A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to take advantage of the lovely spring weather and go on an outing to a nearby place I’d never yet been: the Verenaschlucht, a gorge leading to a hermit’s hut and two medieval chapels. Located near the beautiful Baroque city of Solothurn, it’s known for ancient healing forces, a hidden gem.
We were not the only people who had this bright idea on a warm, sunny day, so there were lots of other travelers on the well-worn path that wound through rocks along a stream. Though the crowds made meditative walking somewhat difficult, we still enjoyed the constantly changing scene, with its trickling water, greenery, and limestone cliffs pierced with mysterious hollows.
After about twenty or thirty minutes of easy walking, we came out into the chapel area. Here, a shrine to Saint Verena is built into the rock itself, along with a hermitage and another tiny chapel nearby. The buildings date from the twelfth to seventeenth centuries, while the pilgrims’ pathway was landscaped later in the romantic style.
Completely open on one side to the elements, on the altar side of the chapel a cavern burrows deep into the cliff face — a dramatic juxtaposition of space and enclosure.
Above the altar, a painted sky shows the sun in eclipse at the hour of Christ’s crucifixion. Behind it, sculpted figures have been set up to represent Christ’s entombment, making use of the natural scenery.
Verena’s legend has her born to a Christian family in Thebes in the third century, and traveling to Switzerland with the Theban legion – Christians who served in the Roman army, but were martyred because they would not worship the emperor. Verena is said to have buried the martyred legionnaires, then gone to the gorge near Solothurn to live as a hermit, praying, fasting, and working miracles. Verena’s attributes are a comb and a water jar, which represent her service to the poor and to lepers.
A hermit’s hut still stands here and is still maintained and inhabited. Later Verena moved to Zurzach, where she ended her days in another cave. Her name is very popular in Switzerland, often shortened to Vreni.
Though it took me several years to finally visit Verena, I’m glad I finally made the trip! I’ll be back again to explore this unique area and enjoy its peaceful atmosphere.