Destinations » Germany » Bayreuth Travel Guide

Hofgarten Passage

The Hofgarten Passage, off Richard-Wagner-Strasse, is one of the fanciest shopping arcades in the region; it is full of smart boutiques selling everything from German high fashion to simple local craftwork.

Genarmerie

Within the town centre itself, the Bayerischer Hof contains the town's most intriguing dining choices. The hotel has a selection of restaurants offering both French and Franconian cooking. The Hans-Sachs-Stube, an air-conditioned replica of an old inn, has walls covered with pictures of famous opera singers who have performed in Bayreuth or dined here. You can also dine at the hotel's bistro, Spanische Stube. The best cuisine, however, is found at the Gendarmerie, the main a la carte restaurant. The food is very refined here, combining inventive French dishes with the best of Franconian fare. Each dining room has a different decor, although the seasonally adjusted menu is the same in all three.

Jagdschloss Tiergarten

No one makes a pilgrimage to Bayreuth for its restaurants, but this one stands out. The building, which lies outside the centre of town, was constructed as a private hunting lodge and has a hexagonal baroque tower. The cuisine follows the culinary traditions of France, Italy, and Germany. Menu items might include lobster risotto with basil, stuffed halibut with caviar sauce and kohlrabi noodles, and terrine of sweetbreads. There is also an impressive wine list.

Oskar's

This restaurant is cosy and popular - it offers some of the best value in a town which is not particularly noted for reasonable prices. Set in the heart of town, Oskar's has a large central dining room, designed like a greenhouse and flooded with sunlight, and a trio of smaller, cozier Stuben that have wood panelling and a sense of updated Franconian tradition. Menu items include lots of old-style Franconian favorites, such as loin of beef with horseradish sauce and Bayreuther-style Klos (potato dumplings), roasted pork, schnitzels, baked salmon, and sauerbraten. There's also a short list of pastas, soups, and salads. Whenever a particular vegetable or fruit comes into season, expect lots of emphasis on it in the list of daily (or weekly) specials.

Restaurant Rohmühle

This charming and well-managed restaurant is partially contained in what was built in the 1600s as a mill. The rest is in a modern (but antique-looking) extension that was added in the late 1970s. Today, views from its tables encompass the Mühlbach River, and its cuisine focuses on the specialties of Franconia, particularly in the use of freshwater fish such as carp and trout. The fish are kept in large holding tanks and aquariums, and can be prepared in virtually any way you specify.

The Old Castle Eremitage

The Altes Schloss Eremitage, 5 km (3 mi) north of Bayreuth on B-85, makes an appealing departure from the sonorous and austere Wagnerian mood of much of the town. It's an early-18th-century palace, built as a summer retreat and remodeled in 1740 by the Margravine Wilhelmine. Although her taste is not much in evidence in the drab exterior, the interior, alive with light and colour, displays her guiding hand in every elegant line. The extraordinary Japanischer Saal (Japanese Room), filled with Asian treasures and chinoiserie furniture, is the finest room. The park and gardens, partly formal, partly natural, are enjoyable for idle strolling. Fountain displays take place at the two fake grottoes at the top of the hour 10-5 daily.

Brauerei and Buttnerei Museum

Near the centre of town, in the 1887 Maisel Brewery building, the Brauerei und Büttnerei-Museum reveals the tradition of the brewing trade over the past two centuries with a focus on the Maisel's trade, of course. The brewery operated here until 1981, when its much bigger home was completed next door. After the 60-minute tour you can quaff a cool, freshly tapped beer in the museum's pub, which has traditional Bavarian Weissbier (wheat beer).

The Festspielhaus

The Festspielhaus is by no means beautiful. In fact, this high temple of the Wagner cult is surprisingly plain. The spartan look is explained partly by Wagner's desire to achieve perfect acoustics. The wooden seats have no upholstering, for example, and the walls are bare. The stage is enormous, capable of holding the huge casts required for Wagner's largest operas. Performances take place only during the annual Wagner Festival, still masterminded by descendants of the composer.

Fränkische Schweiz

The B-22 highway cuts through the Fränkische Schweiz - or Franconian Switzerland - which got its name from its fir-clad landscape. Just north of Hollfeld, 23km (14 mi) west of Bayreuth, the Jurassic rock of the region breaks through the surface in a bizarre, craggy formation known as the Felsgarten (Rock Garden).