Burgtheater
On Gingerguide's self-guided Vienna audio tour, Burgtheater is a stop worth about ~45 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type theater
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Vienna Vienna guide
About Burgtheater
Vienna's grand national theatre, moved here in 1888. Its ceremonial staircases hide ceiling paintings by the young Gustav Klimt, his brother Ernst and Franz Matsch, survivors of the 1945 fire.
The Burgtheater is one of the most important German-language theatres in the world, ranked alongside the great stages of Berlin. Empress Maria Theresa founded it in 1741 in a disused ballroom beside the Hofburg, and in 1776 Emperor Joseph II raised it to the status of a German national theatre. The company performed near the Hofburg for nearly 150 years before moving, in 1888, into this grand new building on the Ringstrasse, designed by Gottfried Semper and Carl von Hasenauer in an Italian Renaissance and Baroque style.
Its greatest artistic treasure hangs above the two ceremonial staircases: ten ceiling panels tracing the history of theatre, painted between 1886 and 1888 by the Künstler-Compagnie of Gustav Klimt, his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch. One panel hides Gustav Klimt's only known painted self-portrait. When fire gutted the auditorium in 1945, these staircase paintings survived intact.
Did you know? Look closely at the Globe Theatre scene on the staircase ceiling and you will find Gustav Klimt's only known painted self-portrait, a bearded young man tucked among the Elizabethan crowd.
How much time do you need at Burgtheater?
Around ~45 min works well for Burgtheater — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Burgtheater?
Yes — Burgtheater made the cut as one of 35 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Vienna. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Vienna
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Burgtheater and read more:
Day 1 of the Vienna in 2 days itinerary →Day 2 of the Vienna in 3 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Burgtheater
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