Bayreuth

Mecca of the Wagner festival, with the World Heritage-listed Margravial Opera House, and the rocky gorges and caves of nearby Franconian Switzerland perfect for hiking.

Bayreuth lies in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, a historic town of about 70,000 people on the Castle Road. In the 18th century Margravine Wilhelmine (sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia) launched a building spree here, leaving "Bayreuth Rococo" masterpieces such as the Margravial Opera House, the New Palace and the Hermitage. Wagner settled here in 1872 and built the Festspielhaus, and the Bayreuth Festival, held every year from 25 July to the end of August, has made the small town world-famous. The centre is compact: the Margravial Opera House, New Palace, Court Garden, Wahnfried and the Liszt Museum are all within walking distance and can be seen in a day; the Hermitage is 5 km east of town. Two nature areas surround the city: to the southwest, Franconian Switzerland (Pottenstein, Tüchersfeld, the Devil's Cave, Gößweinstein) is known for its dolomite pinnacles, caves and rock climbing, while to the northeast the Fichtel Mountains offer the climb up Ochsenkopf and the Luisenburg rock labyrinth; to the north is the beer town of Kulmbach. The best time to visit is May–Oct; accommodation during the summer festival is scarce and should be booked months in advance, and autumn is ideal for hiking. Getting there: about 1 hour by regional train from Nuremberg; a car is the easiest way to reach the surrounding sights. Allow 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Margravial Opera House – One of the best-preserved Baroque court theaters in Europe. Its wooden, gilded auditorium is extraordinarily ornate. It was inscribed as a…
• Bayreuth Festspielhaus – Designed by Wagner himself for the performance of his operas, this theatre sits on a green hill north of the city, and tickets for the summ…
• Hermitage Bayreuth – The margraves' summer palace grounds east of the city, where the golden chariot statue of the Sun Temple, the artificial grottoes and the s…
• Haus Wahnfried (Richard Wagner Museum) – Wagner's residence in his later years, now the Richard Wagner Museum. The garden contains the graves of Wagner and his wife Cosima.
• New Palace Bayreuth – The city palace of Margravine Wilhelmine, featuring the distinctive “Bayreuth Rococo” interiors. The Mirror Gallery and the Shell Hall are…
• Hofgarten Bayreuth – An English-style landscape garden behind the New Palace. A long canal and tree-lined avenue lead to Wagner's residence, making it an ideal…
• Holy Trinity Town Church – Bayreuth's oldest church, a Gothic structure with twin towers joined by a small covered bridge. Beneath it lies the margraves' family crypt.
• Maximilianstraße & Old Town – The main street and pedestrian zone of Bayreuth's old town, lined with Baroque facades, cafés and shops, with the Margravial Opera House ri…
• Franz Liszt Museum – The residence where composer Franz Liszt died in 1886. It displays a piano, manuscripts and portraits, and is just one street from Wagner's…
• Maisel's Bier-Erlebnis-Welt – A beer museum in a converted old brewery, once recognized by Guinness as the beer museum with the most complete collection in the world. A…
• Schloss Fantaisie – A small palace on the western outskirts of Bayreuth, home to Germany's first garden art museum. The garden behind it shows styles from the…
• Sanspareil Rock Garden & Zwernitz Castle – A beech-forest rock garden created by Margravine Wilhelmine, with rock formations named after scenes from a novel. Next to it stands the me…
• Plassenburg, Kulmbach – A Renaissance castle atop a hill in Kulmbach, the beer town. The arcades of the “Beautiful Courtyard” are finely carved, and the castle hou…
• Kulmbacher Mönchshof Museums – The old brewery of Kulmbach, the beer city, converted into the Bavarian Beer Museum, Bread Museum and Spice Museum. It also has its own bee…
• Ochsenkopf – The second-highest peak of the Fichtel Mountains, at 1,024 meters. It has cable cars, summer toboggan runs and mountain bike trails, and in…
• Luisenburg Rock Labyrinth – A natural labyrinth formed by giant granite boulders. You climb through caves and up ladders, and nearby is Germany's oldest open-air theat…

Where to eat

• Oskar Wirtshaus am Markt – A Franconian tavern housed in the old town hall, where crispy pork shoulder with Bayreuth potato dumplings is the local…
• Restaurant Eule – Bayreuth's oldest tavern, frequented by the Wagner family and many conductors. Its dishes are named after operas.
• Manns Bräu – A traditional Franconian beer hall with a tavern history dating back to 1750, serving house-brewed beer and affordable…
• Liebesbier – A modern restaurant-bar run by the Maisel brewery, with 21 draft beers, around 100 bottled beers, burgers and steaks.

Itineraries

• Franconian Old Towns and Caves Loop – From Nuremberg to Bamberg, Franconian Switzerland and Bayreuth, with old towns, caves and beer culture