About Olten :
Olten, with its approximately 17,500 residents, is the largest city in the canton of Solothurn. Together with the communities of the Olten-Gösgen-Gäu area, it represents a considerable pillar of the canton's economic strength. Motto of the city is : 'Live and work in the heart of Switzerland'. The central location of the city of Olten in the heart of Switzerland is and will remain one of the most important advantages for the city and the region of Olten. About 80% of all Swiss inhabitants can reach the 'Three Pines City' (Dreitannenstadt) by train or car in under an hour. Connections to Basel and Zurich airports by both rail and road round out this offer. Hotels and conference centers have recognised this stategic advantage. In addition, city officials plan to more actively promote the status of the town as a conference city by enlarging the city theater to a seminar and culture center. The move away from production industries such as iron and cement has been compensated for in the last few years by numerous new jobs in the services and in education. These are offered not only by firms such as SIS Sega Intersettle AG, Atel, and Swisscom, but also the regional agencies of all large banks and insurance institutes. To the educational area belong, for example, the Kanton School Hardwald, the Commercial School Olten-Balsthal, and the Trade and Industry School, as well as the training centers for the Post and the Swiss Railway. In addition to numerous private schools, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland is located in Olten, offering business, social, technical, and optical studies. Besides employment and residential opportunities, Olten is a gastronomic center and a multifaceted sports and cultural city. Ice hockey and field hockey, to name just two of the countless sports run by clubs, have made the 'Three Pines City' known well beyond the cantonal borders, just as have our cabaret, jazz, and dance sessions. Every year, on August 1, a large firework show occurs from boats floating down the river. It is also home to a wooden foot bridge, one of the towns landmarks. In Olten's railway station restaurant, the Gruppe Olten (Olten Group), a group of writers that included Max Frisch and Friedrich Dürrenmatt, was founded, as was the Swiss Alpine Club in 1863.
MORE INFORMATIONS : http://www.olten.ch/
