Alpine Route

The Alpine Route of the European Route of Historic Theatres leads through the south of Germany and through Switzerland to major forms of the European theatre building: theatres of holy orders and theatre halls, peasants’ theatres, Italian-style opera houses, intimate and festival theatres.

Already in the 16th century, the Jesuits made performances part of their educational activities. The oldest theatre in Switzerland, the municipal theatre in Solothurn, testifies to this, whereas the oldest theatre of Benedictine monks can be found in the baroque monastery of Ottobeuren (Germany).

The rural population was equally keen on performances and hence built their own theatres. One of the most interesting of these playhouses is located in Flintsbach, Bavaria. 

In the cities, the Teatro Sociale in Bellinzona is a classic example of an Italian-style opera house, whereas the Münchner Kammerspiele, an art nouveau theatre, was built for intimate plays.

The Prinzregententheater in Munich and the Théâtre du Jorat in Mézières show how different festival theatres can be: in Munich, it is an opulent building for Richard Wagner’s operas - and in the little village of Mézières, a theatre entirely of wood for the festival of the poet René Morax.

Discover this kaleidoscope of theatres in the stunning Alpine landscape!