From an Imperial point of view, Solitude is the most important city in all of Skyrim.
It doesn’t have Whiterun’s (relatively) mild weather or Markarth’s unique design. But it is still the culture center of the area and the center of Imperial power.
As someone who always fights for the Empire in the Civil War, I want to make Solitude great again, and mods are the best way to do that without the Jarl’s approval.
Here are some must-try mods that will make Solitude a more beautiful and full city.
- 12. The Great City of Solitude SSE
- 11. Solitude Expansion
- 10. Solitude Sidestone Retexture
- 9. Solitude Dome Paintings
- 8. Solitude Skyway
- 7. Solitude Rectory – Tiny Imperial Player Home
- 6. MRF’s Solitude
- 5. Solitude and Temple Frescoes
- 4. Solitude HD
- 3. Extravagant Interiors: Solitude
- 2. Sublime Solitude – An HD Rework
- 1. Redbag’s Solitude
12. The Great City of Solitude SSE
“Solitude – Capital City Expansion” is a mod for a video game that aims to enhance the city of Solitude and transform it into a grand capital city.
The mod adds new buildings, NPCs (non-player characters), quests, and features to make Solitude feel more vibrant and significant within the game world.
It expands upon the original design of the city, creating a more immersive and engaging experience for players.
11. Solitude Expansion
“Solitude – Capital City Expansion” is a mod for a video game that addresses the perceived small size of Solitude, the capital city of Skyrim.
The mod expands the area around Solitude and its docks, adding additional walls, over thirty new houses with detailed interiors, and introducing unique characters to inhabit them.
These additions aim to create a more expansive and lively city, enhancing the player’s immersion and enjoyment within the game world.
10. Solitude Sidestone Retexture
We all know that Skyrim has more than a few bad textures, but the sidestone in Solitude roads is one of the worst.
The texture of the vanilla tastes like play dough. The colors and lighting effects don’t quite match the environment, and overall, it makes me think of how long ago this game came out.
This small but important feature is fixed by the Solitude Sidestone Retexture. Whether or not you use different textures for the rest of Solitude, this will make your experience better.
9. Solitude Dome Paintings
The Blue Palace – also known as Castle Solitude – is one of the most awe-inspiring structures in Skyrim.
Everyone knows of the Blue Palace’s glorious central dome, visible from far away as a bright blue beacon of civilization in these wild northern lands.
The Solitude Dome Paintings mod basically turns Castle Solitude into the Sistine Chapel.
You may choose from two sets of paintings for the ceiling, including a set by English painter John William Waterhouse.
8. Solitude Skyway
The Great Arch – also known as the Cliffs of Solitude – is the natural stone arch serving as Solitude’s foundation.
The Solitude Skyway mod makes this natural landmark much more interesting by exploring what structures the Nords might have built to navigate the cliffs.
Once installed, it’ll be easy to make it from one side of Karth River to the other without swimming or fast traveling. This is especially useful if you own and inhabit Windstead Manor.
This is what I call fantasy architecture!
7. Solitude Rectory – Tiny Imperial Player Home
When it comes to player homes close to Solitude…
Windstead Manor is a nice place for the Dragonborn to live, but I’ve never been a fan of big empty rooms. I like a small, cozy home where I can be a little bit anonymous.
The Solitude Rectory is a great place for a Dragonborn who likes peace and quiet to live if they like the Imperial style.
It’s made to look like a real monk’s cell from the Middle Ages, but you’re supposed to worship Tiber Septim instead of Jesus Christ.
This small, dark room is hidden away in a quiet part of the Temple of the Divines’ top floor.
6. MRF’s Solitude
Parallax mapping is one of the biggest trends in Skyrim modding.
It allows creators to better simulate depth and detail on their textures, thus giving the world of Skyrim a natural look that would have been impossible back in 2011.
This mod gives the Parallax treatment to Solitude with all-new textures that make the city feel cosmopolitan, with luxurious interiors and architectural diversity.
You’ll notice the biggest style changes in the interior of the Blue Palace and Bard’s College, where the rich tapestries and décor will make you feel like a true Solitude noble.
5. Solitude and Temple Frescoes
Religion is a big part of daily life in Skyrim, and the Temple of the Divines in Solitude is the most important place of worship in the whole province.
People have always used art to show what their gods mean to them, and the people of Skyrim are no different.
This mod adds a group of beautiful paintings to the Temple of the Divines. Each one shows a different member of the Nine. You can put pretty lights on top of each altar if you want to.
There is also a choice for a temple that looks like a real Cathedral from the Middle Ages.
4. Solitude HD
Everyone who owns a monstrous PC gamer is the same.
They say they built their supercomputer to play all of the latest AAA games with the highest graphics settings, only to immediately return to modding Skyrim.
Solitude HD is a gorgeous retexture of the capital city, introducing an incredible amount of detail on everything from cobblestone roads to the fabric of the banners.
Who needs to reach Leyndell in Elden Ring when you can explore Solitude in 4K?
3. Extravagant Interiors: Solitude
Heading into the Blue Palace for the first time, I expected to find myself in one of the most lavish locations I’d visited in my life.
Admittedly, it’s a beautiful palace – but it’s nothing close to the luxury and sumptuousness I expected from the seat of Imperial power in the region.
Extravagant Interiors: Solitude replaces the underwhelming décor with rich fabrics, intricate tapestries, and exquisitely carved wood all over the palace. This treatment extends to Vittoria Vici’s House and Proudspire Manor.
Those with powerful gaming rigs – or who don’t give a damn about FPS – should check out the 4K version.
2. Sublime Solitude – An HD Rework
Check out Sublime Solitude if you want to change up Solitude in a big way.
This HD makeover of Haafingar’s city was based on how the game’s concept art shows Solitude. It has clay roofs, stucco walls, stone block walls in the style of Tudor, and more.
The mod also changes the inner areas of Solitude, but in a different way than Extravagant Interiors. It gives the inside of the house a rustic look with lots of stone, like a real medieval castle.
It comes with graphics in 2K, 4K, and an 8K version that you can try at your own risk.
1. Redbag’s Solitude
Most mods that make Solitude better play with graphics and fix small things.
This Solitude Overhaul, made by the skilled modder Redbag, goes against the status quo by adding a lot of new things, such as:
- 20 new houses
- 59 new citizens
- And even a new entrance into the city
This mod changes not only the inside of Solitude, but also the docks. In fact, nine of the twenty new houses are near the dock, making it look like a busy port.
But it’s not just new houses and NPCs. The layout of the whole city has been changed to make it stand out and be more impressive than other towns.
Just make sure to get this patch for a really smooth experience.
