Opera at Braunfels Castle – Tosca

An Opera in the Castle Courtyard

Braunfels Castle towers over the Lahn Valley – an ensemble of medieval fortifications and baroque palace extensions of the Princes of Solms-Braunfels. When the spotlights bathe the castle courtyard in warm light on a summer evening and the castle towers rise into the night sky in the background, an opera stage is created with a backdrop that no opera house in the world can replicate.

20 Years of Opera Classica Europa

Since 2007, the concert society Opera Classica Europa has produced a major open-air opera every summer in the Braunfels castle courtyard. 2026 celebrates the 20th anniversary. On the program: Giacomo Puccini's 'Tosca', one of the most popular operas of Italian verismo, in a historically staged production with original costumes.

'Tosca' – The Roman Drama

Puccini's three-act opera is set in Rome in the year 1800: the singer Floria Tosca, her lover Mario Cavaradossi, and the police chief Scarpia become entangled in a political-erotic drama that culminates in one of the most famous final scenes in the entire history of opera. 'Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore', Tosca's aria from the second act, is one of the most frequently sung arias in the soprano repertoire.

International Soloists, Opera Chorus, and Orchestra

Opera Classica Europa annually engages internationally renowned opera soloists, a resident opera chorus, and a large orchestra for the Braunfels summer opera. The exact cast for 2026 will be announced before the performance. The production will be performed in the original Italian language.

Braunfels Castle – More Than Just a Venue

Those who arrive early on the day of the performance can visit the castle beforehand: the castle museum, arms collection, gallery of the Princely Solms-Braunfels Collection, and the historic Knight's Hall are accessible via guided tours. The castle can also be reached via the garden restaurant – ideal for a pre-evening dinner before the opera.