Hungarian State Opera House

Budapest, Hungary

The Budapest opera house is a beautiful Neo-Renaissance building opened in 1884. Construction included the use of marble and frescos by some of the best artisans of that era. Designed by Miklós Ybl, one of Europe's leading architects in the mid to late 19th century, the Budapest Opera House quickly became one of the most prestigious musical institutions in Europe. Many important artists performed here, including Gustav Mahler, who was also the director for three seasons.

The Budapest Opera House is considered to be amongst the best opera houses in the world in terms of its acoustics, and has an auditorium that seats 1200 people. It is horseshoe-shaped and, according to measurements done by a group of international engineers, has the third best acoustics amongst similar European venues (after the Scala in Milan and the Paris Opera House). The statue of Ferenc Erkel stands in front of the Opera House. He was the composer of the Hungarian national anthem and the first music director of the Opera. The other statue in front of the Budapest Opera is of Ferenc Liszt, the well-known Hungarian composer.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1884
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Hungary

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Euforica Lim (9 months ago)
Wow the State Opera is very impressive! It was easy to get the tickets at the ticket booth. We attended an opera instead of the usual tour and it was a great experience. The acoustics in the hall was perfect and the seats were really comfortable.
Joe Macpherson (9 months ago)
Building review only Absolutely gorgeous architecture. The opulence inside is amazing. Very photogenic. The outside is also lovely. Best time is in the evening during golden hour
Desmond Foo (9 months ago)
The Hungarian State Opera house is a place that's not to be missed when visiting Budapest. The concert hall is filled with plenty of ornamental decorations and intricate designs down to the miniscule details. I stood in awe admiring the craftsmanship that went into the construction of this place. Admittedly, I did not appreciate the opera/musical that I was there for, but that's probably due to my own lacking of sophistication.
Hannah Casey (10 months ago)
Really great tour. Guide was knowledgeable and kept things interesting. Great little performance taster towards the end too, before a walk through the main theatre seating and the boxes upstairs. One of the most beautiful opera houses I've seen.
Lola A (10 months ago)
Absolutely gorgeous. I was in awe of how beautiful this place was. Definitely a must see. You're allowed inside for free to look and walk around most of the ground floor. There is also a cute cafe on the grounds.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.