Bayreuth

We reached Bayreuth, where we explored the city a little bit including the beautiful opera house and the Hermitage on the outskirts of town.

Margravial Opera House Bayreuth

Bayreuth provides a free parking area for caravans, from where we walked along the river into the centre. It was Sunday and maybe also due to bad weather the city was not very busy.

The New Castle of Bayreuth, built in 1753

Exploring the park behind the New Castle

Villa Wahnfried built 1872 for the composer Richard Wagner, now a museum.

Villa Wahnfried

The Margravial Opera House (German: Markgräfliches Opernhaus) is a Baroque opera house built between 1745 and 1750. It is one of Europe’s few surviving theatres of the period and has been extensively restored. The box theater is made entirely of wood. The three tiers are assigned to the three ranks of society. It was inaugurated in 1748 on the occasion of the marriage of the daughter of the margrave couple, Elisabeth Friederike Sophie of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, to Duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg. After the death of her mother Margravine Wilhelmine the use of the theatre declined and was stopped completely for many years which probably saved it from the faith of other theatres of that time to go up in flames due to the use of candles and open fire.

Baroque style interior

Prince’s Loge

Fake stage scenery reconstructed from original plans

Painted ornaments giving a three-dimensional impression

Wooden construction beautifully renovated

The next day we drove to the Hermitage where we strolled through the extensive park and admired the luxurious buildings. The historic park with water features and buildings was built in 1715. There is the so-called Old Castle, the New Castle (Orangery with the Sun Temple) and other smaller buildings. It is divided into a landscape park, a geometrically designed baroque garden and an area overgrown with forest.