Bern City Guide - Culture

The big hall at the Kultur-Casino Bern, Herrengasse 25 (tel: (031) 328 0228; website: www.kultur-casino.ch) is home to Bern Symphony Orchestra (tel: (031) 328 2424; website: www.bernersymphonieorchester.ch) and well worth visiting. A lovely venue for cabaret, song and theatre in Bern is La Capella, Allmendstrasse 24 (tel: (031) 332 8022; website: www.la-cappella.ch). To enjoy high-calibre classical music, opera, theatre and dance, visitors should check out the rich and varied programme at the Stadttheater Bern, Nägeligasse 1 (tel: (031) 329 5111; website: www.stadttheaterbern.ch). Das Theater an der Effingerstrasse, Effingerstrasse 14 (tel: (031) 382 7272; website: www.dastheater-effingerstr.ch), is a smaller theatre that nonetheless manages to combine artistic ambition with popularity time and time again. Other Bern theatres include the Schlachthaus Theater, Rathausgasse 20 (tel: (031) 312 9647; website: www.schlachthaus.ch) and the folk theatre Narrenpack Theater, Kramgasse 30 (tel: (031) 352 0517; website: www.narrenpack.ch). Puppet theatre enthusiasts should visit the excellent Berner Puppen Theater, Gerechtigkeitsgasse 31 (tel: (031) 311 9585; website: www.berner-puppentheater.ch).

The Kulturhallen Dampfzentrale, Marzilistrasse 47 (tel: (031) 310 0545; website: www.dampfzentrale.ch) is a centre for contemporary culture and a festival hall. It is the main venue during the annual Bern Dance Days festival. For information about concerts and other events, see the events pages on www.berninfo.com.

Quinnie Cinemas (tel: (031) 386 1710; website: www.quinnie.ch) has seven cinemas in Bern, including the Club Cinema at Laupenstrasse 17 and the Bubenberg Cinema at Laupenstrasse 2. Kitag (tel: 0900 556 789; website: www.kitag.com) also has several cinemas in Bern, including at Aarbergergasse 30 and Kramgasse 72. Both companies screen mainstream movies and blockbusters. The Cinematte, Wasserwerkgasse 7 (tel: (031) 312 2122; website: www.cinematte.ch), the Kellerkino, Kramgasse 26 (tel: (031) 311 3805; website: www.kellerkino.ch) and the cinema in the Fine Arts Museum, Rosa Maino (tel: (031) 311 6006; website: www.kinokunstmuseum.ch) are independent cinemas screening art film and global film releases. During the summer months (July and August), the OrangeCinema (an open-air cinema) is held on the Grosse Schanze.