Frutillar and Teatro del Lago

About this place

A quiet town on the shore of Lake Llanquihue founded by German immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century, which kept its colourful wooden houses with steep roofs, flowering gardens and food traditions such as fruit kuchen cakes. Across the water rises Osorno volcano's white cone. Its best-known landmark is the Teatro del Lago, a modern wood-and-glass concert hall standing on piles right over the water, opened in 2010 and hosting classical concerts and opera. The town has held the Frutillar Music Weeks every summer since the late 1960s, and UNESCO has named it a Creative City of Music. On the waterfront a wooden pier with a pretty pavilion runs into the lake, beside a small sandy beach and cafés serving kuchen. The German Colonial Museum shows the early settlers' life through mills, houses and farm tools. The best times are a clear morning with the volcano in view, or sunset on the pier. Check the theatre's programme if you want to catch a concert.