Vienna State Opera House
The Vienna State Opera House dates back to 20 December 1857, when Emperor Franz Josef made his intention to expand Vienna’s public buildings known. The design of the Vienna State Opera House was awarded to architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll.
Neither lived to see its completion on 25 May 1869. The structure’s renaissance style is still prominent today, despite the building’s destruction in 1945 by American bombing raids. The first post-war performance of Fidelio by Beethoven was held in the renovated building on 5 November 1955.
Today, the State Opera House houses the world famous Vienna Philharmonic. Guided tours of the building are available. They include the entrance foyer, the main staircase, the marble room, Schwind foyer and the Gustav Mahler room, and occasionally a tour of the auditorium.
The nearby Vienna State Opera Museum displays a series of exhibitions relating to the building and its history since 1955. Of course, another way to tour the Vienna State Opera House is to buy a ticket to a performance, but do so far in advance as these are very popular.
