Hungarian State Opera House

The Hungarian State Opera House is one of the finest 19th-century buildings in Budapest and the home of the Hungarian State Opera and the Hungarian National Ballet. Designed by Miklós Ybl in a Neo-Renaissance style and opened on 27 September 1884, it stands on Andrássy út, the grand avenue that leads to Heroes' Square. Gustav Mahler directed the company from 1888 to 1891, and the building has been at the centre of musical life in the city ever since.

The facade is decorated with statues of composers, and inside, the foyers, the grand staircase and the horseshoe-shaped auditorium are richly gilded and painted, with a large ceiling fresco and a heavy bronze chandelier. The building went through a major restoration in recent years and has returned to full use for performances.

There are two ways to experience it. The first is to attend a performance. The season runs through most of the year and mixes Hungarian works with the standard opera and ballet repertoire, and seats range from expensive stalls to restricted-view upper tiers that make a visit possible on a smaller budget. Smart casual dress is fine for most performances, though many locals dress up for evening shows. Tickets are sold on the official website and at the box office, and popular productions sell out early, so book ahead.

The second is a guided tour of the building, offered on most days in several languages, including English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. Tours cover the main staircase, the foyers and the auditorium, and explain the history and architecture of the house; times depend on rehearsals and performances, so check the official website for the schedule. A tour suits anyone interested in architecture or music history, even if they do not plan to see an opera, and it is a good option on a rainy day.

The Opera House is at Andrássy út 22, and Opera station on metro line M1 is directly in front. St Stephen's Basilica is about ten minutes' walk away, and the House of Terror and Oktogon are a little further up the avenue. The side streets around the opera, including Nagymező utca, known as Budapest's Broadway, have theatres, bars and restaurants for before or after a show.