Any tips for Bayreuth ?
May 20th, 2009, 05:04 AM
#1
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Any tips for Bayreuth ?
We have been lucky enough to acquire tickets for the dress rehearsals of 'Tristan' & 'Rheingold' ahead of the start of the official festival in July. I've booked flights to Munich, a hire car from there (it seemed quicker & cheaper than getting the train) and have booked a room at the Goldener Loewe for 4 nights.
I've read the (not very many) Fodorite threads which show up on a search for 'Bayreuth', but just wondering if anyone has any more interesting info or tips ?
We will visit the Wagner & Liszt museums, of course. Any more tips for 'must-dos' ? Anyone out there been to performances at the Festspielhaus ? Taxis back possible ? Dress code for dress rehearsals (a long shot I know) ? Is the Lohengrin spa fun ?
Nice places to eat & drink ?
Thanks very much for any advice.
I've read the (not very many) Fodorite threads which show up on a search for 'Bayreuth', but just wondering if anyone has any more interesting info or tips ?
We will visit the Wagner & Liszt museums, of course. Any more tips for 'must-dos' ? Anyone out there been to performances at the Festspielhaus ? Taxis back possible ? Dress code for dress rehearsals (a long shot I know) ? Is the Lohengrin spa fun ?
Nice places to eat & drink ?Thanks very much for any advice.
May 20th, 2009, 05:24 AM
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Hi caroline!
No tips, except that I'd <u>love</u> a report from you after your trip. I know Bayreuth doesn't get mentioned much here, so anything you can add after your trip will be great! Some day, I hope to visit Bayreuth for the Ring festival. I assume you have found my trip report for Bayreuth (day trip) from 2007? In addition to the 2 museums you mentioned, I also visited Margravial Opera House and the New Palace.
No tips, except that I'd <u>love</u> a report from you after your trip. I know Bayreuth doesn't get mentioned much here, so anything you can add after your trip will be great! Some day, I hope to visit Bayreuth for the Ring festival. I assume you have found my trip report for Bayreuth (day trip) from 2007? In addition to the 2 museums you mentioned, I also visited Margravial Opera House and the New Palace.
May 20th, 2009, 11:54 AM
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www.bayreuth.de has a very informative site on sights etc. English available.
I personally loved the Old Palace and gardens outside the city. Not sure if a bus runs there, been there by car.
Although a Wagner fan I am not particularly envious. A friend of mine has been to an actual performance of an opera there and she and her husband didn't like it. No A/C, VERY small seats (extremely inconvenient). Dress code is always fancy. The quality of the performances hasn't been top lately ...
Anyway, have fun!
I personally loved the Old Palace and gardens outside the city. Not sure if a bus runs there, been there by car.
Although a Wagner fan I am not particularly envious. A friend of mine has been to an actual performance of an opera there and she and her husband didn't like it. No A/C, VERY small seats (extremely inconvenient). Dress code is always fancy. The quality of the performances hasn't been top lately ...
Anyway, have fun!
May 21st, 2009, 01:04 AM
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I don't agree with the fancy dress description.
I attended quite a few performances and found the atmosphere to be quite festive, but surprisingly unstuffy.
The playhouse seats are very thinly cushioned and have hardly any backrest in order to minimise compromising the acoustics. There also indeed is no aircondition, so attending the performances is not characterised by utmost comfort.
Thus, while no-one will feel out of place in a tux or a robe respectively, quite a few of the audience will opt for more comfortable attire. All the more so during the rehearsals.
The playhouse is situated slightly out of center on a hill and during the intervals you have a choice of dining in either the on-site formal restaurant (I don't recommend it), go to the good Italian restaurant Buergerreuth just behind the playhouse or grab a grilled sausage in a bun and tread some water in the Kneipp Garden across the little road to revitalise and refresh - so a wide choice of activities between formal and casual and quite characteristic in my opinion. And as I don't want to imply negativity here, I won't rant about their quite debatable ticketing policies and subsidies they receive here, which I could go on about for a while, too.
Restaurants:
Hermanns Restaurant, in Romantik Hotel Alte Post in Wirsberg, some 20 km North of the "city", arguably the best restaurant in the area, interesting menu with a traditional and an inventive section, nice setting, good food prepared to very high standards.
http://www.herrmanns-posthotel.de/
Zur Sudpfanne, in the Bayreuth suburb of Oberkonnersreuth close to the Autobahn, in a small side-street opposite the Porsche dealership. Also a good informal garden, where they serve some very good spare ribs to go with the beer.
http://sudpfanne.de/
Schlossrestaurant Neudrossenfeld, long name, better than average cuisine with some aspiration, great view from a beautiful terrace, slightly outside town close to the A 70 Autobahn to Bamberg
http://www.schloss-neudrossenfeld.de/
Buergerreuth, Italian cuisine of good standard with a Franconian name, behind the playhouse.
http://www.buergerreuth.de/
Oskars Wirtshaus, in the pedestrian area of Bayreuth in the center of town, decent Bavarian/Franconian style food
http://www.oskar-bayreuth.de/
Cafe Sinnopoli, in a small sidestreet off Maximilianstr, the pedestrian area in Bayreuth, good breakfast buffet on weekends (named after the conductor, who sometimes pops in after performances - and as a humourous sidenote is known to conduct at a faster pace if a football match is on TV that he is interested in)
http://www.sinnopoli.de/
Beergardens:
Herzogkeller, at the Aktien and Maisels Weissbier breweries, close to the Goldener Loewe Gasthof (5 min. by foot), old school, old chestnut trees, decent snacks to go with the beer (I unusually tend to get a headache after a few Bayreuther Aktien beers, but that's me).
http://www.herzogkeller.de/
Storchenkeller, at Sudpfanne restaurant, see above
Kathi Braeu, in Heckenhof, outside Aufsess, some 25 km West of Bayreuth, nothing fancy, in fact a bit shabby, but an institution among bikers and other tourers of the scenic area labelled Franconian Switzerland, decent dark beer and some well known cheese cake. Could be a refuelling stop if you want to tour the area (drive South to Pottenstein via Creez and Muthmannsreuth rather than via A9, it gets more scenic towards Pottenstein, then continue West to Goessweinstein, see the basilica there and make it to Aufsess via Wiesenttal, for example).
http://kathi.brauereien.bierland-oberfranken.de/
I attended quite a few performances and found the atmosphere to be quite festive, but surprisingly unstuffy.
The playhouse seats are very thinly cushioned and have hardly any backrest in order to minimise compromising the acoustics. There also indeed is no aircondition, so attending the performances is not characterised by utmost comfort.
Thus, while no-one will feel out of place in a tux or a robe respectively, quite a few of the audience will opt for more comfortable attire. All the more so during the rehearsals.
The playhouse is situated slightly out of center on a hill and during the intervals you have a choice of dining in either the on-site formal restaurant (I don't recommend it), go to the good Italian restaurant Buergerreuth just behind the playhouse or grab a grilled sausage in a bun and tread some water in the Kneipp Garden across the little road to revitalise and refresh - so a wide choice of activities between formal and casual and quite characteristic in my opinion. And as I don't want to imply negativity here, I won't rant about their quite debatable ticketing policies and subsidies they receive here, which I could go on about for a while, too.
Restaurants:
Hermanns Restaurant, in Romantik Hotel Alte Post in Wirsberg, some 20 km North of the "city", arguably the best restaurant in the area, interesting menu with a traditional and an inventive section, nice setting, good food prepared to very high standards.
http://www.herrmanns-posthotel.de/
Zur Sudpfanne, in the Bayreuth suburb of Oberkonnersreuth close to the Autobahn, in a small side-street opposite the Porsche dealership. Also a good informal garden, where they serve some very good spare ribs to go with the beer.
http://sudpfanne.de/
Schlossrestaurant Neudrossenfeld, long name, better than average cuisine with some aspiration, great view from a beautiful terrace, slightly outside town close to the A 70 Autobahn to Bamberg
http://www.schloss-neudrossenfeld.de/
Buergerreuth, Italian cuisine of good standard with a Franconian name, behind the playhouse.
http://www.buergerreuth.de/
Oskars Wirtshaus, in the pedestrian area of Bayreuth in the center of town, decent Bavarian/Franconian style food
http://www.oskar-bayreuth.de/
Cafe Sinnopoli, in a small sidestreet off Maximilianstr, the pedestrian area in Bayreuth, good breakfast buffet on weekends (named after the conductor, who sometimes pops in after performances - and as a humourous sidenote is known to conduct at a faster pace if a football match is on TV that he is interested in)
http://www.sinnopoli.de/
Beergardens:
Herzogkeller, at the Aktien and Maisels Weissbier breweries, close to the Goldener Loewe Gasthof (5 min. by foot), old school, old chestnut trees, decent snacks to go with the beer (I unusually tend to get a headache after a few Bayreuther Aktien beers, but that's me).
http://www.herzogkeller.de/
Storchenkeller, at Sudpfanne restaurant, see above
Kathi Braeu, in Heckenhof, outside Aufsess, some 25 km West of Bayreuth, nothing fancy, in fact a bit shabby, but an institution among bikers and other tourers of the scenic area labelled Franconian Switzerland, decent dark beer and some well known cheese cake. Could be a refuelling stop if you want to tour the area (drive South to Pottenstein via Creez and Muthmannsreuth rather than via A9, it gets more scenic towards Pottenstein, then continue West to Goessweinstein, see the basilica there and make it to Aufsess via Wiesenttal, for example).
http://kathi.brauereien.bierland-oberfranken.de/
May 21st, 2009, 04:05 AM
#6
Hi caroline; Wagner was a favorite [along with many others] and I used to listen to his music in my 'garden'. Visit this site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wagner dick
May 21st, 2009, 04:36 AM
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Thanks very much, everyone.
yk, I did indeed read your trip report - it was about the only info here ! Of course, I forgot to mention we will no doubt also visit the Margravial Opera House. I will indeed post a trip report afterwards & hope I can add to the sum of knowledge here. Shame we'll miss the Spargl season (we were in Berlin for it a few years ago - but didn't come across a spirit or chocolates !). Have you started applying for festival tickets ? I believe the average wait is something like 10 years, coming down to 5-7 if you are a member of a Wagner society.
Ingo & quokka, from the info I've got from the tourist office website it looks as the the New Palace and Eremitage are the same place, are they ?
I have heard the theatre is very uncomfortable - hot and hard seats - but didn't know about the lack of backrests...
Oh well, 'Rheingold' is relatively short and if my back is troubling me I could leave DH to it and stick with the beer & sausages after the first interval in 'Tristan'
hsv, great to hear from a trusted regular who's done the festival ! I especially appreciate the excellent recommendations for eating & drinking, particularly the interval recs. DH has been in & out of Wagner societies over the years but never stuck at it; but now intends to rejoin the Scottish one and start waiting for 'proper' tickets. But he's absolutely thrilled that in the meantime we got the chance to buy these dress rehearsal tickers (donated by Scottish regular members of the chorus) at a charity auction.
I'd always understood that evening dress is de rigueur for actual performances but it sounds from what you say as if not everyone wears it ? If we were going to actual performances we would want to wear evening dress, but I didn't know what people normally wear to dress rehearsals. It sounds as though you are saying there's a mixture there too ? Including evening dress ?
Having said I'd heard that the theatre is hot - I'd thought that Bayreuth would be hot too, was surprised to find that only 1 hotel has aircon; but then checked it on weatherbase & discovered the average max for July is only 23 ?! (Hardly warmer than Scotland - at its best ) It's also supposed to be the rainiest month. How have you found it then, hsv ? We most often go on holiday to Italy, so 23 doesn't seem hot. Does it rain frequently enough to make it worth taking big brollies to the theatre with us ? And what about taxis back ?
Very grateful for any more info !
yk, I did indeed read your trip report - it was about the only info here ! Of course, I forgot to mention we will no doubt also visit the Margravial Opera House. I will indeed post a trip report afterwards & hope I can add to the sum of knowledge here. Shame we'll miss the Spargl season (we were in Berlin for it a few years ago - but didn't come across a spirit or chocolates !). Have you started applying for festival tickets ? I believe the average wait is something like 10 years, coming down to 5-7 if you are a member of a Wagner society.
Ingo & quokka, from the info I've got from the tourist office website it looks as the the New Palace and Eremitage are the same place, are they ?
I have heard the theatre is very uncomfortable - hot and hard seats - but didn't know about the lack of backrests...
Oh well, 'Rheingold' is relatively short and if my back is troubling me I could leave DH to it and stick with the beer & sausages after the first interval in 'Tristan' hsv, great to hear from a trusted regular who's done the festival ! I especially appreciate the excellent recommendations for eating & drinking, particularly the interval recs. DH has been in & out of Wagner societies over the years but never stuck at it; but now intends to rejoin the Scottish one and start waiting for 'proper' tickets. But he's absolutely thrilled that in the meantime we got the chance to buy these dress rehearsal tickers (donated by Scottish regular members of the chorus) at a charity auction.
I'd always understood that evening dress is de rigueur for actual performances but it sounds from what you say as if not everyone wears it ? If we were going to actual performances we would want to wear evening dress, but I didn't know what people normally wear to dress rehearsals. It sounds as though you are saying there's a mixture there too ? Including evening dress ?
Having said I'd heard that the theatre is hot - I'd thought that Bayreuth would be hot too, was surprised to find that only 1 hotel has aircon; but then checked it on weatherbase & discovered the average max for July is only 23 ?! (Hardly warmer than Scotland - at its best
) It's also supposed to be the rainiest month. How have you found it then, hsv ? We most often go on holiday to Italy, so 23 doesn't seem hot. Does it rain frequently enough to make it worth taking big brollies to the theatre with us ? And what about taxis back ?Very grateful for any more info !
May 21st, 2009, 05:18 AM
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Yep, it is the same place. ;-)
Summer can be hot and humid, but sometimes you get quite the opposite. 23° C is the average - can be much hotter, though.
Be prepared that RHEINGOLD, since it has no intermission, can *feel* longer than TRISTAN.
The International Association of the Richard Wagner Societies has just held their annual congress in my city (Dresden). I didn't even know about it until it was over and I read a short article in the newspaper. HA!
Just had a look at the cast. It's la-la for TRISTAN. Had a better Kurwenal a few weeks ago in Dresden. Peter Schneider is a reliable conductor, you're in good hands with him. The RHEINGOLD cast is better IMO. And Thielemann conducting ... wow, now I *am* getting jealous. LOL
Summer can be hot and humid, but sometimes you get quite the opposite. 23° C is the average - can be much hotter, though.
Be prepared that RHEINGOLD, since it has no intermission, can *feel* longer than TRISTAN.
The International Association of the Richard Wagner Societies has just held their annual congress in my city (Dresden). I didn't even know about it until it was over and I read a short article in the newspaper. HA!
Just had a look at the cast. It's la-la for TRISTAN. Had a better Kurwenal a few weeks ago in Dresden. Peter Schneider is a reliable conductor, you're in good hands with him. The RHEINGOLD cast is better IMO. And Thielemann conducting ... wow, now I *am* getting jealous. LOL
May 21st, 2009, 06:56 AM
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Thanks again Ingo.
I have seen several complete Rings (most recently the Mariinsky one in Cardiff in late 2006) so 'Rheingold' holds no terrors for me Mind you, I suppose the WMC has much comfier seats !
I have seen several complete Rings (most recently the Mariinsky one in Cardiff in late 2006) so 'Rheingold' holds no terrors for me
Mind you, I suppose the WMC has much comfier seats !
Aug 4th, 2009, 10:27 AM
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Caroline, glad to hear that you have the tickets you so wanted. May I suggest a book? THE WAGNER CLAN, The Saga of Germany’s Most Illustrious and Infamous Family by Jonathan Carr. The family (in-laws and out-laws) have jealously guarded the master’s legacy down to the present day. Their intrigues and squabbles continue. As you know, the festival was a favorite of the Fuhrer whose military entourage barely endured the arias.
Have no idea what the appropriate dress code is at Bayreuth. But I recall passing through Salzburg late one Saturday afternoon in August. We were looking a bit worn after traveling all day. We observed those gathering to attend the Salzburg Festival who were among the most stunning, not to say wealthy looking, folks I ever saw. Coiffeured, bejeweled, many with fur wraps – it was a bit chilly, I guess. My travel companions and I withdrew to the sidelines to watch them pass.
Enjoy Bayreuth!
Have no idea what the appropriate dress code is at Bayreuth. But I recall passing through Salzburg late one Saturday afternoon in August. We were looking a bit worn after traveling all day. We observed those gathering to attend the Salzburg Festival who were among the most stunning, not to say wealthy looking, folks I ever saw. Coiffeured, bejeweled, many with fur wraps – it was a bit chilly, I guess. My travel companions and I withdrew to the sidelines to watch them pass.
Enjoy Bayreuth!
Aug 5th, 2009, 04:20 AM
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Hi guys. It was great, thanks ! (We were there 15th-19th July.) I should do a short trip report - but I'll just say here that attending dress rehearsals seemed just like the 'real thing' except people didn't wear evening dress, the sit-down restaurant wasn't open and there were no curtain calls.
latedaytraveller, thanks for the tip - it's my husband who's the real music fan and I've an idea he has that book, but I'll check in case he hasn't.
latedaytraveller, thanks for the tip - it's my husband who's the real music fan and I've an idea he has that book, but I'll check in case he hasn't.
