Langenthal
Intro
There are many sides to Langenthal, a small city in the Bernese Oberaargau, in the heart of the Swiss Plateau
Description
Langenthal officially attained city status in 1997, and is the largest city in the Bernese Oberaargau, with a catchment of around 80,000 people. Located in the heart of the Swiss Plateau, our city has good transport connections close to the west-east and north-south main axes and offers an exceptional mix of culture, tradition and economic activity. Our businesses and the 15,500 or so people who live here benefit from this favourable traffic situation as well as the high standard of living enjoyed here.
Visitors will immediately notice the height of the pavements in the centre of Langenthal. These were built to channel the flood waters of the River Langeten through the streets in case of emergency. This historical fact is also the reason for the urban development in the inner city. The row of houses on the eastern side of Marktgasse was built directly over the river when the decision was made to develop the “Innere Allmend” area in the 18th century. Since 1992, the danger of flooding has been averted by an efficient relief tunnel.
The opportunities to get involved in sport, culture and politics are almost inexhaustible in Langenthal. The city is big enough to allow real individualists the anonymity they desire and small enough to maintain real communities in the best sense of the word.
2019 Wakker Prize – for foresight and dialogue
The Swiss Heritage Society awarded the city of Langenthal the 2019 Wakker Prize. The jury praised the careful approach to construction on the one hand, and the planning process that comes into play when realising construction projects on the other.
“Akzent Baukultur: Langenthal”
The third volume in the “Akzent Baukultur” book series published by Berner Heimatschutz is dedicated to the city of Langenthal, the 2019 Wakker Prize winner. The publication explains why Langenthal won the award. The articles and the colour illustrations reveal an urban portrait of the city of Langenthal. The book is available from Berner Heimatschutz, Bern’s cantonal chapter of the Swiss Heritage Society.
City and Wakker Prize tours
The multifaceted character of Langenthal is best experienced on a city tour.
Stadttheater Langenthal municipal theatre
The Stadttheater Langenthal can look back on a history of over 100 years. It is the largest cultural institution in the town of Langenthal and enjoys a supra-regional reputation. It is supported by the city of Langenthal, surrounding communities and the canton of Bern. The theatre was completely renovated from 2016 to 2017. It has a modern theatre hall with 400 seats and three event rooms.
Further information
