The world’s longest cinema, located in Oberdorf, Canton Solothurn, has reopened after more than two years of closures due to COVID-19. The cinema is located on a train that travels through the 3,7 kilometre-long Weissenstein Tunnel, creating the ultimate quirky cinematic experience.
Set on a journey through the Weissenstein Tunnel between the cities of Basel and Bern, the world’s longest cinema gives visitors the truly unique experience of taking a train through a stunning feat of engineering, while at the same time, having the opportunity to watch a great film.
The cinema train - known as Tunnelkino - has space for 40 passengers and plays short films made to be enjoyed in the tunnel. Titles include The Original from 1999, which recounts the history and geography of the Weissenstein Tunnel, the Oeufi-Film from 2011, which covers interesting facts about the surrounding area, and Solothurn - Honolulu retour, a quirky film alluding to the folk myth that Solothurn is on the exact opposite side of the world to Hawaii.
After the first film is shown, the Tunnelkino offers passengers a real treat. When the train arrives in the final third of the Weissenstein Tunnel, passengers can disembark and have a tour of the tunnel and are provided with refreshments and food.
The train then leaves the tunnel so that the next scheduled train can enter, bringing the passengers to Gänsbrunnen station, where they switch to the rear part of the train. The rear section is an open freight car that is equipped with another movie screen, where passengers can wrap up warm and watch a second film on their way back to Oberdorf.
For ticket information, check out the Tunnelkino website. This old news piece from SRF should give you a good idea of what to expect:
Video: Jürg Suter / YouTube