Bayreuth

Parks

parks
Court Garden
Free
Open 24 hours a day year round
Behind the Neues Schloss

The court garden of the Neues Schloss, this park provides a welcome bit of green in the middle of the city. On sunny days, you can find many residents here relaxing or exercising with a little sport.

parks
Hermitage

See Hermitage/Old Palace above for information.

Museums

museums
Historical Museum
Kirchplatz 6
+49 (0) 9 21 / 7 64 01 11
1,60 €
Tu-Su 10AM-5PM; Jul - Aug: also open Mondays

This museum chronicles the history of Bayreuth from a small Bavarian village to one of the most culturally-important small cities in Germany. The 17th century building provides a suitable setting for the historical collections.

museums
Museum of Art
Maximilianstr. 33
+49 (0) 9 21/7 64 53 10
1,60 €
Tu-Su 10AM-5PM; Jul - Aug: also open Mondays

Housed in the former city hall's Renaissance-style building, the Museum of Art offers alternating collections of sculpture and painting.

museums
Richard Wagner Museum
Richard-Wagner-Str. 48
+49 (0) 9 21/7 57 28 16
4 € Sept - Jun, 4.50 € Jul - Aug
Apr - Oct: 9AM-5PM M,W,F,Sa,Su, & 9AM-8PM Tu,Th; Nov - Mar: 10AM-5PM daily

The composer's old residence Wahnfried House, Haus Wahnfried has been converted to a museum chronicling his life and works. The composer, his wife, and their dog are buried in the garden. The museum may be of lesser interest to non-German speakers, as it has few English translations.

museums
Iwalewa House
Münzgasse 9
+49 (0) 9 21/55 36 81
Free
Tu-Su 2PM-6PM

Afro-cultural center of the University of Bayreuth.

museums
Catacombs of Bayreuth's Aktien Brewery
Kulmbacherstr. 60
+49 (0) 9 21 / 401-234
Tours Saturdays at 4PM, or group tours by prior arrangement

Aktien Breweries provides an interesting tour through the sandstone beer caverns that operated from the 16th through the 19th centuries. Since the caverns stay very cool throughout the year, appropriate clothing is recommended.

museums
Fire Brigade Museum
An der Feuerwache 4
+49 (0) 9 21/4 82 99
Open upon prior arrangement

A collection of fire engines from different eras and regions.

museums
Franz-Liszt-Museum
Wahnfriedstr. 9
+49 (0) 9 21 / 5 16 64 88
1.60 €
Sep - Jun: 10AM-noon & 2PM-5PM; Jul - Aug: 10AM-5PM

The house of Franz Liszt, the famous Hungarian composer and father-in-law to Richard Wagner. Very near the Richard Wagner museum.

museums
German Freemason Museum
Im Hofgarten 1
+49 (0) 9 21 / 6 98 24
Tu-F 10AM-noon and 2PM-4PM; Sa 10AM-noon

A museum run by the German Freemason's presenting the history of the organization.

museums
German Typewriter Museum
Bernecker Str. 11
+49 (0) 9 21/2 34 45
Free
M-F by telephone appointment

A collection of typewriters dating back to 1864. The collection in Bayreuth began in 1936, and has expanded ever since.

museums
 

For a town of its size, Bayreuth is rich in museums; over two dozen can be found in and around the city. 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. Every fall the museums offer a Bayreuth Museum Night Bayreuther Museumsnacht. On this night, a single ticket allows entry to every museum in the city from 8PM until 2AM. Typically either late October or early November, see Tourist Information or the website (http://www.museumsnacht.bayreuth.de/ German only for more precise information)

museums
Archeological Museum
Ludwigstr. 21
+49 (0) 9 21 / 6 53 07
1 €
End of April to beginning of November: 10AM-3PM on Saturdays, or by appointment
Italian Building of the New Palace

Archeological finds from Upper Franconia and laid out in eight rooms, spanning the stone age through the middle ages. Most text descriptions might be only in German.

museums
Jean Paul Museum
Wahnfriedstr. 1
+49 (0) 9 21 / 5 07 14 44
1.60 €
Sep - Jun: 10AM-noon & 2PM-5PM; Jul - Aug: 10AM-5PM

A small museum dedicated to the life and works of the German poet, who lived his last years from 1804 - 1825 in Bayreuth. The museum is in the former residence of Richard Wagner's daughter Eva.

museums
Little Poster Museum
Friedrich-Puchta-Str. 12
+49 (0) 9 21/8 24 58
Tu & Th 4PM-6PM and by appointment

A collection of contemporary poster art primarily concerning popular culture advertisements such as movie and performance advertisements.

museums
Maisel's Brewery and Coopers Museum
Kulmbacherstr. 40
+49 (0) 9 21 / 40 12 34
4 €
Daily 2PM

The Guinness Book Of World Records' Most Comprehensive Beer Museum occupies the first brewery building of Maisel's Brewery taken out of commission in the 1970s. The 90 minute tour covers the entirety of the brewing process, and of course finishes with a glass of Maisel's Weissbier. Group tours for 12 or more people can be booked by calling in advance.

museums
Museum of Agricultural Tools and Equipment
Adolf-Wächter-Str. 17
+49 (0) 9 21/5 75 15
1.50 €
May - Oct: M-F 9:30AM-noon, Su 2PM-5PM; Rest of the year and for groups, irregularly or by appointment

A collection of agricultural equipment highlighting the tools and techniques of farmers from Upper Franconia. What started as a private collection by Günter Schmidt was taken over by the city and offered as a public museum starting in 1972. Housed in a historic farmhouse.

museums
Bayreuther Faiences - The Rummel Collection
In the New Palace
+49 (0) 9 21/7 59 69 21

A collection of porcelain manufactured in Bayreuth between 1716 and 1788. See New Palace above for more information.

museums
Museum of Natural History
Kanzleistr. 1
+49 (0) 9 21 / 51 12 11
2 €
Tu-Su 10AM-5PM; Jul - Aug: also open Mondays

The museum in the main pedestrian shopping area highlights the life, geology and minerology during the last 500 million years of Upper Franconia. In front of the museum looms a giant dinosaur statue, along the main shopping street.

museums
Museum of Wilhelmine's Bayreuth
Museum Das Bayreuth der Wilhelmine

Museum highlighting the life and culture of Bayreuth during the time of Margravine Wilhelmine. The collections are part of the New Palace, see above for more information.

museums
Natural Science Museum
Karolinenreuther Str. 58
+49 (0) 9 21/75 94 20
1.50 €
Nov - Feb: Tu-F 9AM-4PM, Su 10AM-3PM; Mar - Oct: Tu-F 9AM-4PM, Sa-Su 1PM-5PM

This small museum in a farmhouse just outside the city describes the flora and fauna of Bayreuth and Upper Franconia. The museum is especially designed to engage and educate children.

museums
British American Tobacco's Historical Collection
Maximilianstr. 33
+49 (0) 9 21/7 64 53 10
1.60 €
Tu-Su 10AM-5PM; Jul - Aug: also open Mondays

A collection of over 500 objects from British American Tobacco. The history of tobacco culture is presented, encompassing smoking, pipe, and chewing tobacco. This museum is part of the Museum of Art.

museums
State Gallery in the New Palace
Ludwigstraße 21
+49 (0) 9 21 / 7 59 69-0
4 €, entrance fee is included with entrance to the New Palace
Apr - Sept: 9AM-6PM daily; Oct - Mar: 10AM-4PM (closed M)
In the New Palace

Occupying three rooms of the palace, this exhibition features 80 works of art from the late baroque.

Churches

churches
Castle Church and Tower
Schlossberglein 5, 95444 Bayreuth
+49 (09 21) 885 88
1 €
Opens for prearranged tours

The court chapel and tower were also commissioned and built by Friedrich and Wilhelmine, completed in 1758. The burial vault of the Friedrich and Wilhelmine is located here. The spiral staircase in the tower features a ramp to bring supplies up to the guardroom, which has a great view over the town and to the nearby Fichtelgebirge.

churches
Spitalkirche
At the west end of the main market street Maximilianstrasse
churches
Stadtkirche

The Stadtkirche is since 2006 closed and undergoing renovations.

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. With its wide pedestrian streets, the city center is easy to stroll, and provides a pleasant contrast to many other Bavarian 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. The attractions below can easily be combined with cheaper combination tickets. A ticket to the Margravial Operahouse and New Palace are available for 8 €. In addition, a ticket to visit any three attractions Kombikarte Bayreuth is available for 10 €, either from the ticket office or the tourist information.