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WHERE TO STAYBAYREUTH
Lohmühle moderate
Housed in two fine gabled houses on
the site of a former tannery, close to
the center of Bayreuth, this hotel has
21 simple but comfortably furnished
en suite rooms as well as a restaurant.
Badstrasse 37, 95444; 0921 530 60;
http://www.hotel-lohmuehle.de; prices are
higher during the Festspiele
Goldener Anker moderate–expensive
This old and rather grand family-run
hotel has 35 individually styled rooms
that are trad i tionally furnished. The
in-house restau rant has preserved
its original 1920s Art Deco interior.
Opernstrasse 6, 95444; 0921 787 77 40;
http://www.anker-bayreuth.deBURG RABENSTEIN
Burg Rabenstein expensive
There are just 22 individually styled
rooms and suites in this historic castle,
varying in style from prettily rustic to
plush; some include beds with
tapestries and canopies.
Rabenstein 33, 95491; 0920 29 70 04
40; http://www.burg-rabenstein.deFORCHHEIM
Hotel am Kronengarten inexpensive
A small and pleasant modern hotel on
the edge of Forchheim’s historic old
town offering comfortable rooms,
some of which are singles and triples.
Bamberger Strasse 6a, 91301;
09191 725 00; http://www.hotel-am-
kronengarten.deBACK ROADS GERMANY
1 Bayreuth
Bavaria; 95444
The city of Bayreuth came into
its own in the early 18th cen tury,
when it was transformed into a
fine stone-built capital for Margravine
Wilhelmine (1709–58), sister of
Frederick the Great of Prussia. Her
residence, the Neues Schloss (Apr–
Sept: open daily; Oct–Mar: closed Mon),
was built by Joseph Saint-Pierre.
The elongated three-story palace
combines Classical lines with a
rustic ground floor.
Another highlight of the city is
the magnificent Baroque opera house,
the ornate Markgräfliches Opernhaus
(open daily). Built in the 1740s, it
has an inte rior designed by Giuseppe
Galli Bibiena, who came from a
famous Bolognese family of theater
architects, and his son Carlo. The city
is asso ciated with com poser RichardVISITING BAYREUTHParking
There is a well-marked public
underground parking lot beneath the
Rathaus (town hall), adjacent to the
tourist information office.
Tourist Information
Luitpoldplatz 9, 95444; 0921 88 588;
http://www.bayreuth.de; Sept–Apr: open
Mon–Sat; May–Oct: open dailyWhere to Stay: inexpensive, under €70; moderate, €70–€150; expensive, over €1502 Pottenstein
Bavaria; 91278
Four valleys meet at Pottenstein,
yet the village feels almost walled
in by the high crags surrounding it.
One such rock is topped by the
region’s oldest castle, Burg Pottenstein
(Easter: open daily; Apr: open Sat & Sun;
May–Oct: closed Mon); below ground
are the Teufelshöhle Caves (Easter–
Oct: open daily; Nov–Easter: open Tue,
Sat & Sun). Besides visiting these sights,
visitors can also enjoy the snow-
free summer toboggan run (www.
sommerrodelbahnen-pottenstein.de) here.
ª Head west from Pottenstein
along the B470/Forchheimer Strasse
to reach the village of Tüchersfeld.Right View of the countryside near Bayreuth
Below left Entrance to the Markgräfliches
Opernhaus, Bayreuth Below right Decorative
sign in TüchersfeldWagner (1813–83), who took up
residence here in 1872. His home, Villa
Wahnfried (open daily), is on the north-
eastern side of Neues Schloss and is
now a museum. In the villa’s garden
are the tombs of Wagner and his
wife, Cosima, the daughter of Franz
Liszt. Each summer Bayreuth hosts
the Wagner festival, the Bayreuther
Festspiele, held in the Festspielhaus,
the imposing but spartan theater
built between 1872 and 1875 to
a design by Gottfried Semper.
Visitors to Bayreuth can also take a
cure at the Lohengrin Therme (www.
lohengrin-therme.de), a thermal spa.
ª Follow signs to Fränkische Schweiz/
Hollfeld, Erlanger Strasse, later marked
as B22, then turn left on to the road
for Pottenstein.