Semper Opera House (Semperoper)

Semper Opera House (Semperoper)

Semper Opera House (Semperoper)
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
About
Restored to its former magnificence after its destruction in the 1945 bombing of Dresden, this elaborate, High Renaissance style opera house presents opera, ballet and jazz performances, and is worth a visit if only to marvel at its ornate interior.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Innere Altstadt
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Hert4d
    London, United Kingdom50 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hänsel and Gretel Semperoper Dresden
    We visited the Dresdner Semperoper as Christmas treat for the family and we enjoyed the Opera Hänsel und Gretel. This is a very special place with amazing architecture and stunning art. The opera was a beautiful piece that also children enjoyed! Simply stunning experience.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 December 2023
  • troubleandringo
    Wichita Falls, Texas9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Old world charm!
    Attended 'Le Nozzie de Figaro' and had a wonderful time! Such an elegant venue with an amazing history! We sat in the nosebleed section and the acoustics were as good as a previous visit on the floor! We enjoyed a glass of wine at intermission.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 23 March 2024
  • operalover939
    Toronto, Canada2,938 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of the great opera houses
    Eating my lunch facing the Semperoper, I admired its splendid appearance and thought back to operas I have enjoyed attending there, most notably a spirited Falstaff and a quirky but well-sung Rosenkavalier. The acoustics are great. If you're an opera lover, and perhaps even if you're not, you should teat yourself to a performance in this great house.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 15 May 2024
  • PavlaPavla
    Chrudim, Czech Republic7,538 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Opera House
    Attended "Benvenuto Cellini" opera here. The building itself is amazing both outside and inside. It was lovely to walk around in the interior. There is a beautiful curtain, the paintings on the ceiling are very nice and the acoustics here is great. Here, before the performance and during the break to the audience is not only offered a glass of wine and desserts, but (I already experienced this at the Berlin Opera, apparently it is a German habit) also salty pretzels and glass of beer.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 4 July 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,925 reviews
Excellent
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414
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102
Poor
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17

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Jae W. Lee
Long Island, NY5,876 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
During our train travel through Germany, we visited Dresden, and joined a guided tour of this opera house with our pre-purchased tour tickets. We went to the Theater Square about 15 minutes early to admire the panoramic views of the opera house, Konig Johann Denkmal (King Johann Monument), Zwinger and other beautiful buildings surrounding the square. Then, we went to the opera house entrance. At the tour time, a guide from the opera house came out, and called us in. Once inside, we were led to the coat check-in counter where we checked our bags. Then, we toured various halls and chambers. Near the end of the tour, we were seated at an upper level area of the opera house to enjoy the view of the stage and seating areas. The interior of the opera house reminded us of Vienna State Opera House, although the two opera houses had subtle diffences. Our visit to Semeroper at this time was especially memorable to us, because we had visited Poet Henrich Heine’s birth house in Dusseldorf and Wartburg Castle in Eisenach before arriving at Dresden. Why were these prior visits relevant? It’s because; (1) Richard Wagner staged his masterpieces “Der fliegende Holländer” and “Tannhäuser” in this opera house (Sempreoper’s predecessor:C ourt Theatre). (2) Wagner composed these operas inspired by Henrich Heine’s poems “Der fliegende Holländer” & “Tannhäuser”. (3) Wartburg Castle in Eisenach was the backdrop of Heine’s & Wagner’s “Tannhäuser”. Semperoper tour is highly recommended.
Written 27 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PoruGM
Amsterdam, The Netherlands58 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We have visited many opera houses in Europa and the Semperoper belongs to the TOP houses! The stairwell and corridors are beautifully decorated together with chandeliers.
The concert hall itself has a very good acoustic, both for opera's, concerts or ballet. One can also join a tour to admire this beautiful theater (which is always nice to do when visiting such an extaordinary theater, like the Operahouse in Vienna or Paris)
Written 17 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hans-jaguar
Santa Comba Dao, Portugal24,273 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Saxon State Opera Dresden, it has a long historical tradition as the court and state opera in Saxony. Located at the Theaterplatz in the historic city center of Dresden near the Elbe. It is named after its architect Gottfried Semper. People who want to buy tickets for a performance in the opera can obtain them right next to the opera in the “Altstädtische Hauptwache or also named the “Schinkel Wache” the building on the lefthand side of the opera also on the “Sophienstrasse. We did not went to a performance, because we are not opera minded.
Written 11 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Justine28
Yellowknife, Canada2,191 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
Beautiful building inside and out! We had the pleasure of attending a show at the SemperOper back in September (The Magic Flute/ Die Zauberflote with music by Mozart) and it was a real treat. The opera house is in a very central location which meant we could walk to and from it. It’s a beautiful building as well; gorgeous halls and views from the corridors. The stage is large and we had a good view while seated in Rang 1 (balcony), row 2, seats 21 and 22 (to the left of the stage). The show was in German, but there were closed captions/ subtitles displayed on screens which were in English, so we could actually follow the story. The tickets for the show were not cheap, but really worth the price considering what great experience it was. We booked our tickets online, and the website was clear, and the booking process easy to follow. The dress code was mixed; from very elegant and very formal, to folks in a shirt/sweater and hiking boots (clearly, like ourselves, there are a lot of tourists visiting the opera house). The show itself was very impressive, with some amazing talents singing on the stage. After the show, we were lucky to enjoy some fireworks nearby; not sure what they were for, but they started just as we were all leaving the theatre, so were quite a treat. The only minor complaint was that the opera house tours that start before the show were only in German, with no option for English or other languages, so there was no point for us to join, which was a shame.
All in all, an amazing experience, fantastic show, and a wonderful experience in Dresden. Highly recommended.
Written 14 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pnhmrk
York, UK415 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We attended a performance of Hansel and Gretel just before Christmas. The performance, music and singing were excellent.

The building is also very attractive. It’s hard to remember that it was only rebuilt in the last 99 years - it seems so much more stately and refined.

I think that it’s definitely worth attending a performance to experience the opera house.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hubi4d
Meerane, Germany50 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
We had booked a tour online for €14 per person and the first thing we were told was that someone had fallen ill and the group had therefore grown to 45 people. That is far too big, it was very difficult to understand Mr Klein, especially as he was hoarse. We also met too many other groups and had to keep waiting. The other groups only had around 20 people, so that was fine. Conclusion: beautiful building, poor value for money and unloving.
Google
Written 14 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dfabiano
Brazil4,985 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
It's a theater like Rio's Municipal. But this one only has tours in English or German. They don't use an audio guide and they don't let you enter alone. Nothing much, just the beautiful receptionist Anne, who became my friend at first sight.
Google
Written 15 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mMia
Cologne, Germany1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
This review concerns the tour. The entrance fee is currently €13 per person/€9 reduced, plus a €3 photo permit. The tour lasts around 45 minutes and includes a 30-minute talk in the foyer and a 10-minute talk in the royal box. Unfortunately, the areas behind the scenes are not shown and photos of the interior are not allowed. During the summer break, a grey fire curtain can be seen; this detracts from the overall impression. The opera is worth seeing, but the price is not justified.
Google
Written 11 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Arthur M
Hamilton, Canada1,628 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
Just as the other buildings of Dresden, this opera house, while pretty massive, it still blends to the architectural magic of the city along their other iconic buildings. Totally worth walking to it. Just watch out for the trams passing by!
Written 6 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JJJC_Family
Virginia794 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
It’s a very nice building. The hallways are typical theater type hallways – impressive and somewhat regal. There are some other great rooms. The auditorium is wonderful, as most of them are. It’s a grand European opera house and it’s look like one. I know. I have seen a number of them. The tour guide was very informative and interesting. Definitely enjoyable and worthwhile, although for us, at this point, we may opt to see something else in the future. Churches, even though they all have the same function, can and will be wildly different each from the other. The same is not true for opera houses and even theaters, in general. While they are generally lovely and interesting and the tour drops tantalizing tidbits, there’s a feeling of “been there, done that” after a while. Still, if you have not been on many theater tours or are a theater junkie, by all means, go. You almost always have a good time. And they usually have good magnets, to boot.
Written 26 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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