2 Best Performing Arts in Berner Oberland, Switzerland

For a real introduction to the local experience, don't miss the Tellfreilichtspiele, an outdoor pageant presented in Interlaken every summer by a cast of Swiss amateurs. Wrapped in a rented blanket and seated in a 2,200-seat sheltered amphitheater that opens onto illuminated woods and a permanent "medieval" village set, you'll see 180 players in splendid costumes acting out the epic tale of Swiss hero Wilhelm Tell. The text is Friedrich Schiller's famous play, performed in German with the guttural singsong of a Schwyzerdütsch accent—but don't worry; with galloping horses, flower-decked cows, bonfires, parades, and, of course, the famous apple-shooting climax, the operatic story tells itself.

Surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds between the Höheweg and the River Aare, the Kursaal was built in 1859 in a dramatic combination of Oberland-chalet and Victorian styles. Plays and concerts are often presented here, mostly during the high season.