Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Vienna. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type theater
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Vienna Vienna guide
.jpg){kind=link}
About Vienna State Opera
The grand house on the Ringstrasse opened in 1869 as the emperor's Court Opera, was gutted by bombs in 1945, and rose again to reopen in 1955.
Vienna's opera house opened in 1869 as the k.k. Hof-Operntheater, the Court Opera, and was the first of the monumental buildings completed along the new Ringstrasse. Built between 1861 and 1869 by architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nuell in a Neo-Renaissance style, it drew fierce criticism for sitting low against the raised roadway. Neither architect lived to see opening night. The republic renamed it the Staatsoper only in 1920.
Allied bombing on 12 March 1945 and the ensuing fire destroyed the auditorium, sparing only the main facade, vestibule, grand staircase and Schwind Foyer. A decade of reconstruction followed, and the house reopened on 5 November 1955 with Beethoven's Fidelio. Today it stages a dense repertory across the season and hosts the annual Vienna Opera Ball, when the stalls are boarded level with the stage to form a ballroom.
Did you know? Raising the Ringstrasse roadway during construction left the opera looking squat, and Viennese critics dubbed it the “sunken chest.” The mockery haunted its two architects, neither of whom lived to see opening night.
How long is a visit to Vienna State Opera?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Vienna State Opera. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Vienna State Opera worth your time?
Vienna State Opera is among the 35 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Vienna, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Vienna
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Vienna State Opera and read more:
Day 2 of the Vienna in 2 days itinerary →Day 2 of the Vienna in 3 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Vienna State Opera
Preview the Vienna tour free in the Gingerguide app.