The basin creatures
Fish, frogs and crabs spouting water, a hit with children.
Viktor Oskar Tilgner (sculptor) - cc-by-3.0 Peter Zelizňák (photo) — Public domain · Krzysztof Golik — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Radler59 (talk) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt — CC BY-SA 4.0
A bronze fountain in front of Bratislava's **historic Opera House**, unveiled in 1888 on the same day the theatre opened. The subject is a Greek myth: **Ganymede**, the youth Zeus carried off disguised as an eagle to become cupbearer to the gods. The bronze shows him borne on the eagle's wings at the moment of lifting. The lower part is more entertaining than the upper: the basin is ringed by bronze **fish, frogs and crabs** spouting water, a reference to the Danube and to Bratislava being a river city. Children stand at these longer than adults stand at Ganymede. Its position is half its value. It sits in the middle of **Hviezdoslav Square**, the long tree-lined promenade running from the Opera House almost to the Danube — the most important place to sit in the old town, lined with cafés and embassies. Note: **the water is turned off in winter**, so the fountain is dry from about November to March.
Fish, frogs and crabs spouting water, a hit with children.
The old town's most important tree-lined promenade, around it.
The historic 1886 facade directly behind it.
In front of the historic Opera House, Hviezdoslavovo námestie
Yes, and it is among the cheapest opera houses in western or central Europe by a wide margin — a good seat can cost less than a dinner. The building dates from 1886, with a neo-Renaissance front and a small gilded interior finer than many larger houses. The programme alternates opera and ballet, and the season runs September to June. ⚠ **Most major productions today are staged in the new building** on the Danube bank rather than the historic one, so check the address on your ticket. ⚠ There is no strict dress code, but the audience tends to dress up.
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