The Wiener Staatsoper is one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world, opened in 1869 as part of the Ringstrasse project. The neo-Renaissance facade survived World War II only to be gutted by a fire in 1945; the auditorium was rebuilt in the original style and reopened in 1955.
The repertoire — Mozart, Strauss, Verdi, Wagner — runs nightly through the season (September to June). Tickets for seated performances range from around 15 to 250 euros; standing-room tickets sell for under five euros at the day-of-performance box office. Guided tours run when there is no rehearsal. U-Bahn: Karlsplatz.