Many European theatres can boast an extraordinary construction history, but Lviv’s opera house is unique in that it is built on top of a river. The Poltva River flows beneath the stage and continues through centre deep beneath the asphalt (no doubt a contributor to the many sinkholes that tend to startle foreign visitors). By the end of the 19th century Lviv was a burgeoning city eager for a European-class theatre. The project was put up for tender and many top European architects tossed in their bids. It was Polish architect Zygmunt Gorgolewski - designer of Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge in Berlin, the Gemäldegalerie in Dresden and the Vienna State Opera - who proposed the radical and intriguing idea of burying the small river beneath the opera. His plans also included the use of a concrete foundation, a first for Europe. With optimistic trepidation, the city planners agreed and the Opera House was completed in 1900. The building began to sink right away, but settled in the decades that followed. It is believed that knowledge of this flaw led to Gorgolewski’s depression, legendary suicide attempt and eventual death of heart disease.The official opening performances included a ballet, opera-drama and a comedy. The most fitting of the three was the opera entitled “Janek”. Written by Władysław Żeleński, it detailed the lives of Carpathian mountain-dwellers. The contemporary professionals that call the Opera House home include a 90-piece symphonic orchestra, more than 40 world-class opera soloists, a choir and a ballet troupe. The structure’s stunning main façade is widely recognised and appears on the city’s emblem and is also displayed on the 20Hr note. Matinees usually begin at 11:00 and evening performances at 18:00.