How to Visit Prague State Opera

“Seeing an opera at one of Europe’s grand, historic opera houses is a bucket-list experience. As one of the few cities to survive severe destruction during World War II, Prague has many architectural theatre masterpieces that stayed intact. The Prague State Opera is not only one of the city’s most gorgeous opera houses, but it’s also ideal for a budget-friendly cultural experience. Find out how to visit Prague State Opera to prepare for an experience of a lifetime.

About Prague State Opera
——————————-

The State Opera originally opened New German Theatre in 1888. It had a few name changes over the years until gaining the name Prague State Opera.

At the time of the opera’s original opening, Czech lands were a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and a number of Germans were living in the city. The German community wanted a German-speaking opera house of their own, which led to the New German Theatre. The beautiful neo-rococo opera house opened and began performances early in 1888, beginning with Richard Wagner’s famous Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

During World War II, the theatre was used as a safe haven for artists who were fleeing from Germany, before political strife caused it to close in 1938. Following the war, a group of Czech artists reclaimed the theatre as the Theatre of the Fifth of May. For the first time in its history, the theatre was home to Czech opera instead of German, and it served as an avant-garde alternative to the conservative National Theatre.

The theatre ultimately became part of the National Theatre, but it gained its independence and was named Prague State Opera after the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

By Jorge Láscar from Australia – Státní opera Praha (Prague State Opera), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31952062

Tickets to the State Opera
———————————

The State Opera is one of the least expensive of European opera houses. Depending on the performance, tickets to an opera at the State Opera range from £6 to £40. When purchasing tickets, remember that the dress circle and upper circle have limited visibility. You can buy tickets at the box offices or on the website.

The theatre also offers subscription tickets, which have performances grouped by genre, character or focus, and they are sold in advance. There are ticket packages as well, which group a few productions with a similar theme for a discounted price.

For special regime performances, such as Swan Lake and Bridges of Time, tickets cannot be reserved, purchased by bank transfer or paid by delivery.

Operas and other performances in the State Opera tend to sell out early – sometimes months in advance – so be sure to plan your trip and buy your tickets as early as possible. That said, it’s possible to score tickets at the venue box office on the day of the performance.

Prague State Opera House 12-03-10 015 by greynforty – CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) – https://www.flickr.com/photos/greynforty/4448092336

Guided tours
————

The theatre itself and several tour companies offer Prague State Opera tours. During a tour, you’ll learn about the history and construction of the opera house and see its spectacular architecture up close. Most tours offer a range of language options, including English, German and French.

Know before you go
————————-

No matter the original language, most operas have supertitles in English that are projected above the stage. You can check the languages on the specific opera’s information page. You could also pick up an English program at the opera house.

Generally, visitors to the State Opera dress up for theatre, concerts, opera and ballet. While you won’t get refused entry if you’re too casual, it’s best to pack some smart clothing for your performance. Men can wear suits or sport coats and women can wear dresses or dress pants.

Be sure to arrive early to get your drinks and snacks. The theatre has bars that serve wine, beer, liquor and small bites. Those with box seats are offered a coat check. It’s also good to arrive early to explore the opera house and take in its beauty. The doors to the theatre open 45 minutes prior to the performance.

No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1619772

Getting there and parking
————————-

The State Opera is located at Wilsonova 4, Praha 1. You can reach the State Opera via the daytime tram 11 or 13 or the night tram 96 and 98 at the ‘Muzeum’ stop, or from Metro lines A and C (green and red) to the ‘Muzeum’ station.

You can also drive to the State Opera. Parking for the State Opera is located in the Slovan above-ground garage, which can be reached by the slip road on Wilsonova street.

Ready to plan your trip?
——————————–

The Prague State Opera is one of the most beautiful and fascinating of all European opera houses. If you’re planning a trip to see a live performance, visit Expedia to see deals on Prague holidays and explore more of the gorgeous architecture of Prague!

#### Photo Credits

Cover pic: By High Contrast – Own work, CC BY 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17684755“