I am travelling from

A room full of musical memories

It seems hard to believe but the Alte Oper, one of the most striking buildings in Frankfurt am Main, almost didn’t survive World War II. An air raid by the Allied forces left the building from 1880 in ruins. The opera companies in town had already found another home for their performances.

Arts & Culture

Listening as an art

Behind the restored façade of the former opera house are 2 concert halls, both internationally renowned for their acoustics. The large hall is one of Germany’s best concert halls for classical music, where top orchestras such as the Concertgebouw Orchestra from Amsterdam and the British Academy of St Martin in the Fields perform. The more compact Mozart hall is frequently the stage for special jazz performances and modern music concerts. In summer and during the Christmas period you can also attend special music productions. Enjoy a dinner at the in-house restaurant Opéra before or after a performance.

In winter the Alte Oper is beautifully illuminated

A festival full of music

Although there are no opera performances in the Alte Oper, the opera ambiance can still be found here. Every year, during the second half of June, the square in front of the imposing building hosts the Opernplatzfest. For a week, the square is packed with dozens of food and drink stands, and various cultural performances and events associated with the rich music history of the building take place here. On sultry summer evenings, the Opernplatzfest draws thousands of spectators.

The second ‘living room’ of the European Central Bank

The bank and the opera

Today, the Alte Oper is closely associated with the European Central Bank. This European ‘mother bank’ was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1998 and since then the bank regularly rents the elegant building for major official events ─ in 2008 to celebrate the bank’s 10th anniversary, for example. Occasionally the Alte Oper feels like a second head-office of the European Central Bank.

Arts & Culture

It's a miracle that the oldest part of Frankfurt's downtown survived World War II unscathed and visitors and locals are still grateful for this. The medieval houses and beautiful squares make the historic centre a romantic setting for shopping, eating and drinking.