Alte Oper

The Alte Oper, or Old Opera, stands on Opernplatz at the edge of Frankfurt's Westend and the banking district, in the German state of Hesse. The Neo-Renaissance building opened in 1880 with a design by Richard Lucae and was long regarded as one of the finest opera houses in Germany. It was gutted by Allied bombing in 1944 and left as a ruin for decades, until citizens' fundraising and city support led to a reconstruction that reopened it in 1981 as a concert and congress hall rather than an opera house. The opera ensemble performs at the Oper Frankfurt elsewhere in the city, so the Alte Oper hosts classical orchestras, pop and jazz concerts, ballet and touring productions. Visitors who simply stop by see the richly decorated facade with its sculpted figures and the inscription dedicated to the beautiful, true and good, as well as the Lucae-Brunnen fountain on the square in front. The Opernplatz is lined with cafes and restaurants and is a popular meeting point at lunchtime, when office workers and shoppers fill the terraces. Inside, the grand foyer and the Mozart Saal and Großer Saal can be seen during concerts or on guided tours, which are offered by appointment through the box office. A visit from outside takes about 30 minutes, while a concert evening runs 2 to 3 hours. The building is particularly attractive in the evening, when the facade is lit, and the best photograph is taken from the centre of Opernplatz or from the Taunusanlage side. Crowds are largest before performances and on summer evenings; mornings are calm. Tickets vary widely depending on the event and should be bought only from the official box office or the venue's own site. The nearby Fressgass, a pedestrian street of food shops, is a few minutes on foot.