The Aare, before it flows through the town of Olten, makes its way through a first Jura foothill. On the map, it looks like a gorge. On the left side of the gorge is the Born and on the right is the Engelberg mountain. This first hill has a steep face overlooking the Aare and the town of Aarburg.
There are several routes to the top of the Born, including the famous 1000-step path (1100 to be precise). This 1000-step path is a relic from the time when a pressure pipe ran down from the Born to the power station in Ruppoldingen. The pressure pipe had to be inspected regularly.
We followed the path that goes directly up from Aarburg, because the 1000-step path is just above the motorway. This means that you must put up with a lot of noise. Here, the path climbs steeply from the Aare up to the Höfli and then continues through the woods to the foot of the rock face. A small path with steps has been built to help you cross the rocks and reach the top of the hill.
From there, we followed the marked path down to Olten. It is a gentle descent, and you can see the Aare and the neighborhoods between Aarburg and Olten.
When you reach Olten, the marked path suggests that you cross the Aare on a footbridge near the railway bridge. However, it is much more picturesque to continue along the river and go around the swimming pool. After crossing the Dünnern, you can cross the old town of Olten and cross the beautiful wooden covered bridge. You will pass the bronze statue of the King of Olten, a cat whose owners lived in the old town. The cat used to go for walks in the old town and in the establishments there. Its name, Toulouse, does not come from the city in the south-west of France, but from the Swiss German word “Du Luuser,” which means “you rascal”. Toulouse became famous far and wide thanks to the writer Alex Capus.
Route: Aarburg – Höfli – Born – Ischlag – Olten
Distance: 7km
Elevation gain: 350m
Duration: 2h30
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