Secret Swiss Culture Gems – Into the Unknown: Five summer cultural excursions in the country – Culture

1. Play music at Casa de Rosa

Cultural advice from Benjamin Herzog

In the Loco of the Onsernone Valley in Ticino, Johannes Ruhl runs a studio for musicians. If you wish, you can rent a room there for a week and experience new pieces in the tranquility of a secluded valley. And if desired, perform it in the nearby church. With his commitment, Roll would like to return some subsidies in the cultural sector, from which he benefited throughout his life as a former university lecturer and festival director.

2. In Sissacher Castle Park

Cultural advice from Sarah Herwig

Flower cups made of aluminum sheets, a bus stop in the meadow and organic shapes erupting from the ground. Between the chirping of birds and the humming of bees, you can plunge into the interesting world of art in the park of Ebenrhine Castle in Sesach.

Critical accents included: Nobles would haunt the castle for pure pleasure. One of the many owners even had slaves toil on his overseas plantations. In this exposed gallery, the enjoyment of art meets the lesson of history.

3. The stage in a faux barn

Cultural advice from Andreas Studli

The Théâtre du Jorat is also called “La Grange sublime” – the sublime barn. Built like a barn, only of wood, it fits in the village of Mézières VD. The theater owes its existence to director and composer Rene Morax. He created it for all those who did not have direct access to culture at the beginning of the 20th century.

Completed in 1908, the theater has stood on shaky ground from the start: the auditorium has 1,000 seats – and that in the countryside. Although the Jorat Theater has always been able to hold its own, it has remained “a giant with an Achilles’ heel,” as director Ariane Mouret put it. The theater is known for its special atmosphere. During the break, specialties from Romandy are served such as Pathé (small pie in dough) or cream cake (Salée au Sucre).

4. Summer Art in the Abbey Church

Cultural advice from Alice Hincks

The secular abbey church in the Bernese Jura is a real gem: the interior is full of Baroque decorations – but everything is snow-white, as if modeled on cream. In the summer the church is transformed into an art space. This year, Zurich-based artist Daniela Kaiser furnished the church with a colorful and disorienting floor. The image of the floor shows the architectural structures that play slyly and with a sense of space.

5. A treat for the palate and eyes in Laveau

Cultural advice from Igor Basic

The Lavaux wine region is known for its stunning views of Lake Geneva and its fine wines. However, this UNESCO World Heritage site offers much more than that: a new architectural guidebook takes visitors on four tours through picturesque wine villages. Whether it’s a medieval tower, an ancient monastery or a villa from the 1930s – all these buildings tell a lot about the turbulent history of the area.