hill, representing the three Jura foothills — Born, Engelberg, and Säli — surrounding the town.

Olten sits in a valley formed by three Jura foothills: the Born, the Engelberg, and the Säli, earning it the nickname Dreitannenstadt. Its coat of arms shows three green fir trees on a hill. The area has been inhabited since the Magdalenian period (16,000-14,000 years ago). A Roman vicus existed at the site. First documented in 1201 as Oltun. The town's central position makes it equidistant from Zurich, Basel, Bern, and Lucerne — all reachable within 30 minutes by train.

Olten's central position earned it the reputation as 'the place where Switzerland meets'. National organizations have traditionally met here because no delegation travels further than any other. The Bahnhofbuffet hosted three European rulers in 1893 — Emperor Franz Joseph I, Queen Victoria, and Emperor Wilhelm II. The Hexenturm (Witch Tower) dates to approximately 1420 and served as a prison for accused witches. The Spittelschür from 1415 was originally a hospital.