Bally-Park - Schönenwerd, SO, Switzerland
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member fi67
N 47° 22.082 E 007° 59.798
32T E 424243 N 5246551
A 19th century industrial area with an extensive park and and outbuildings at the banks of the river Aare in Schönenwerd.
Waymark Code: WMQN2N
Location: Solothurn, Switzerland
Date Posted: 03/06/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member DougK
Views: 5

EN: The Bally area is located at the river Aare west of Schönenwerd. The former marshland was drained and built over in the 1860s by Carl Franz Bally, the founder of the Bally shoe factories. In addition to industrial buildings, a channel, that supplied water to the company's own power plant and a park for the employees and the public were created. Twenty years later, the park was expanded and modeled after English landscape gardens and provided with various park buildings. The lunchhouse for the workers wa built in 1919 as a castle-like building after plans of the famous architect Karl Moser.

After decades of neglect in the second half of the 20th century, the park has been restored in small steps since the 1990s. Since 2001, it is owned by the three surrounding municipalities Schönenwerd, Gretzenbach and Niedergösgen.

The park does not have a sign with its name.

DE: Das Bally Areal befindet sich am Aareufer westlich von Schönenwerd. Das ehemalige Sumpfgebiet wurde in den 1860er Jahren von Carl Franz Bally, dem Gründer der Bally-Schuhfabriken trockengelegt und überbaut. Neben Industriebauten entstanden ein Kanal, der Wasser zum betriebseigenen Kraftwerk führte und eine Parklandschaft für die Angestellten und die Öffentlichkeit. Zwanzig Jahre später wurde die Parkanlage erweitert und nach dem Vorbild englischer Landschaftsgärten gestaltet und mit verschiedenen Parkbauten versehen. Das Kosthaus zur Verpflegung der Arbeiter entstand 1919 als schlossähnliches Gebäude des bekannten Architekten Karl Moser.

Nach Jahrzehnten der Vernachlässigung in der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts wurde der Park seit den 1990er Jahren in kleinen Schritten wieder hergestellt. Seit 2001 ist er im Besitz der drei umliegenden Gemeinden Schönenwerd, Gretzenbach und Niedergösgen.
Name: Bally-Park

Street Location: Parkstrasse

Local Municipality: Schönenwerd

State/Province, etc.: Solothurn

Country: Switzerland

Web Site: [Web Link]

Date Established: 1860s

Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: river Aare, many artificial ponds

Memorial/Commemoration: Not listed

Picnic Facilities: Not listed

Recreational Facilities: Not listed

Monuments/Statues: Not listed

Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Not listed

Fountains: Not listed

Special Events: Not listed

Traditional Geocaches: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
One photo of the park that is a different view from the one on the page, and give the date and description your visit.

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