Teatr Wielki: A Guide to the Polish National Opera in Warsaw

The grand colonnaded building on plac Teatralny 1 is Poland's national stage. The Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera is the home of opera and ballet in Warsaw, and its story mirrors the city's.

Corazzi's theatre

According to the theatre itself, the building was erected in 1825-1833 to a design by Antonio Corazzi and reconstructed several times over the following century. During the 1939 siege of Warsaw it was bombarded and almost completely destroyed.

Twenty years without a home

From 1945 to 1965 the company performed on other stages while the building was being rebuilt from rubble and extended. The new, larger and more modern opera house opened on 19 November 1965 - one of the great reconstructions of post-war Warsaw, alongside the Old Town and the Royal Castle.

Visiting

The season runs from autumn to late spring with opera and ballet premieres; tickets and the repertoire calendar are on the theatre's site. Plac Teatralny sits a short walk from the Saxon Garden and the Royal Route - an easy pairing for a culture day in the centre.