Tours · Bratislava · Theatre
Slovak National Theatre
A jewel box of a Neo Renaissance opera house crowning Hviezdoslav Square, fronted by the playful Ganymede Fountain. Built by the same Viennese duo who scattered ornate theatres across half of Europe.
About this place
The historic building of the Slovak National Theatre is the elegant centrepiece of Hviezdoslav Square, a long leafy promenade in the heart of the Old Town. Designed by the celebrated Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, it rose in just over a year and opened in September 1886 as the city theatre of what was then Hungarian Pozsony. With its tiered loggias, sculpted muses and a roofline crowned by the figures of Thalia and her companions, it belongs to a whole family of look alike theatres the pair built in Vienna, Budapest, Zurich, Brno and beyond. When Czechoslovakia was born after 1918, the house became the Slovak National Theatre, the country's first professional stage, and to this day it hosts opera and ballet beneath a glittering chandelier.
Key facts
- 1886 year — The historic theatre opened its doors on Hviezdoslav Square
- 800 gas lamps — Originally lit the auditorium and facade before electricity arrived
- 1000 seats — The original house was designed to hold this many spectators
📍 Gorkého 132/2, 811 01, Bratislava