Genarmerie
Within the town centre itself, the Bayerischer Hof contains the
town's most intriguing dining choices. The hotel has a selection of
restaurants offering both French and Franconian cooking. The
Hans-Sachs-Stube, an air-conditioned replica of an old inn, has
walls covered with pictures of famous opera singers who have
performed in Bayreuth or dined here. You can also dine at the
hotel's bistro, Spanische Stube. The best cuisine, however, is
found at the Gendarmerie, the main a la carte restaurant. The food
is very refined here, combining inventive French dishes with the
best of Franconian fare. Each dining room has a different decor,
although the seasonally adjusted menu is the same in all three.
Jagdschloss Tiergarten
No one makes a pilgrimage to Bayreuth for its restaurants, but
this one stands out. The building, which lies outside the centre of
town, was constructed as a private hunting lodge and has a
hexagonal baroque tower. The cuisine follows the culinary
traditions of France, Italy, and Germany. Menu items might include
lobster risotto with basil, stuffed halibut with caviar sauce and
kohlrabi noodles, and terrine of sweetbreads. There is also an
impressive wine list.
Oskar's
This restaurant is cosy and popular - it offers some of the best
value in a town which is not particularly noted for reasonable
prices. Set in the heart of town, Oskar's has a large central
dining room, designed like a greenhouse and flooded with sunlight,
and a trio of smaller, cozier Stuben that have wood
panelling and a sense of updated Franconian tradition. Menu items
include lots of old-style Franconian favorites, such as loin of
beef with horseradish sauce and Bayreuther-style Klos
(potato dumplings), roasted pork, schnitzels, baked salmon, and
sauerbraten. There's also a short list of pastas, soups, and
salads. Whenever a particular vegetable or fruit comes into season,
expect lots of emphasis on it in the list of daily (or weekly)
specials.
Restaurant Rohmühle
This charming and well-managed restaurant is partially contained
in what was built in the 1600s as a mill. The rest is in a modern
(but antique-looking) extension that was added in the late 1970s.
Today, views from its tables encompass the Mühlbach River, and its
cuisine focuses on the specialties of Franconia, particularly in
the use of freshwater fish such as carp and trout. The fish are
kept in large holding tanks and aquariums, and can be prepared in
virtually any way you specify.
The Old Castle Eremitage
The Altes Schloss Eremitage, 5 km (3 mi) north of Bayreuth on
B-85, makes an appealing departure from the sonorous and austere
Wagnerian mood of much of the town. It's an early-18th-century
palace, built as a summer retreat and remodeled in 1740 by the
Margravine Wilhelmine. Although her taste is not much in evidence
in the drab exterior, the interior, alive with light and colour,
displays her guiding hand in every elegant line. The extraordinary
Japanischer Saal (Japanese Room), filled with
Asian treasures and chinoiserie furniture, is the finest room. The
park and gardens, partly formal, partly natural, are enjoyable for
idle strolling. Fountain displays take place at the two fake
grottoes at the top of the hour 10-5 daily.
Brauerei and Buttnerei Museum
Near the centre of town, in the 1887 Maisel Brewery building,
the Brauerei und Büttnerei-Museum reveals the tradition of the
brewing trade over the past two centuries with a focus on the
Maisel's trade, of course. The brewery operated here until 1981,
when its much bigger home was completed next door. After the
60-minute tour you can quaff a cool, freshly tapped beer in the
museum's pub, which has traditional Bavarian Weissbier (wheat
beer).
The Festspielhaus
The Festspielhaus is by no means beautiful. In fact, this high
temple of the Wagner cult is surprisingly plain. The spartan look
is explained partly by Wagner's desire to achieve perfect
acoustics. The wooden seats have no upholstering, for example, and
the walls are bare. The stage is enormous, capable of holding the
huge casts required for Wagner's largest operas. Performances take
place only during the annual Wagner Festival, still masterminded by
descendants of the composer.
Fränkische Schweiz
The B-22 highway cuts through the Fränkische Schweiz - or
Franconian Switzerland - which got its name from its fir-clad
landscape. Just north of Hollfeld, 23km (14 mi) west of Bayreuth,
the Jurassic rock of the region breaks through the surface in a
bizarre, craggy formation known as the Felsgarten (Rock
Garden).
