In Thursday’s (9/4) International New York Times, Stephen Heyman writes, “What European city is the best value among the culture capitals? That would be Warsaw, according to a survey released late last month. This October, a budget-conscious art lover could watch the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra perform Schoenberg, catch a double-header of ballet (Prokofiev’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’) and opera (Tchaikovsky’s ‘Merchant of Venice’) at the famed Teatr Wielki, and still afford visits to the Warsaw Uprising Museum, the Polish Castle and the National Gallery. The total cost? $109. Compare that to London, the most expensive city in the survey, where this October a typical ticket to the Royal Opera House will alone cost almost $200…. The survey, carried out by the British Post Office to promote its currency exchange services, canvassed official tourism offices in 12 cities…. Some were exceedingly expensive: $216 for a ticket to the ‘Barber of Seville’ at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Other top cultural attractions, like the National Gallery of Ireland or Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, were free…. There have been sharp price rises and drops in some European cities, particularly Amsterdam, where prices for top cultural venues have increased by more than 50 percent, the survey said.”
Posted September 5, 2014
