Western Europe

Dinner, dance and show at Le Moulin Rouge will make an unforgettable evening for your stay in Paris. Le Moulin Rouge is certainly the most famous cabaret of the World. Since Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, at the beginning of the twentieth century, le Moulin Rouge is one of the legendary monuments of Paris. Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Ginger Rogers, Lisa Minnelli, Frank Sinatra are one of the world famous stars who came to Le Moulin Rouge. We can't neither forget the French Cancan's period with La Goulue or Josephine Baker, Mistinguett and Maurice Chevalier. The audience can first come to dinner and second see the cabaret dancing show at 9 or 11 p.m. Topless dancers make you travel across the ages and continents with the FEERIE performance. You'll discover folktales from all over the world, in a festive atmosphere. And you will also see the real French Cancan. The scenes of the show are interspersed with acrobats, and clowns, who are very talented. http://www.paris-paris-paris.com/paris_landmarks/cabarets/le_moulin_rouge

The Vienna State Opera is one of the top opera addresses in the world – where you can enjoy the very best in first-class productions. This famous stage offers a different program every day, with over 50 operas and ballet works on around 300 days per season. At the Vienna Opera Ball, the Vienna State Opera is transformed into the world’s most famous ballroom. The committee, consisting of approximately 150 pairs of young men and women in white ball gowns and tails, ensures a glamorous opening of the Opera Ball. https://www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/opera-operetta/state-opera

La Scala, or Teatro alla Scala in Italian, is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. Its sober and elegant exterior never fails to surprise those that visit it for the first time. The Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este commissioned the construction of a new Ducal Theatre when a fire burnt down the previous theatre in 1776. The opera house was built on the site where the former site of the Church Santa Maria alla Scala, hence the name of the Teatro alla Scala. Like other theatres of the same period, La Scala also housed a casino during its early years. In 1943, during World War II, the theatre was badly damaged by bombing. It was reconstructed three years later. In 2002, the Opera House was closed for two years while it was renovated and opened in November 2004 with an opening performance of Europa riconosciuta by Antonio Salieri, which is the same opera that was performed when the theatre was inaugurated in 1778. Many famous operas have had their first production in La Scala, such as Othello, Nabucco by Verdi or Madame Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. During its early years, the composer Giuseppe Verdi did not want his work to be represented in the Teatro alla Scala because he was convinced that the orchestra modified his compositions. Nevertheless, he then established a very close relationship with the Opera House. The Theatre Museum contains a large collection of paintings, busts, costumes and several other objects related to the world of opera and theatre. The visit includes discovering the theatre’s grand foyer, an elegant and sparsely decorated hall. Then you will be taken to the small box seats covered in red satin, where the high society enjoyed and still enjoys the various operas and ballets performed in La Scala. The enormous auditorium is made of wood and covered in red velvet, adorned with golden coloured stuccos. The stage is lit by a huge Bohemian crystal chandelier with 383 bulbs. https://www.introducingmilan.com/teatro-alla-scala

Tivoli Gardens was founded in 1843 and has become a national treasure and an international attraction. Fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen visited many times, as did Walt Disney and many other celebrities, who all fell in love with the gardens. http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/tivoli-gardens-gdk424504

Towering on a promontory in Northern Zealand, Kronborg faces the sound between Elsinore and Helsingborg in Sweden. Grand fortifications with bastions and casemates used to protect the Danish land from unwanted visitors and was home to the royal family until the late 1600 hundreds. http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/kronborg-castle-gdk476685

One of the legendary sites that sits beneath the slopes of the Acropolis on the southwest side, is the stunning open-air theatre, Odeon of Herodes Atticus. In ancient times, Odeons were built for musical contests and this ancient stone theatre has gone on to host some of the world’s best musical performances during the last 60 years since its modern day re-opening, including Nana Mouskouri, Luciano Pavarotti and Frank Sinatra to name a few. Widely known by locals as simply “Herodeon”, it was built between 160AD – 174AD by the wealthy benefactor of Athens, Herodes Atticus as an ode to his late wife Rigilla. It was the third Odeon to be built in Athens and was distinctively Roman in contrast to the nearby Theatre of Dionysos. With its Roman arches and three story stage building, it was originally partly covered with a wood and tiled roof. The circular orchestra has now become a semi-circle, paved with black and white marble. With 35 rows, the marble auditorium extends slightly beyond a semi-circle with a diameter of 80 metres and today seats 4680 people. https://whyathens.com/odeon-of-herodes-atticus/

The Fenice Theatre is one of the best known not just in Venice but worldwide. It was designed in 1790 by Giannantonio Selva commissioned by a rich and famous drama company. The building was subject of criticism mainly for the positions (in saint Mark’s area, campo San Fantin) and for its Neoclassic style. During the centuries it has been stage for many world premiere of operas become part oh the history, Gioacchini, Rossini, Verdi and more Donizetti, Bellini, Stawinsky… All of them gave their best creation on the stage of this great theatre. The theatre itself has been spectator of the city life, he known the Serenissima Republic, Napoleon, the Austrian empire, the reign of Italy and the Italian Republic. Actually the theatre hosts an important Operas Season, an International Festival of Contemporary Music and the new year eve concert. http://venice-tourism.com/en/places/san-marco-district/la-fenice-theatre

As you arrive at the Place du Casino, the sight of this masterpiece by the famous architect Charles Garnier will take your breath away. Built in 1863, the Casino has been designed around an atrium surrounded by 28 onyx columns, behind which the Salle Garnier, an Italian theatre decorated in red and gold is the veritable miniature replica of the Paris opera house. https://www.visitmonaco.com/en/routes-and-walks/403/monte-carlo-and-its-casino

Half a million people agree; Birmingham’s flagship theatre is the nation’s favourite too. More seats are sold at the Birmingham Hippodrome than by any other British theatre each year including the West End. T http://visitbirmingham.com/what-to-do/heritage-culture/theatre/

A fish market opened here in 1909 until 1975 when it was moved to the north of the city to the industrial port of Saumaty. The building’s interior was completely redesigned but its exterior was kept intact. The Théâtre National de Marseille was opened in 1981 by the Mayor of Marseille Gaston Defferre. La Criée was managed by Marcel Maréchal for over a decade and hosts an exciting schedule every season. Opposite the ferry boat pier lies the Bar de La Marine made famous by Marcel Pagnol. It is the main location in the “Marius, Fanny, César” film trilogy filmed at the Old Port in Marseille in the 30s. http://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover-marseille/heritage/rive-neuve/

Opera North is England’s national opera company in the North and one of Europe’s leading arts organisations. https://www.operanorth.co.uk/about

Built in 1766, Bristol Old Vic is the oldest continuously working theatre in the English speaking world, and remains a place of joy, discovery and adventure to this day. A multi-million-pound two-phase redevelopment project first provided state of the art rehearsal rooms, a dramatically extended forestage and precision engineered sightlines, giving audiences an even more intimate theatrical experience. The second phase is now complete: the new fully-accessible front of house boasts a bar and kitchen, open sun-up to curtain-down, alongside a new interactive heritage offering and a brand new Studio Theatre. The theatre’s mission is to create pioneering twenty-first century theatre in partnership with the people of their energetic city; inspired by the history and magical design of the most beautiful playhouse in the country. They are publicly funded by Arts Council England and Bristol City Council, using that investment to support experiment and innovation, to allow access to their programme for people who would not otherwise encounter it or be able to afford it and to keep their extraordinary heritage alive and animated. https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/bristol-old-vic-theatre-p24321

Arnolfini is a centre for contemporary arts based on Bristol’s harbourside in the heart of the city. Founded in 1961, the organisation is dedicated to producing and presenting visual arts, performance, dance, film, music and events, underpinned by a commitment to a dynamic civic role in the city. https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/arnolfini-p23871

In Toulouse there is no Mairie, but rather a majestic Capitole! An emblematic building, it is home to the town hall, a theatre and rooms of state where you can bump into celebrities from the city. The seat of municipal power since its construction, commissioned by the Capitouls in the XII Century, transformed and embellished in every era, La Capitole shows its majestic Neo-Classical façade to the unmistakable square that shares its name. Its walls could tell of the great moments in the history of Toulouse: from the Cathar episode to the creation of the Floral Games, from the Counts of Toulouse to the siege of the city. On the first floor, you cross magnificent reception rooms that are decorated with the Allegories of Love by Paul Gervais, 10 giant canvases by Henri Martin and, notably, the Salle des Illustres whose paintings retrace the history of Toulouse and whose busts bring back to life the personalities that have defined the city. https://www.toulouse-visit.com/le-capitole-hotel-de-ville/toulouse/pcumid031fs000a3

In 1990 the first remains of what would be one of the most interesting monuments of the city of Cartagena were discovered accidentally. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive theatres throughout Spain. It was built in 44 BC when Octavian Augustus was emperor and Cartagena was a Roman colony (Colonia Urbs Nova Carthago) going through a period of high population and economic development; at that time it was called Carthago Nova. From its location, the theatre has witnessed different periods of the history of Cartagena, since the Roman Empire, up to the present, overlapping constructions of each of the historical periods. The Roman Theatre faithfully followed the theatre model proposed by Vitruvius. It was built almost entirely in the rock on a hill. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/monument/teatro-romano-349/

With more than 150 years of history, the eclectic building of the Romea Theater is one of the most important cultural references of the city. Built after an earlier one that suffered two fires, the current theater was inaugurated in 1900 thanks to the architect Justo Millán. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/monument/teatro-romea-955/

Curve is a spectacular, state-of-the-art theatre in the heart of Leicester’s vibrant Cultural Quarter. Opened in 2008 by Her Majesty The Queen, the award-winning building designed by acclaimed architect Rafael Viñoly offers a completely unique visitor experience. Unlike any other theatre in the UK, there is no traditional backstage area. Audiences can enjoy the full theatre-making process, peek behind the scenes and maybe even spot an actor or two dashing from the stage to their dressing room or enjoying a coffee in the café. The building’s stunning curved façade is made from 1,192 tonnes of steel and 46,000 square metres of glass. Managed by Leicester Theatre Trust, Curve is a registered charity providing engaging theatrical experiences for the community. Working with people of all ages and backgrounds, the theatre is committed to nurturing new and emerging talent, as well as creating world-class productions. https://www.visitleicester.info/see-and-do/curve-p696621

De Montfort Hall has been one of Leicester's premier entertainment venues for over a century, hosting live music ranging from pop to classical, theatre, stand-up comedy, musicals and operas. The venue hosts an eclectic range of quality shows, including live music and festivals from rock to pop, touring West End musicals, internationally recognised comedians, opera and orchestra, ballet and dance and children’s shows. De Montfort Hall is set amongst beautiful gardens, which occasionally host outdoor stages to treat visitors to stunning views whilst enjoying the show. The hall is proud to have been a residence of the Philharmonia Orchestra since 1997. Acknowledged as one of the world's greatest orchestras, the Philharmonia run a programme of concerts as well as community and educational events each year. The hall is also home to a magnificent pipe organ; it has almost 6,000 pipes and is believed to be one of the last surviving example of its kind in the world. It was constructed in Leicester by organ builders Stephen Taylor and Son Ltd., and was a gift to the town by local industrialist Alfred Corah. https://www.visitleicester.info/see-and-do/de-montfort-hall-p696631

Situated in Piazza Bra, the amphitheatre of Verona was built in the first half of the 1st century A.D. (between the end of Augustus‘ reign and the beginning of Claudius). http://www.tourism.verona.it/en/enjoy-verona/art-and-culture/monuments-and-sights/arena-roman-amphitheatre

Of all the public buildings in Bordeaux, the Grand-Théâtre is unquestionably the most well-known and appreciated. It stands on the site of a former temple (Les Piliers de Tutelle) that was once in the middle of a Gallo-Roman forum. The Grand Théâtre's construction was made necessary by the destruction of a performance hall in 1755. The latter was located in the outbuildings of the former town hall, near the Grosse Cloche. Architect François Lhote, assisted by Soufflot, initially proposed a project that was not accepted by the city aldermen. Eventually, Marshal de Richelieu, governor of the province of Guyenne, imposed the Parisian architect Victor Louis (1731-1800). In order to pay for the construction, the land located on the southern glacis of the Château Trompette was sold. It took more than five years to build the Grand Théâtre and, after many vicissitudes, it was inaugurated in 1780 with a performance of Athalie, a play by Jean Racine. The rectangular-shaped structure opens up onto Place de la Comédie to the west with a peristyle featuring 12 Corinthian columns supporting an entablature and a balustrade decorated with 12 statues (the nine muses and three goddesses). At the beginning, this peristyle was on the same level as Place de la Comédie. However, in the mid-19th century, it was decided to lower the level to make it easier for horse-drawn carriages to cross. The Grand Théâtre was nevertheless innovative, and Victor Louis imagined a clever oblique arrangement of stones maintained by a metal tie beam at the angles of the peristyle in order to support them. This ingenious combination became known as "Victor Louis's nail". https://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/Discover-Bordeaux/Must-See/Opera-House

The Lillois' favourite meeting place offers an interesting view of the architecture from the 17th to the 20th century. Standing in the centre of the squares stands the Goddess commemorates Lille's resistance to the Austrian siege in 1792 http://en.lilletourism.com/la-grand-place.html

Belle Epoque in design yet highly modern in spirit. That’s how we could describe the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, a building that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012. Located in the city centre, in full view of the Kursaal and on the banks of the River Urumea, the Victoria Eugenia Theatre proposes a varied and continually changing programme. This sandstone building sporting plateresque motifs with Spanish Renaissance forms was created by the architect Francisco de Urcola in 1912. Particularly interesting on the facade are, over the Doric columns, four groups of sculptures representing the opera, tragedy, comedy and drama. For decades the Victoria Eugenia Theatre has been the principal hub of the International Film Festival; since its renovation in 2007, the building now offers new cutting edge spaces and audiovisual technologies. https://www.sansebastianturismo.com/en/to-do/culture-art-architecture/belle-epoque#ayuntamiento

A thriving regional showcase, Cambridge Arts Theatre is an outstanding theatre, a beacon for the development of arts professionals and a much-loved regional and national institution, whose history is rooted in the city of Cambridge. The Theatre is the only high-quality presenting theatre within 60 miles serving the population of Cambridgeshire and the surrounding area. Founded in 1936 by the economist and founder member of the Arts Council, John Maynard Keynes, The Theatre has helped launch the careers of theatrical luminaries such as Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry. Today Cambridge Arts Theatre is the venue of choice for all scale-appropriate drama, dance and opera in both the subsidised and commercial sectors, building strong and mutually beneficial relationships with the cream of the country’s touring producers and bringing productions to the region that diversify and enrich the city’s cultural offering. https://www.cambridgeartstheatre.com/

The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès has been created to accommodate the largest festival of cinema in the world. The destiny of Cannes is then drawn naturally. The flagship destination of business tourism, Cannes, lives throughout the year at the rhythm of many international and professional events. The level of excellence is confirmed year after year. No need to attach to it the words "film" or "cinema", the Festival of Cannes for 60 years is the Festival of the 7th Art, the world's largest event of this art which became an industry. The history took life in 1946 after the painful interlude of the Second World War which had suspended the projects of the French State to have an international competition of films. Cannes takes the priority to Vichy, Biarritz or even Lucerne. Cannes sunshine and also the facilities that it offers made it win the project. And especially since Cannes promised the construction of a palace specially dedicated to the festival. With its 88 000 sq.m building, its 35,000 sq.m of exhibition space, and its 15 auditoriums, the Cannes Palais des Festivals et des Congrès rank Cannes as the second destination for business tourism in France only behind Paris. The Palais hosts each year approximately 300,000 congress delegates and around 40 to 50 international professional events. The Cannes Film Festival is today the cultural event with the most media coverage in the world. Only two sports events, the Football World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games run ahead with the media. https://www.cannes-destination.com/index/the-palais-des-festivals-cannes

Behind the historical facade of the previous Frankfurt Opera House lies one of the most outstanding concert halls of major importance, way beyond the borders of Germany. The visitor is offered a high-quality program in all sections of music: classical music, jazz and world-wide famous musical and show productions. https://www.frankfurt-tourismus.de/en/Media/Attractions/Event-venues/Old-Opera-House

The Great Garden is one of the most important baroque gardens in Europe, captivating tourists from all over the world. The main attraction here is the recently rebuilt Herrenhausen Palace, home to the new Herrenhausen Palace Museum. The Garden itself presents a dazzling array of romantic fountains, exotic plants and striking sculptures. Events such as the international fireworks competition and the Small Festival in the Great Garden regularly attract large numbers of visitors. The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen are Hannover's most famous attraction, a reflection of aristocratic savoir-vivre for more than 300 years. The centrepiece is the 17th-century Great Garden, one of the best-preserved baroque gardens in Europe. Be sure to visit Herrenhausen Palace there. Rebuilt to its original splendour and boasting cutting-edge, multimedia facilities, the palace now hosts more than 160 events every year as a scientific venue and innovation hotspot for the whole of Lower Saxony – very much in the tradition of a famous former resident: the universal scholar Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. The Great Garden is a place to lose oneself in, to marvel at the magnificent Great Fountain, which is 82m high (the largest of its type in Europe) and the Grand Cascade, to be enchanted by artist Niki de Saint Phalle's magically decorated grotto. And during the annual international firework competition, to watch transfixed as world-class pyrotechnics transform the sky above into a dazzling sea of trailing sparks. https://www.visit-hannover.com/en/Press/Press-Information-sorted-by-topic/Royal-Gardens-of-Herrenhausen

The work of Valencia’s own Santiago Calatrava, this is an example of architecture at its most futuristic. The colossal structure houses an IMAX cinema (situated in the Hemisfèric), as well as Europe’s largest aquarium – the Oceanogràfic, http://www.visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-visit-valencia/must-sees

A place of research and experimentation, identification and presentation of new dramas, elaboration and production of own works, promotion and dissemination of theater http://www.visitpalermo.it/it/attrazioni/teatro-libero-palermo-227.html

An artwork of imposing beauty that welcomes tourists and Palermitans who make an appointment every day on the steps of what is considered an inevitable stage of the city center. http://www.visitpalermo.it/it/attrazioni/teatro-massimo-416.html

At that time, the opinions of contemporaries about the new theater building differed widely. The Schauspielhaus, created by the Düsseldorf architect Bernhard Pfau, was one of the last major theatrical buildings of the postwar period. https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/architektur/duesseldorfer-schauspielhaus/

Dresden’s Semper Opera House is the most famous opera house in Germany; it houses the Saxon State Orchestra, one of the world’s oldest and best-known orchestras. Built by Gottfried Semper between 1838 and 1841, the Semper Opera House was closed in August 1944 and was destroyed six months later by the Allied air attacks. https://www.dresden.de/en/tourism/attractions/sights/old_town/semper-opera-house.php

The British Music Experience tells the story of British Music through costumes, instruments, performance and memorabilia. Whatever age you are, and whatever you are into, there is something here for you. https://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/british-music-experience-p395331

The Euskalduna Palace Conference Centre or Euskalduna Palace Conference and Performing Arts Centre, was the second building built in the urban area of Abandoibarra after the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Opened in 1999, it was designed by architects Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios in corten steel as a symbol of the last vessel built in the old Euskalduna shipyard, wich had occupied this space for decades. It now runs a full programme of concerts, opera and theatre. https://www.bilbaoturismo.net/BilbaoTurismo/en/theatres/-euskalduna-palace