Frankfurt’s Alte Oper is a grand neo-Renaissance landmark on Opernplatz, built as the city’s opera house and inaugurated in 1880 in the presence of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Its ornate façade reflects the cultural ambitions of a prosperous 19th-century Frankfurt, while its later history tells a more complicated story of destruction and renewal.
Allied bombing in 1944 left the building a roofless shell, and it became known as “Germany’s most beautiful ruin”. After a long campaign to restore it, the Alte Oper reopened in 1981 as a concert and event venue rather than an opera house. Today, the reconstructed exterior faces a lively square with a fountain and café terraces, while performances bring audiences into its concert halls.
The façade and Opernplatz are free to visit, and a weekday morning is a good choice if you want a quieter view. For an evening inside, check the official programme and book ahead for popular concerts. The Alte Oper U-Bahn station, served by the U6 and U7, is just beside the square.