mozart’s kugeln

The Budapest Opera House will not only enchant you with its fine ballet and opera performances. Budapest’s golden girl is also an attractive example of neo-Renaissance architecture.

Built by emperor Fransz Joseph I, the Opera on Andrássy Avenue is the architectural cherry on the cake of one of Hungary’s most acclaimed architects: Miklós Ybl.

Ybl not only designed the building, he also oversaw the construction between the start in 1875 and the completion in 1884. During these 9 long years, his relationship with ‘Der Kaiser’ deteriorated with every gram of gold that was used to decorate the auditorium of the Opera House. After 7000 grams the musical palace was finished, as was his relationship with the emperor. An emperor who at the opening could only say ‘I like it’ about, at that time, the greatest opera house in the whole of Europe.

The citizens of Budapest couldn’t care less though about the feud between Fransz and Miklós. They embraced the building from the start, never letting go of it since. The pride and love that befell the Opera won’t be a surprise to anyone visiting it. Not only does the building look as lush as a Mozart Kugeln on the outside, the extravagance of its inside is a tasteful as the famous chocolate treat.

But there’s more to the Budapest Opera House than the eye can see. Cause not only in its beauty, but especially in the quality of its acoustics the Budapest Opera House is considered to be amongst the finest opera houses in the world.

The best way to test this acclaimed brilliance is, of course, to visit an opera or ballet performance. And when doing so, two of the best seats in the house are the front row central loge seats directly opposite  the stage. Music, the views of stage, the building and the audience, for about $50 these seats will tickle all your senses.

In case you do not have the time or opportunity to attend a performance at the Opera House, tours in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian or Hungarian start every day at 15.00 and 16.00 all the year round.

Hungarian State Opera
Andrássy Ave. 22
H-1061 Budapest
Hungary
T: +36 1 81 47 100
E: info@opera.hu
W: www.opera.hu

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