State Opera House

Budapest's beautiful State Opera House was commissioned for the commemoration of the Hungarian millennial in 1896. Miklos Ybl, Hungary's most important architect at the time wanted the new opera house to rival those in Paris and Dresden.
The grand building took nearly a decade to complete, with construction beginning in 1875 and finishing in 1884. Budapest residents view it as one of the most important historical buildings in the city.

Neo-Renaissance in style, the opera house also boasts a number of Baroque elements. On the exterior, visitors will find sixteen statues of the great composers of the world, including Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, and Monteverdi. Of particular interest to the Hungarian people are the statues of their country’s most popular composers – Franz Liszt, a prolific composer/pianist of the 19th century, and Ferenc Erkel, composer of the Hungarian national anthem and first director of the opera.

The inside of the Hungarian State Opera House is stunning as well. Frescoes and sculptures by some of Hungary’s foremost artists, including Karoly Lotz, Bertalan Székely, and Mór Than, grace the interior.

More than seven kilograms of gold were used to decorate the inside of the immense auditorium, which seats about 1200 patrons.

The State Opera House is just as wonderful today as it was in years gone by. An impressive program of opera performances and other special events (including The Nutcracker at Christmastime) are offered to guests and tickets go quickly, especially for the most well-known operas. Plan accordingly so you can hear a performance while visiting Budapest. Tours of the opera house are also available from a number of tour companies in the city.

Budapest boasts an even larger opera house, the Erkel Theater. Originally built in 1911 in Art Nouveau style, the theater's current appearance dates back to the 1950s.