Sights and landmarks in Bayreuth

34 sights worth seeing in Bayreuth: landmarks, galleries, monuments and viewpoints.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

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Archaeological Museum
Archäologisches Museum
Archaeological 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.
End of April to beginning of November: Sat 10:00-15:00, or by appointment€1
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Castle Church and Tower
Schlosskirche and Schlossturm
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.
Opens for prearranged tours€1
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Catacombs of Bayreuth's Aktien Brewery
Katakomben der Bayreuther AKTIEN-Brauerei
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.
Tours Saturdays at 16:00, or group tours by prior arrangement
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Court Garden
Hofgarten
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.
Open 24 hours a day year roundFree
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Ecological Botanical Gardens
Ökologisch-Botanischer Garten
The concept behind the Ecological Botanical Gardens is to show plants in an environment that represents their natural habitats as closely as possible. Hence, it is structured in multiple sections, representing different ecosystems from different parts of the world. Opening hours depend on the season and day of the week (closed on Saturdays); the greenhouses have slightly shorter opening hours than the rest of the gardens.
Free
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Fantaisie Palace Garden Museum
Schloss and Park Fantaisie
The 18th-century palace designed by the daughter of Margrave Friedrich and Margravine Wilhelmine, features Germany's first garden design museum.
Closed · opens 9 am tomorrow€3.50 (entrance to the park is free)
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Festival Theater
Festspielhaus
Built in 1872, this opera house still ranks among the best in the world in design and acoustics. Home to the Richard Wagner Festival every summer (see Events below). Just north of the main train station, take bus 305 to Am Festspielhaus. The grounds are crowded, tours seldom, and tickets rare during the annual Richard Wagner Festival in late July–August each year.
Dec-Apr: Tue-Sun 10:00-14:00; Sep-Oct: Tue-Sun 10:00, 11:00, 14:00, and 15:00€5
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Fire Brigade Museum
Feuerwehrmuseum
A collection of fire engines from different eras and regions.
Open upon prior arrangement
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Franz-Liszt-Museum
The house of Franz Liszt, the famous Hungarian composer and father-in-law to Richard Wagner. Very near the Richard Wagner museum.
Sep - Jun: 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00; Jul - Aug: 10:00-17:00€2
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German Freemason Museum
Deutsches Freimaurer-Museum
A museum run by the German Freemasons presenting the history of the organization.
Tue-Fri 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00; Sat 10:00-12:00
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German Typewriter Museum
Deutsches Schreibmaschinenmuseum
A collection of typewriters dating back to 1864. The collection in Bayreuth began in 1936, and has expanded ever since.
Mon-Fri by telephone appointmentFree
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Hermitage/Old Palace
Eremitage/Altes Schloss
The old palace of Margrave Georg Wilhelm on the outskirts of town, the palace was expanded and the gardens created by Wilhelmine as a summer residence. The ornate fountains begin their waterworks on the hour from 10:00 to 17:00. Guided tours are available.
Closed · opens 9 am tomorrow€4.50 (Old Palace, entrance to the park is free)
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Historical Museum
Historisches Museum
This museum chronicles the history of Bayreuth from a small Franconian village to one of the most culturally-important small cities in Germany. The 17th century building provides a suitable setting for the historical collections.
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00; Jul - Aug: also open Mondays€1.60
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Jean Paul Museum
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.
Sep - Jun: 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00; Jul - Aug: 10:00-17:00€1.60
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Maisel's Brewery and Coopers Museum
Maisel's Brauerei und Büttnerei Museum
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.
Daily 14:00€4
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Margravial Opera House
Markgräfliches Opernhaus
The baroque opera house, commissioned by Margravine Wilhelmine and designed by famous Giuseppe Galli Bibiena and son Carlo from Italy, was completed in 1748 and remained Germany's largest opera house until 1871. This ornate opera house partially drew Richard Wagner's attention to Bayreuth. In 2012 the opera house was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, and its refurbishment was completed in 2018.
Apr-Sep: 09:00-18:00; Oct-Mar: 10:00-16:00; may be closed due to events and rehearsals (check the website)€8
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Museum of Agricultural Tools and Equipment
Museum für bäuerliche Arbeitsgeräte
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.
Mon-Thu 09:00-12:00€1.50
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Museum of Art
Kunstmuseum
Housed in the former city hall's Renaissance-style building, the Museum of Art offers alternating collections of sculpture and painting.
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00; Jul - Aug: also open Mondays€1.60
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Museum of Natural History
Urwelt-Museum Oberfranken
The museum in the main pedestrian shopping area highlights the life, geology and mineralogy during the last 500 million years of Upper Franconia. In front of the museum looms a giant dinosaur statue, along the main shopping street.
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00; Jul - Aug: also open Mondays€2
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Natural Science Museum
Naturkundemuseum
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.
Nov - Feb: Tue-Fri 09:00-16:00, Sun 10:00-15:00; Mar - Oct: Tue-Fri 09:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 13:00-17:00€1.50
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New Palace
Neues Schloss
The new residence of the Margrave Friedrich and his wife Wilhelmine after their old residence burnt down. It was designed and built by the French builder Joseph Saint-Pierre, and completed in 1754. The entrance fee includes entrance to the two museums inside as well as the State Gallery. Rooms of interest include the Garden Rooms, Cedar Room, Old Music Room, and the Cabinet of Fragmented Mirrors (designed by Wilhelmine herself).
Apr-Sep: Tue-Sun 09:00-18:00; Oct-Mar: Tue-Sun 10:00-16:00€5.50
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Ordenskirche
The main church of the formerly independent city of St. Georgen was completed in 1718.
free
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Richard Wagner Museum
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 two of their many dogs are buried in the garden. Signs and labels are mostly in German, but an English language audio guide can be borrowed at the reception for a small deposit. Extensively renovated and redesigned in 2015, this museum is a tribute to one of the most famous residents in the history of Bayreuth.
July/August: daily 10:00-18:00 rest of the year: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00Adult €8, under 18: free
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Tierpark Röhrensee
Park surrounding a small lake (the Röhrensee). It has a small Zoo and a large playground.
Open now · open 24 hoursFree
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Wilhelminenaue
Upstream the Red Main, to the north-east of the city centre, lies the Wilhelminenaue. This section of the river underwent renaturation in the 2010s, and the surrounding fields were turned into a park for the 2016 Bavarian Landesgartenschau ("State Garden Show"). A great place for running, walking your dog, etc., especially when the Hofgarten is just too small for you.
always openfree
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Bayreuther Faiences – The Rummel Collection
Sammlung Bayreuther Fayencen
A collection of porcelain manufactured in Bayreuth between 1716 and 1788.
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British American Tobacco's Historical Collection
Tabakhistorische Sammlung der B.A.T.
A collection of over 500 objects from British American Tobacco. The history of tobacco culture is presented, encompassing smoking, pipe, and chewing tobacco. The collection is part of the Museum of Art.
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Little Poster Museum
Kleines Plakatmuseum
A collection of contemporary poster art primarily concerning popular culture advertisements (such as movie and performance advertisements). The collection is part of the Museum of Art.
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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.
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State Gallery in the New Palace
Staatsgalerie im Neuen Schloss
Occupying three rooms of the palace, this exhibition features 80 works of art from the late baroque.
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Iwalewa House
Iwalewa-Haus
Afro-cultural centre of the University of Bayreuth.
Tue-Sun 13:00-17:00€5 for exhibitions, free every first Sunday of the month
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Spitalkirche
Spitalkirche
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Stadtkirche
Stadtkirche
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Hermitage
Eremitage
See Hermitage/Old Palace above for information.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Bayreuth (CC BY-SA 4.0).