Bayreuth




 * For the city in Lebanon, see Beirut.

The festival city of Bayreuth in Upper Franconia (Oberfranken) is relatively quiet most of the year until the Richard Wagner Festival settles in for 30 days every summer. Bayreuth features a wealth of impressive baroque and rococo architecture, as well as freshly-brewed Franconian beer in the local Biergartens. Although the city remains fairly tame compared to the much larger cities in Germany, the presence of more than 10,000 students at the University of Bayreuth means an active nightlife is not difficult to find.

Understand
Bayreuth is famous in Germany as the host of the Richard Wagner Festival (Festspiele) each year from July to August. In that respect, most of the tourist industry has evolved around the life and times of Richard Wagner as well as Margravine Wilhelmine, one of the major contributors in bringing the arts to Bayreuth. For most of the year, Bayreuth is quiet, somewhat out of the way of the major tourist itineraries. However, during the Festspiele, the town fills to capacity; hotels are nearly impossible to book and at certain times the traffic in some areas almost slows to a stop.

History
The town of Bayreuth emerged during the Middle Ages, with a street market in the centre of town. In its early history, Bayreuth was only a small village in the widespread Hohenzollern holdings and suffered many plagues and wars. The town was completely destroyed during the Hussite war in 1430, suffered major plagues even until 1602, and incurred major damage by fires in 1605 and 1621. Margrave Christian from Kulmbach moved his residence here in 1603, and after the Thirty Years' War the town began to develop as a more important city with more distinct baroque architecture.

When Margrave Friedrich married Wilhelmine, the sister of King Frederick II of Prussia, Bayreuth began to develop its current appearance. Margravine Wilhelmine was an active lover of the arts and architecture. She commissioned famous Italian architects to design the Margravial Operahouse (a UNESCO world heritage site), which was the largest in Germany for over a century. It still stands today as one of the most ornate baroque opera houses in the world. In addition, Wilhelmine expanded the Margrave's summer residence and gardens and commissioned the architecturally impressive New Palace. During the reign of Friedrich and Wilhelmine, the arts flourished in Bayreuth.

In 1872, the magnificent opera house even attracted composer Richard Wagner to Bayreuth, who from then on lived there until his death 11 years later. Ironically, Wagner's works were never played in that opera house. Instead, the Festspielhaus, a new opera house was purpose-built on the "green hill" above the city, bankrolled by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Since then the city has had an integral relationship with Richard Wagner. The Richard Wagner Festival started in 1876 to commemorate and perform the works of the famous composer. During the Nazi era, Hitler considered Bayreuth one of the most important cultural centres in Germany, and as such, Bayreuth was bombed during World War II, though much less heavily than, for example, Nuremberg. In the last half century, Bayreuth has rebuilt, continued the Richard Wagner Festival and grown quietly, mostly around the University, which was established in 1975.

Orientation
The City of Bayreuth (Kreisfreie Stadt Bayreuth) lies as an enclave in the much larger rural district of Bayreuth (Landkreis Bayreuth). They are at the same level of administrative hierarchy and governed independently. The rural Landkreis contains many small towns and villages that are worth a visit. It covers parts of the Franconian Switzerland in the southwest and the Fichtelgebirge in the northeast, with the city right in-between. The historic centre of the city lies to the south of the Red Main (Roter Main), a small river which will eventually discharge into the Rhine.

The office provides lots of very detailed information. It is at Opernstraße 22, near the Margravial Opera House (office hours M-F 09:00-21:00 & Sa 09:00-16:00 year-round, also Su 10:00-14:00 May - Oct). It offers a two-hour city tour (in German) daily at 10:30 (only Saturdays from Nov-Apr) for €6.50. The meeting point is the TI office. The TI office also provides city maps and city/regional maps for bicyclists, some of them are also available online.

If you plan to start a career or the next step of your life in Bayreuth, the Welcome Service offers all kinds of information and support (check the German version of their website for more information).

Climate
Winter is normally overcast and wet, with temperatures not deviating too far from freezing. The springtime can be relatively cool, but the weather slowly becomes more pleasant and is welcomed by numerous street fairs and festivals (See Events). Summer is also pleasant, punctuated by occasional hot days. During the warmer seasons, outdoor cafes and Biergartens abound in the cobblestoned city centre.

By train


While there are no long-distance trains stopping in Bayreuth, frequent regional train services connect Bayreuth to other regions of Franconia and Northern Bavaria. Bayreuth is part of the VGN network and within that region bus and train day tickets covering large areas are relatively inexpensive. To get you to and from say Nuremberg you would have to pay only €18 for a group of up to 2 adults and 4 kids (under 18 years old). The Bayern ticket is also a cheap option for groups up to five (no age restrictions) starting at €23 for one person and €3 for every additional one. Regular services exist seven days a week to and from:


 * Nuremberg – Regional-Express (RE) trains once an hour (66 minutes travel time). Many times these trains separate en route, so make certain to board the correct train segment.
 * Dresden – change in Hof (usually same platform, the train you change to goes on to Nuremberg)
 * Bamberg – Direct RE trains every two hours (travel time 1½ hours), otherwise a change in Lichtenfels is necessary. Note that a part of this connection (between Burgkunststadt and Ramsenthal) is not part of the VGN network, so their day tickets are not valid on that segment. You'll have to either buy a separate ticket for that segment, get a normal single-trip Bamberg–Bayreuth ticket or just use the Bayern ticket instead.



On foot
Several hiking trails go through Bayreuth. Some of them are themed around a special topic (e.g. Jean Paul, a local author, or a beer-themed trail)

By car
Bayreuth is well connected to the German autobahn network. Along the A 9 that connects Munich in the south with Berlin in the north, Bayreuth lies approximately 70 km north of Nuremberg and 40 km south of Hof. The northern exit Bayreuth-Nord (No. 41) can be a bit confusing especially when you're coming from the north, and if you're not careful you may end up in the industrial district rather than going south towards the city centre. That area is a maze of one-way streets, but luckily it is not too large. Keep calm and follow the signs to either Stadtmitte or Rotmain Center (it really does not matter) and you'll be back on the right track very soon. The southern exit Bayreuth Süd (No. 42) is much easier to tackle.

Coming from the west, the A 70 meets the A 9 a couple of kilometres north of the city. In most cases, you'll want to take exit No. 24 (Kulmbach/Neudrossenfeld) and then follow the B 85 towards Bayreuth.

By plane
The nearest airport with regular commercial service is in Nuremberg. Many international flights arrive in Germany via Frankfurt airport or Munich airport, however.

By bus
Several companies serve domestic long distance lines to and from Bayreuth. Intercity buses do not stop at the central bus station (ZOH); most of them stop at the instead, where you'll find connections to several regional buses. Local buses, however, don't stop there, so in most cases you'll have to walk around the block towards the main train station (Hbf), where you'll have access to several city bus lines as well as plenty of taxis. Some Intercity buses also stop at the University (stop Mensa), which is connected to the city centre through the local bus routes 304, 306 and 316. Some routes also have a stop at nearby Autobahn-adjacent parking lots, from where you'd have to arrange pickup.

If you are travelling in a group and your destination or point of departure is within the Bundesland of Bavaria taking the "Bayern-Ticket" may well work out cheaper than the bus, however.

On foot
Bayreuth is a very walk-able city, as the terrain is flat and distances are short. Most sights of interest are easily reached by foot within the city. Exceptions to this are the Festspielhaus, the Eremitage, and Fantaisie – all of which are easily accessed by bus or bike. Most of the extensive pedestrian zones in the city centre around the Maximilianstraße are paved with flat natural sett stones or large pavers, which make for pretty comfortable walking compared to the medieval cobble stone you may find elsewhere. Unless there's some kind of really popular event going on at the market square, even on the busiest summer days the streets never really get over-crowded. Be aware that biking is allowed pretty much everywhere in the pedestrian zones, and that the residents make heavy use of that.

By bus
The bus network around Bayreuth provides extensive coverage of the city and surrounding areas, with most buses running in 20-minute intervals. The (named ZOH for Zentrale Omnibus Haltestelle, not ZOB as in most other places in Germany) is one block north of Maximilianstraße near the city hall (Rathaus). As Bayreuth is a member of the VGN tariff union schedules and rates are available at their website. Bus maps and time tables are also available at the website of the Stadtwerke Bayreuth. Day passes (Tageskarte) are available. In the evening and on weekends some routes are served on request only. The connections are then marked Alt (for Anruf-Linien-Taxi) on the schedules and you will have to call to request the bus at least 30 minutes in advance.

By bike
Biking is easy and convenient in Bayreuth and likely the best way to get around. Riding your bike in pedestrian zones is allowed virtually anywhere, but remember that pedestrians have priority. Outside of the city, many scenic bike paths radiate from Bayreuth into the surrounding areas. Between May and October, E-bikes can be rented from the Tourist Information office for €25 per day (plus a €120 security deposit you'll get back when you return the bike).

By car
Compared to larger cities, Bayreuth is relatively easy to tackle by car. The Hohenzollernring, Wittelsbacherring and Cosima-Wagner-Straße together form the central ring around the innermost core of the city. The inside of that ring is in large parts pedestrian-only and can be a bit tricky to navigate, so it's not a bad idea to avoid the area.

Parking
Finding a place to park your vehicle is not much of a problem as long as you're willing to pay. Unless your accommodation offers free parking, one of the commercial parking garages is probably the best choice. There are several of them in close proximity to the city centre – P7 and P8 even require you to drive a few metres through the pedestrian zone. Those two are at the more expensive end of the €0.80–2.00/hr price range, though. The at the Oberfankenhalle and the  tend to be among the least expensive options. Roadside parking spots in and around the core city are typically limited to a maximum stay of two hours and require you to either get a ticket at one of the vending machines or use the easy park smartphone app. Further out in the residential areas, you may be able to find a spot that's free of charge, but be aware that these are often either limited to 2 hr or residents only. Do not be tempted to try your luck on the customers' parking lots of super markets and other stores: most of them have put third party companies in charge of their parking facilities and those will charge you a hefty fine if you misuse them.

Free of charge parking is possible, though, albeit typically a bit less convenient. There's a large in the Frankengutstraße near the public swimming pool. If you arrive in the later afternoon/evening (or your stay falls into the summer/winter breaks), you are almost guaranteed to find a free parking spot on the University campus. There's another at the corner of Friedrich-Ebert-Straße and Grünewaldstraße and even more free parking on the opposite side of the river. is also free, at least outside the festival season.

Rental cars
There are only three companies offering rental cars in Bayreuth: Avis in the Nürnbergerstraße east of the University, Europcar in the Albrecht-Dürer-Straße just north-east of the city centre, and Sixt far in the North near the Autobahn in the Bernecker Straße.

By taxi
Like in most German cities of this size, taxis in Bayreuth are expensive and rare – don't waste your time trying to hail one on the street. There are almost 20 taxi companies located in the city, but which one you choose does not really matter: they all follow the same pricing scheme (available in German here). Several of the companies cooperate in the Taxi Union Bayreuth with a shared 24/7 telephone hotline ( and ). Otherwise, you can usually find a taxi at the train station or at the at the market square near Karstadt.

Major attractions
Most attractions in Bayreuth hail from the residence of Margravine Wilhelmine and her husband Margrave Friedrich. A diligent supporter of the arts and culture, Wilhelmine brought Italian architects and French builders to construct many of the town's historical landmarks. As such, much of the architecture reflects heavy baroque and rococo influences.





Museums
For a town of its size, Bayreuth is rich in museums. Noteworthy among the many are the Richard Wagner Museum and Franz-Liszt-Museum, documenting the lives of these prominent German and Hungarian composers, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Maisel's Brewery and Cooper's Museum, as well as the museums located in the New Palace: Bayreuther Faiences - The Rummel Collection, The State Galleries and Margravine Wilhelmine's Bayreuth (see New Palace listing above for these).

Urban art
There's more to Bayreuth than Wagner, the opera, and carved sandstone. The city is stuffed to the brim with contemporary art. If you're into sculptures, check out the Skulpturenmeile, or just take a stroll around the university campus.

Since the beginnings in the 1980s, Bayreuth has developed a very active legal graffiti scene. For several decades, the city has now been occasionally dedicating walls for legal spraying, and after the last couple of elections they left the election poster boards up for a while to serve as a public canvas. Several companies have also started offering some of their walls, or even commissioning works. A good place to get into this is right in the city center along the river, downstream from the railway bridge.

Do
With its wide pedestrian streets, the city centre is easy to stroll, and provides a pleasant contrast to many other South German towns loaded with medieval architecture. During the summer many cafes and ice cream parlors set up outdoor seating on the main shopping streets, Maximilianstraße, Sophienstraße, and Von-Römer-Straße. As with any town in Bierfranken (compare Breweries in Franconia), trying some of the local brews is a must. The default beer in most pubs is some sort of pale lager (Helles), but the real specialities are the darker ones – look out for Zwickl, Zoigl, Kellerbier or Dunkles on the menu. Interestingly, Bayreuth's largest brewery is best known across Germany for their wheat beer Maisel's Weisse: This style of beer is very common in Bavaria proper ("Altbayern"), but wouldn't normally be considered a typical Franconian thing. Nightlife is not the thing Bayreuth is famous for, at least as far as clubbing and dancing goes. A really good place for concerts and parties is the Glashaus on the university campus, while a few good pubs can be found near the city centre.

When travelling in summer, make sure not to miss the beautiful Theta beergarden. It is in the hills above Bayreuth and it's hard to get there. But even taking a taxi would be worth it. For active people it is possible to do a very nice hike here from the Festspielhaus. This would also give you the opportunity to climb the old Siegesturm (= victory tower), which provides a scenic view over (almost) the whole city (free, closed in winter).

Catch a movie at the 7-screen Cineplex near the Rotmain-Center (see the Buy section). Movies are mostly screened in German, but some blockbusters are also shown with original sound – look out for the ones marked OV (original version) or OMU (original with German subtitles).

Sports
Good spots for recreational running are the Röhrensee park and the Studentenwald forest that attaches to it in the south, as well as the Wilhelminenaue park in the north-east of the city.

If you prefer watching other people doing the work, Medi Bayreuth plays in Germany's top division for basketball. Their home matches take place in the, which is part of the sports park just north of the city centre. The close by is home of the local soccer team SpVgg Bayreuth.

Swimming and sauna
Bayreuth has quite a lot to offer in terms of swimming, sweating and splashing water. In the summer, a visit to the Kreuzsteinbad is a no-brainer even if (or: especially when) you're low on cash. In the winter, this role is filled by the Stadtbad. The Lohengrin Therme caters more to the opposite end of the spectrum and is a good choice for those who are willing to pay for exclusive treatments. And if you're travelling with children the Therme Obernsees might be just what you're looking for.



Learn
The University of Bayreuth was established in 1975 and has an enrollment of more than 10,000 students.

Buy
The pedestrian zone of the city centre (especially Maximilianstraße) has no lack of smaller shops and some larger stores. Slightly west of the city centre is the, a shopping centre with many options. The centre is easily reached on foot and is targeted towards families.



Eat
Bayreuth's status as a university city means that a wide variety of restaurants populate the city, including typical Franconian Wirtshäuser, pizza parlors and Asian cuisine (including specifically Chinese, Japanese, and Thai), as well as the normal fast food fare in the train station and along the pedestrian streets. Small food stands (Imbiss) dot the pedestrian areas and offer quick hot meals for those in a rush (the traditional Franconian choice would be a pair of Bayreuther Bratwürste). If you're looking for halal food, the numerous Döner places around the city centre are your safest bet. Most of the hotels listed below also have an attached restaurant or Biergarten, open for anyone to visit. Listed below is a small sampling of the restaurants in Bayreuth. For more options, check the drink section below, ask around, or just take a stroll through the city.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:



Drink
The city centre of Bayreuth has plenty of options for having a pint. Most of them fall into the pub or Wirtshaus categories, though, as the city lost its main dance hall, the (in)famous Rosenau, to a fire in 2017. Below is a list of some of the most well-established places, but don't hesitate to just take a walk around the city and see where that leads you.



Beer gardens
There are plenty of beer gardens in Bayreuth, some more authentic than others. Many restaurants have attached outdoor seating areas dubbed "Biergarten", but you probably won't get the real deal there. In the beer gardens listed below, however, you will get exactly that – which of course also means that most likely you'll have to get up and walk over to the counter to get your beer! Prices in this section are given for what you'll get when you simply order a beer (which usually results in a Seidla (0.5 L mug) of Helles).



For breweries in Bayreuth see Breweries in Franconia

Sleep
Bayreuth's sleeping options are relatively reasonable in price and quality. During the Richard Wagner Festival prices can go through the roof. The Tourist Information can help you find many other smaller guest houses in and around Bayreuth. (Organized by price in each category.)

Stay safe






Connect
While most of the larger modern hotels offer free Wifi, this is not necessarily true for some of the smaller traditional guest houses. If you're staying in one of these and having a room with internet access is important to you, make sure to check out their website or ask in advance.

The state of Bavaria, in cooperation with Vodafone, offers free Wifi connectivity through about 350 BayernWLAN Hotspots scattered across the city. If you are a student or employee of an institution that uses Eduroam, you'll be able to use this as a safer alternative at the University and some other places around the city (see eduroam map for locations of hot spots).

Go next
Take a trip to the nearby tiny town of Aufsess, which the Guinness Book of World Records recognizes as the town with the most breweries per capita! There's even a beer trail that you can hike with stops at all the local biergartens.

Visit Bamberg to see the medieval town and try the local smoked beer (Rauchbier).

Take an adventure in the Franconian Switzerland (Fränkische Schweiz) or Fichtelgebirge and experience the beautiful local flora, fauna, and scenery. Possible activities include hiking, mountain-climbing and canoeing.

Nuremberg is also nearby, and an easy, exciting day trip.