Let’s be honest: Have you ever considered Bayreuth for a weekend trip? If you’re like us, you probably don’t know much about Bayreuth City or what to do. The only thing we really knew about was the annual Richard Wagner Festival. It’s what made the city famous internationally and brings a lot of excitement every year from the end of July for a whole month. But since we’re not exactly Wagner fans, Bayreuth wasn’t really on our radar.
As it turns out, though, the most underrated places often end up being the best surprises—and Bayreuth was no exception! Our weekend trip outside of festival season showed us just how much the city has to offer. With 11 other months in the year, Bayreuth City is definitely not a boring place to visit!
For transparency: In this post about a weekend in Bayreuth city we use advertising links, so-called “affiliate links”. These links redirect you to products or services that we recommend. If you make a booking via one of these links, we receive a small commission. This support helps us very much to continue providing our blog articles, photos, and videos free of charge. You will not incur any additional costs by doing so.
This blog post was created in collaboration with Bayreuth Tourism, the tourism board that wants to introduce you to Bayreuth as a travel destination.
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Is Bayreuth City the right choice for your weekend getaway?
With around 75,000 residents, Bayreuth is much smaller and less well-known than nearby Nuremberg, just an hour away, but it definitely doesn’t feel like a sleepy small town.
Bayreuth offers an exciting blend of culture, history, and nature. The city is home to numerous castles, parks, and green spaces. Plus, being in Upper Franconia, the region has the highest brewery density in the world, so you can savor Franconian specialties in traditional taverns all around Bayreuth.
Surrounded by the Franconian Switzerland and Fichtel Mountains, Bayreuth is also perfect for hiking and swimming trips.
In addition to the famous Richard Wagner Festival, the city offers a variety of museums and a surprisingly laid-back vibe, especially outside of festival season. Prices are reasonable: hotels start at €85, main dishes range from €12 to €16, and many attractions are affordable or even free.
However, despite having about 12,000 students, Bayreuth doesn’t feel like a particularly young city. If you’re looking for parties or long club nights, you might be disappointed here.
Bayreuth City
To give you a clear overview of what to do in Bayreuth City, we’ve listed our 10 favorite attractions and activities in this blog post. As always, you’ll also find tips on getting around Bayreuth, restaurant recommendations, and suggestions for great places to stay.
1. Rooftop Terrace at Neues Rathaus
We recommend kicking off your weekend trip in Bayreuth with a visit to the rooftop terrace of the Neues Rathaus. From here, you’ll get a fantastic panoramic view of the city, and the best part—it’s completely free. The building itself has been the subject of much debate in Bayreuth, as its 70s architecture stands in stark contrast to the surrounding structures. However, once you take the elevator to the 12th floor and enjoy the view from behind the glass, you’ll notice that Bayreuth’s cityscape is a blend of old and new. Due to fires and destruction in World War II, Bayreuth no longer has a fully preserved historic city center.
- No ticket is required to access the rooftop terrace, and the view is free during opening hours.
- Just a five-minute walk from the Neues Rathaus is Wirtshaus Oskar, where you can enjoy hearty Franconian cuisine, including what some say are the best Käsespätzle in Bayreuth’s city center. Another great spot for traditional dishes is Manns Bräu.
2. Hermitage – the most impressive Landmark in Bayreuth City
The Hermitage (Eremitage in german) is the must-see attraction in Bayreuth. If you haven’t visited, it’s like you haven’t truly been to Bayreuth. Originally conceived as place where the Margrave and his court would live simply, any trace of simplicity is long gone. Today, the Hermitage is one of Germany’s most beautiful Baroque gardens, featuring several small palaces and temples to explore. You could easily spend an entire day here, especially if you bring a picnic and take breaks on the lawns. However, if you’re short on time, you can also focus on a few key highlights.
Among the most stunning parts of the Eremitage are the Old Palace and the New Palace, with its magnificent Sun Temple in the center, the Upper Grotto, and the Orangerie. At the Orangerie, you’ll find a small café and can catch the water features every hour between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. (May to October). The water shows only last a few minutes (exactly three, we timed it!), so we wouldn’t recommend planning your entire visit around them.
We preferred the water displays at the Lower Grotto, which start 15 minutes after every full hour. The Grotto Tower of the Old Palace is particularly impressive. During a guided tour, you can marvel at the unique design and the unique water features.
- If, like us, you enjoy visiting places featured in movies or TV series, the Eremitage was used as a filming location for the Netflix series The Empress, which portrays the life of Empress "Sisi" in a gripping and heartfelt way.
- After your visit to the Eremitage, we recommend stopping by the newly opened Café Pistazio in Bayreuth's city center for a cup of coffee and excellent cakes with a focus on pistachios. Alternatively, if you prefer a more traditional cake selection, Heimathafen offers a lovely ambiance as well.
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3. Margravial Opera House
The Baroque Margravial Opera House is stunning, and it’s no surprise that it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entire auditorium is made of wood but is so beautifully gilded and painted that it will take your breath away. Visiting this opera house is a must when exploring Bayreuth.
- Next to the opera house, you can grab some amazing ice cream at Eis Opera. A few minutes’ walk away, Café Kraftraum serves up fresh, colorful salads, a variety of breakfast options, and homemade lemonades, as well as a few traditional dishes.
4. Maisel‘s Beer Experience World
With Upper Franconia having the highest brewery density in the world, it’s only fitting that in Bayreuth, you can sample a variety of beer specialties at Maisel‘s Beer Experience World. The brewery tour with a tasting is a must-do. You can also join a cooking class or grab a beer with a burger or steak at their restaurant, where the food is excellent, though a bit on the pricier side. We were especially impressed by this year’s apprentice project – a refreshing sour beer that not only tastes great but looks fantastic too, with labels that are true works of art.
The artistic vibe carries over into the neighboring Liebesbier Urban Art Hotel. Although the hotel and brewery have a modern industrial look, no two rooms are alike. Urban artists from around the world have decorated the rooms, and new artwork is regularly added.
5. Church Tower
We have a little tradition when traveling. Whenever possible, we always try to climb a church tower because the views are almost always worth it. Bayreuth has several great viewpoints, but we especially loved the view from the Town Church. You can only visit the tower as part of a guided tour, which is fascinating not just for the panoramic view but also for the tour of the tiny tower keeper’s apartment. It’s hard to believe that the tower keeper once lived there with his family, kids, chickens, a parrot, and even a monkey!
6. Neues Schloss & Hofgarten
Bayreuth has so many castles and impressive buildings that one “New Palace” just wasn’t enough. That’s why you’ll find a second New Palace right in the city center. After a devastating fire destroyed the Old Palace in the mid-18th century, this new residence was built as a modest home for the Margrave. “Modest” might not be the best word to describe it, as it turned out to be quite lavish. Margravine Wilhelmine, known for her extravagant touch in many of Bayreuth’s grand buildings, had a hand in the interior design. You can admire the unique shattered glass mirror cabinet and a stunning Palm Room with gilded palm trees on the walls. Right next to the New Palace is the charming Italian Palace, which you can explore on a guided tour.
One of the highlights of the New Palace is the beautiful Court Garden. It connects directly to the palace but can also be visited separately, free of charge. The garden still has some baroque elements like canals, islands, and beech-lined avenues, but overall, it feels much wilder and more natural. This green oasis in the middle of the city is a peaceful spot where families, seniors, joggers, and walkers come to relax and enjoy some tranquility.
- Directly across from the New Palace, Focacciala offers delicious Italian street food to go, with reasonable prices. The filled bread is great when enjoyed in the small park right across from the palace. If you're in the mood for something more traditional, we recommend trying a bratwurst at the iconic Bratwursthäuschen on Richard-Wagner-Straße. The narrow sausage packs a flavorful punch!
7. Urban Arts City Tour
How about a city tour in Bayreuth? Besides the classic historical walk, there’s an exciting alternative: the Urban Arts Tour. You’ll discover around 35 sculptures, street art murals, and installations hidden not just in the city center, but also in the Festival Park and at the University of Bayreuth. This tour offers a glimpse into a different, modern side of the city, away from the grand buildings Bayreuth is usually known for.
If you like, you can also ask when booking if your group can make a detour to the Bell tower of the Castle Church. It’s only accessible through a guided tour, but it offers another great view of the city—though not as open as from the Stadtkirche tower, the large windows still make it impressive.
- You can book your Urban Arts Tour either through Maiselandfriends where you'll also discover some street art in the Urban Art Hotel Liebesbier, or join an official tour organized by the city of Bayreuth on specific dates.
- Timing is everything with this recommendation. The Buschenschänke of Bäckerei Lang turns into a pop-up brewery only about four times a year. Thomas Zimmer and his family sell their homemade beer during these special events. Since brewing isn’t their main business, there are just a few exclusive dates each year. We were lucky to visit Bayreuth on one of these weekends, and the atmosphere was fantastic—relaxed, authentic, and far from the usual tourist spots.
8. Bayreuth Festival Theatre – The most famous attraction in Bayreuth City
The Festival Theatre on the “Green Hill” has made Bayreuth world-famous. Richard Wagner had it built to stage his operas in a simple, functional setting, a stark contrast to the ornate Margravial Opera House. Wagner’s vision was to ensure nothing would distract from his works—no frills or distractions. That’s why the Festspielhaus continues to host only Wagner’s operas to this day.
- Even if you're not a huge Wagner fan, it's worth taking a look inside the Festival Theatre. You can explore the famous building on a public tour.
9. Bike Tour around Bayreuth
From April to October, you can rent one of four e-bikes at the Tourist Information in Opernstraße. For 35 euros per day per bike, you can enjoy a relaxing ride through Bayreuth’s gardens and parks. A great first stop is the little lake Röhrensee. There, you’ll find a small beach bar with sun loungers and you can rent a rowboat to paddle across the lake, or visit the nearby zoo.
After that, it’s worth biking over to the University’s Ecological-Botanical Garden. Admission is free, and you can wander through various climate zones—from tropical rainforests and Nordic coniferous forests to Mediterranean plants. One highlight for us was the vegetable garden, featuring tomatoes, pumpkins, sunflowers, and herbs.
- Admission to the Botanical Garden is free! Just be sure to check the opening hours beforehand, especially if you want to visit the greenhouses.
If you’re still up for more exploring, continue your ride to Festspielhügel and from there to the tower Siegesturm. It’s a bit hidden in the woods but offers a lovely view over Bayreuth.
- The described route, starting at the Tourist Information, is about 13 km and takes around an hour of pure riding time. So, you don’t need to set aside an entire day for this bike tour—it's perfect for a relaxed outing in between other activities!
10. Luisenburg Rock Labyrinth
- Tickets for the labyrinth are sold right at the entrance. Follow the blue arrow up and the red arrow down once you’re at the top.
- Right at the entrance, you’ll find the Luisenburg Resort, a hotel with a restaurant. We were initially doubtful, as places at tourist spots can be pricey and not very authentic. But we were pleasantly surprised—the food was excellent, hearty like the best in Franconia, and the prices were fair.
More Things to See in Bayreuth City
Bayreuth has even more to offer than we could explore in a long weekend. For example, you might enjoy visiting one of the many museums. On rainy days, the Richard Wagner Museum or the Art Museum, located in the historic Old Baroque Town Hall, are great choices—the building itself is worth seeing too.
If you like solving puzzles, check out the escape rooms at Bayreuth Escape. They offer various rooms with different levels of difficulty, suitable for 2 to 6 people.
Got more time in Bayreuth? We recommend a trip to Fichtelsee, where you can take a relaxing walk through the moorland.
And if you visit during December, make sure to check out the magical Christmas market in the city center.
How to Combine All the Sights in Bayreuth City on a Weekend
If you want to fit as many of the suggested activities into three days as possible, you can follow this plan. It’s a packed schedule, so feel free to adjust it according to your preferences or skip an activity if needed.
day 1:
- Arrival & Check-in/Luggage Drop-off, e.g. at H4 Hotel Residenzschloss
- Rooftop terrace of the New Town Hall
- Grab a bratwurst at Bratwursthäuschen
- Visit the Eremitage
- Dinner at Oskar
day 2:
- Bike tour
- Lunch at Focacciala
- Margravial Opera House
- New Palace & Court Garden
- Dinner at Mann’s Bräu
day 3:
- Tour of the Church Tower or hike at Luisenburg Rock Labyrinth
- Lunch at Café Kraftraum
- Urban Arts City Tour
- Dinner at Liebesbier
Arrival & Getting Around Bayreuth City
- The nearest airport to Bayreuth is in Nuremberg. From there, it’s about an hour’s drive or even better, a train ride. In Bayreuth itself, you don’t necessarily need a car, as many attractions are easily reachable on foot.
If you’re still looking for a flight, check out Skyscanner for options
- If you do choose to drive, make sure your hotel offers parking. Overall, parking in Bayreuth is quite relaxed—there’s even a large free parking lot at the Eremitage.
- Much of Bayreuth is great for exploring on foot. Alternatively, you can rent a bike or use public transportation. For schedule information, use the VGN timetable or the Deutsche Bahn App , where you can also purchase your tickets directly.
Where to Stay for the Best Sights in Bayreuth City
Bayreuth is particularly appealing for a weekend getaway due to its affordable prices. Even unique hotels like the Liebesbier Urban Art Hotel usually cost no more than 120 euros per night.
We stayed at H4 Hotel Residenzschloss, which is centrally located, about a 10-minute walk from the city center, and offers excellent value for money.
Also recommended is the Hotel Restaurant Lohmühle, located near a fantastic street art area and just about five minutes from the city center.
We hope this inspires you to consider Bayreuth as your next weekend destination. We were thrilled with the city and the leisure options in the Franconian Switzerland and the Fichtelgebirge. It certainly won’t be our last visit.
If you’d like to give us feedback on this post or if it has inspired you to travel to Bayreuth, we’d love to hear from you on Instagram.
And if you want to read more blog posts about Germany, check out our post on a truly beautiful hike in the Bavarian Forest. Or discover what the Spreewald has to offer with the 6 best experiences for your short vacation in the Spreewald.
