Move Over Wagner, It's Not All About You

Group Editor Andrew Palmer was amazed when he visited Bayreuth to hear Wagner at the annual celebration of the composer's operas; he soon discovered there was more to this quaint town than the great composer. 

I’m off to Bayreuth, I told both my German and British friends.

"To hear Wagner, I suppose?” the British said predictably.

The Germans were more enthusiastic and excited; they were simply delighted that I would experience the quintessential German town, participate in traditional regional cuisine, and explore a place associated with the three alliterative W's, ranked by the Germans in order of importance as Wilhelmine, Wagner, and wheat beer.

Contrary to popular belief, Bayreuth, pronounced 'bai-roit', should be thanking Margravine Wilhelmine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, not Richard Wagner. Wilhelmine was daughter of the Prussian king, sister of Frederick the Great, and wife of Margrave Frederick. Netflix producers often use the picturesque town and its environs because of their beauty, thanks to the indelible mark Wilhelmine has left through her single-handed work.

My British friends were right. It's true, I was on my way to Bayreuth for the annual Wagner Fest, an event that has taken place every summer (apart from during Covid) since 1826, (my reports are at the end of this article). However, with the encouragement of my German friends and a top-notch team at the tourist board, I was able to fill my days to the fullest.

Anne, a devoted Wagnerian leading me on two-day guided tours of the region, initially surprised me by telling me how many activities and sights were available. For a town of its size, it’s amazing how much there is to explore.

The capital of upper Franconia is impressive with its Baroque and Rococo architecture, wheat beer, and traditional culinary delights.

Unexpectedly, and quite astoundingly, Bayreuth not only boasts a brewery for every 6,000 people, making it the town with the highest density of breweries worldwide - that's 200 breweries and around 1000 varieties of beer - but it has also built quite a reputation for celebrating street artists, many of whom travel worldwide to display their art works.

If you're looking for something more lifestyle- or wellbeing-orientated, nature- or sports-focused, then don't dismiss Bayreuth out of hand.

Whether you are travelling solo, part of a group, or as a family, there are a myriad of activities to stimulate the senses.

The town is easily accessible by car and train; the nearest airport is Nuremberg, a 45-minute train ride away, and Bayreuth is a popular stop-off point for tourists who traverse this part of central Europe en route to Austria. This makes Bayreuth a popular destination for campervan and caravan enthusiasts.

In fact, you don't need a huge budget to visit and stay, though you do still need cash, as there are a number of places that only accept bargeld or German credit cards. Don't let that put you off.

There are a plethora of cycling and hiking routes to discover, and it is only a short drive from the Fichtel Mountains, where one can ski in the winter months.

Sightseeing in the town is easy, and it's best to find a central hotel such as the B&B Hotel that offers a delicious breakfast and well-priced rooms. The B&B Hotel is conveniently located near a superb little kiosk, which my lovely guide Anne recommended for a bratwurst tasting. She wasn’t wrong; the little hut can be found in Richard Wagner Straße. Where else? For a few euros, it is a German treat. Anne claims that during the Wagner Festival, it's a favourite spot for the Festspielhaus musicians. However, this claim may not be entirely accurate. Although I did spot a number of opera singers strolling along the street in the right direction.

Food and drink

Upper Franconian food is traditional, and a trip to Bayreuth offers a wide range of Deutsche Küche. Wolffenzacher Nostalgia Inn offers a rustic setting in a lovely courtyard, where instead of a more contemporary choice, I opted for traditional regional fare and seasonal products, accompanied by an alcohol-free wheat beer, which was refreshing in the heat. The Knuspriges Schweineschäuferl, a crispy pork shank in a dark beer sauce with sauerkraut and potato dumplings was fulsome and the meat fell off the bone. It was delicious, perfectly complementing the beer and sauce.

I love Indian food and have eaten in many restaurants across the world, but one of the finest meals I have had was at the Sangam, a place I fully recommend. Like Wolffenzacher, the staff are friendly and helpful, and the food is superb.
Then there's the beer

A trip to Maisel & Friends, a fourth-generation brewery, is a must. There's a fascinating museum, a wonderful food bar, a coffee house, and a hotel that prominently displays street art.

The brewery was founded in 1887 and it takes sustainability as an important factor in its beer production. The bright reddish-amber hue of the Maisel’s Weisse comes from the careful selection of the finest wheat and barley malts, while its unique character stems from the Bayerische Edelreifung, a traditional method of brewing using its own pure culture yeast, which I am reliably informed is handed down from one generation of master brewers to the next. The Red Main river, located between the Fichtelgebirge Mountains and Franconian Switzerland, provides the soft water for beer production. No wonder it tastes so good.

It's a fascinating visit to the historic building that houses the traditional Franconian art of brewing, with its abundance of speciality beers. The Beer Experience World showcases Franconian beer culture tradition and state-of-the-art brewing technology. You can even step into the brewing laboratory and watch master brewers make beer and experience first-hand the craft brewing process from the malt mill and brewhouse to the fermenting cellar and wood barrel aging. With 20,500 hectares of hop production it makes Germany the second largest hop producer in the world, the USA taking the No 1 spot.

And why not, at the end of a tour, do what I did and sit down and enjoy a couple of craft beers, not just from the region but worldwide? 

Interesting fact

The Maisel’s Brewery Museum has earned a spot in the Guinness Book of Records for being the most diverse beer museum. Highlights include two large cabinet vaults showcasing over 5,500 beer glasses and mugs, the 400 rare enamel signs from different breweries and brands of beer, as well as an impressive collection of coasters.

Coffee anyone?

If beer wasn't enough, the Crazy Sheep brand of coffee is a great addition. The brewery produces its own artisanal and handcrafted coffee with traceable origin.

The Maisel and Friends hotel is where you can see one of the largest collections of street art. Nearly 70 street artists from around the world have individually styled the seven rooms and nine apartments, creating colourful and artistic interiors and outdoor walls. It has become famous as a world-wide unique art project and is certainly a centre of attraction.

Oh, and if you choose to eat in the large restaurant with a wide range of traditional fare to sample, don’t get confused because in the south of Germany, Rotkohl (red cabbage) is contentiously known as Blaukraut (blue cabbage).

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• Eremitage Sun Temple and Orangerie ©Bayreuth Marketing & Tourismus GmbH, Meike Kratzer
• Eremitage Green Arcade ©Bayreuth Marketing & Tourismus GmbH, Meike Kratzer
• Eremitage Lower Grotto © Bayreuth Marketing & Tourismus GmbH
• Mural She´s back by Drew Merrit ©Frank Nicklas
• Mural © Bayreuth Marketing & Tourismus GmbH
• At Festival Park ©Bayreuth Marketing & Tourismus GmbH, Meike Kratzer
• Bayreuth surroundings - Rabenstein Castle ©Burg Rabenstein Event GmbH
• Scrumptious Indian food
• Street art in the breakfast room at Maisel & Friends Hotel

Photos of the Hermitage, street art and surrounding areas.

Beautiful landscapes

A few minutes by car outside of the town, you drive into the surrounding landscape, where a gem awaits.

The "Eremitage" (Hermitage) boasts landscaped gardens and according to Anne, Margrave Georg Wilhelm constructed the old palace near a court hermitage in 1715. In 1735, when Margrave Friederich took over the margraviate's government, he presented the hermitage to his wife Wilhelmine who initiated the building.

Anne tells me that in the Sun Temple an the Orangery the distinctive colouring is due to the countless stained-glass stones and crystals set in the façades.

The tour of the old palace is conducted in German only, but it could benefit from being shorter, as it includes a series of cards tailored for different nationalities.

Built between 1749 and 1753, the New Palace, with its fountains and upper grotto, forms part of the Hermitage. Wilhelmine introduced traditional Baroque elements such as hedge gardens, pergolas, and waterworks, all at a time when gardens of this type did not exist in Germany.

I wasn't able to see the Sanspareil due to renovation of the Oriental Building but next year the unique garden layout from the time of Wilhelmine, who created in midst bizarre rock formations, reopens.

Castle Zwernitz. In the immediate neighbourhood you will come across a charming medieval castle from where you can get to see the wonderful panorama over the Franconian Switzerland.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wilhelmine made significant contributions to Bayreuth, with the most notable being the impressive Margravial Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that initially attracted Wagner to Bayreuth and is described as an exemplary example of Baroque Festival culture.

Guiseppe Galli BIbiena, a prominent architect of his era, designed the interior entirely out of wood. Wilhelmine was the driving force behind Bayreuth's success, as with so much of what lies behind the project.

Inconspicuous and unassuming from the outside its interior is magnificent and imposing. The multi-media immersive exhibition rooms, which I found captivating, are what make this place stand out. There is so much to discover in rooms that resemble an Advent calendar, where one opens a panel to uncover interesting facts or watch some film, listen to music and even smell different fragrances that were common in the turbulent auditorium at the time. There is even a reconstruction of a Baroque stage where I and another visitor had great fun recreating different scenes using only what was available at the time. None of this high tech wizardry.

Interestingly, adjacent to the opera house is the Baroque synagogue from 1760, which is reportedly the oldest operating synagogue in Germany. Originally designed as a comedy house for the margravial court in 1715, the synagogue reopened in 2018 following its restoration.

Music

As my British friend intimated, despite Wilhelmine's excellent work, Bayreuth is synonymous with Richard Wagner, and a visit to the museum honouring him is worthwhile to learn more about the man, visit his house, and then visit his grave in the back garden.

For three days during my visit I followed the Walk for Wagner to the Festspielhaus to hear three of his excellent operas. Wagner built the Festival Theatre which sits a the top of Green Hill and is famous for its acoustic and orchestral pit.

The garden leads to Hofgarten, one of the town's many green spaces, and the Neues Schloss (New Palace) but there is another composer's house and musuem next door to the Wagner residence. It's the home of Franz Liszt, whose illegitimate daughter Cosima von Bulow married Wagner. The city cemetery in Bayreuth is where you will find his grave. In Bayreuth, no one or anything overshadows Wagner.

That said and despite Wilelmine’s presence, if it had not been for Wagner, I would have missed this gem of a town on my travels.

So, I raise my glass with a Maisel & Friends' beer to the 3 Ws.

B&B Hotel Bayreuth
Dilchertstraße 1 , 95444 Bayreuth, Germany
+49 921 1513777-0
bayreuth@hotelbb.com
Centrally located — Ideal for city and business trips, spontaneous stays, or family excursions.
More information here

Wagner's Grave Photo: Andrew Palmer

Andrew Palmer's review of the Bayreuth Opera Festival can be read here:
The Flying Dutchman at Bayreuth
Tristan And Isolde All At Sea In Bayreuth
A Moving And Memorable Tannhäuser
Finding the Holy Grail at Bayreuth