The magnificent gardens are a defining feature of Waldegg House. On the building’s representative south side lies the Baroque garden parterre, one of the earliest gardens à la française in the Swiss Confederation. Stone columns and obelisks attest to the patron’s claim to power, while the strictly symmetrical, box-edged beds and the topiaries express a desire to impose order on nature. At the garden’s centre, an octagonal fountain provides some welcome refreshment in the summer heat.
At the southern edge of the formal garden parterre an impressive flight of steps leads through a wrought-iron gate to the lime-tree lined avenue stretching over more than 500 metres. To the west lies the orangery parterre, where the scent of blossoming lemons, calamansi and pomegranate trees evokes a southern atmosphere. To the north is the traditionally laid-out kitchen garden, planted with flowers and vegetables. It features predominantly historic ProSpecieRara (heritage) varieties that were already known in the region some 150 years ago.
Following garden-archaeological excavations and extensive research, the gardens of Waldegg House have been gradually reconstructed since the 1980s.
Guide: Alessandra Reeves, guide at Waldegg House
Admission fee: CHF 10.-
A Barocktage Solothurn event
Tickets are available on the Barocktage Solothurn website.