3 Best Performing Arts in Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg, Austria

The original congress house was built by Archduke Leopold V in 1629 as the first freestanding opera house north of the Alps, and in the 19th century it was converted into the Dogana, or customs house. Destroyed during World War II, its remains were used to create this modern congress and events center in 1973. Concerts take place in the modern Saal Tirol.

Constructed in 1838 as a grain storehouse, back when Bregenz was still an important commercial hub, this listed building was converted into a 700-seat theater in 1954. Today, it is part of the Vorarlberg Landestheater, showing a roster of contemporary and classic plays, along with many family-friendly productions and live music concerts.

Innsbruck's principal theater is said to be the world's oldest German-speaking theater. It was built in 1654 as the court opera house, but totally renovated in the classical style in 1846 and modernized and extended in the 1960s. Both operas and operettas are presented in the main hall, usually starting at 7:30 pm; plays and dance in the Kammerspiele start at 8 pm. Obtain tickets at the box office or at the city's main tourist office.