Located on the Andrassy Avenue the opera house is a beauty on the outside, housing lavish beauty on the inside. Opened in 1884 the building was built by Miklos Ybl, the most famous of Hungary's architects.
The fade of this neo-renaissance building is home to statues depicting both the Greek goddess of art and famous individuals associated with music; the first director of the opera house and founder of the Hungarian Opera, Ferenc Erkel stands protectively overlooking the main entrance. Facing him is Franz Liszt, and to be spotted around the building is Verdi, Mozart and more. The interior is as impressive as the exterior; a marble stairway, frescoes, and the famous central chandelier that has a story all of its own.
The construction of the Budapest opera house took around 9 years and when it was completed it stood as a model; the most up to date and impressive opera house in the whole of Europe. The project was funded by Emperor Franz Joseph, and over 7 kilograms of gold were used for the decoration of the auditorium alone!
The chandelier came about after much discussion regarding electric versus gas lighting. The light bulb had recently been invented at the time of building and so whilst electric was much safer, it was also considerably more expensive than gas lighting and thus the latter was opted for. The chandelier, from Mainz, was made of bronze and contained 500 gas flames; it cost 12,000 and the manual capstan used for lowering the chandelier is still in use today. The chandelier as it hangs now weights 2,100 kilograms, and contains 220 electric bulbs.
Today you can visit the opera house either to see a performance or to take a guided tour. The guided tours take place in various languages at 3 and 4 o'clock every day. Performances cost between 400 HUF and 4,000 HUF, and for the most part people do dress up for the attendance of performances. You will see women in evening dresses and men in dark suits. There is no strict dress code, and you will not be turned away for wearing the wrong thing, but the dress certainly reflects the grandiose of the place.
Accommodation close to the Budapest Opera House is ample, and there is nothing more pleasant than taking a gentle stroll back to your hotel on a warm summers evening after a performance. The Opera House is home to both opera and ballet and tends to have around 50 different performances each year. The Opera House is in fact an excellent land mark whilst looking for hotels, as close to the Opera House means being close to town, the shops, and restaurants. A five star hotel in the area may cost up to $200 per night, whilst budget accommodation is available from $10 per night.
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