The Hungarian State Opera House, opened in 1884, is a masterpiece by Miklós Ybl, one of the greatest Hungarian architects of all time. As an iconic building on Andrássy Avenue, it is a great example of the Hungarian Neo-Renaissance, but in its rich decoration we can also discover Baroque elements. The building seats 1300 people and although it is not the largest opera house in the world in terms of size, it ranks third among its European counterparts in acoustics, after Scala in Milan and Opera Garnier in Paris. Its most famous performance is The Nutcracker, which Christmas cannot pass without. Tchaikovsky’s fairy-tale ballet is so popular that despite being seen throughout December, it is almost impossible to get a ticket for it. The Opera House is not only open for performances, there are guided tours twice a day in the building.

The Opera House is 1 km from our hostel on foot and 1.2 km by car