State Opera

The State Opera was built in the late 1880s by the German community in Prague as a response to the recently constructed Czech National Theatre, and also out of necessity for a larger venue — the German Estates Theatre was a century old and no longer met staging requirements. The Neo-Renaissance building with Neo-Rococo interior was designed by Vienna-based architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer; it had a larger stage and higher seating capacity than any other theatre in Prague — which still holds true today. It opened on 5 January 1888 with Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. In 1910, the world premiere of Richard Strauss's Elektra was staged here. The theatre is now part of the National Theatre group and hosts opera and ballet throughout the season. It is considered one of the most beautiful opera house interiors in Europe, and tickets are significantly more affordable than comparable venues in Vienna or London.

Address

Státní opera Praha, Legerova 75/1, 110 00 Praha 1 – Nové Město, Czech Republic (Wenceslas Square area)

Working hours

Box office: Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00. Performances typically start at 19:00. Tickets are sold several months in advance and can be purchased at the National Theatre box office, through the Colosseum Ticket network, and online at the National Theatre website. The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance; sales open on the 1st of each month at 9:00. Each seat is equipped with a screen displaying subtitles. By public transport: metro A or C to Muzeum.

Site

www.narodni-divadlo.cz