Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera, the Wiener Staatsoper, was the first great public building on the Ringstrasse. It opened on 25 May 1869 with Mozart's Don Giovanni, after a troubled construction that neither of its architects, August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll, lived to see completed. In March 1945 bombing set the building on fire and destroyed the auditorium and stage. The rebuilt house reopened on 5 November 1955 with Beethoven's Fidelio, an event many Austrians saw as a symbol of the country's recovery.

The company works on a repertory system, staging around 50 to 60 operas and a full ballet programme each season, often with a different production every night. That makes it one of the busiest opera houses in the world and means there is almost always something on. Seats for popular performances sell out early, so book well in advance through the official ticket shop. For a cheaper and very Viennese experience, standing-room places go on sale only on the day of the performance from 10:00, at a fraction of the price of a seat.

If you cannot attend a performance, the guided tours are a good alternative. The standard tour lasts about 40 minutes, runs in several languages including English, and covers the foyer, the state rooms and the auditorium. Tour dates are usually published around the middle of the month for the following month. Backstage tours on selected Sundays go behind the scenes from the second basement to the sixth floor, but involve many stairs and are not suitable for wheelchair users. Tickets can be bought online or, for the standard tour, on site shortly before it starts if places remain.

The opera suits music lovers, of course, but the building tour appeals to anyone interested in architecture and Vienna's history. There is no formal dress code for most performances, but many people dress smartly, and evening wear is common at premieres. The house is also the venue for the Vienna Opera Ball, held each year on the last Thursday of the carnival season, when the stalls are converted into a dance floor.

The opera faces the Ring at the top of Kärntner Straße. Karlsplatz underground station (U1, U2, U4) has an exit next to the building, and trams on the Ring stop outside. The Albertina, Hotel Sacher and the Café Sacher are all within a minute or two on foot.