Germany 02: Bayreuth and Bamberg

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

It was a struggle to wake up so early this morning when, at 05:00, my alarm sounded. I was visiting two different cities today in a whirlwind of travel, so I needed to get an early start to the day. My train to Bayreuth departed at 06:22 and, after changing trains in Nuremburg, I arrived in Bayreuth at half past eight. The first thing I did upon arriving was to buy a train ticket to my next destination, Bamberg, because I was unable to buy it in advance for some unknown reason.

While I was on the train to Bayreuth I had purchased a one-day bus ticket for the city, which I needed in order to fully see the sights in the area. I hopped onto a bus to head to the outskirts of town, where the Ermitage Palace was located. The Ermitage contains both an old and new palace, which were built in the 1700s by the ruling margraves of Bayreuth. Margravine Wilhelmine is the one who most contributed to the development of the two small palaces.

The Ermitage was located a short walk from the bus station, allowing me to walk through the grounds of the palace. The small new palace wasn’t open when I arrived, but the primary draw of the building in the exterior. It is a semi-circular building with gardens and a fountain stretching out from in front. The building appears to be colorfully painted from far away, but upon getting closer I discovered that the walls and pillar of the exterior were entirely covered by colorful stones! I have never seen such a uniquely decorated building like this before and I was stunned by its beauty. I walked over to the old palace, which was a very simple building that was otherwise unremarkable. While I was unable to enter either palace, the visit was well worth the effort to get out there from the city center.

I soon took a bus into the town center of Bayreuth itself, which is a quaint Bavarian town. I walked over to the Neues Schloss Bayreuth, which is located in the heart of town. The palace was built in the mid-1700s by the same margrave and margravine who had constructed the Ermitage. I was surprised by how grand the palace was, especially considering how modest the Ermitage was by comparison. The palace is a sprawling complex with a massive public square in the front. Happily it was open to visitors, so I purchased a ticket so I could tour the interior.

The state rooms of the palace were remarkable and could easily have been in the palaces of Vienna or St Petersburg. While touring the palace, I learned that the margrave’s wife, Margravine Wilhelmine, was the sister of Frederik the Great, which I found interesting. The rooms were all beautifully decorated, with large tapestries and paintings on every wall.

One of the most unique rooms was the so-called Cabinet of Fragmented Mirrors, in which dozens of small mirrors were embedded in the ceiling and incorporated into the paintings. There was even a depiction of Wilhelmine herself on the ceiling. I have seen mirrors used to great effect in decorating palaces and mosques over the years, but this was truly something unique and special. Adjacent to this room was the green salon with a golden ceiling. The contrast between the deep green wall coverings and the golden ceiling was eye-catching and made the room feel both grand and intimate at the same time.

Subsequent rooms continued to impress me as each one had its own unique color scheme and theme. The music room had portraits of famous musicians and composers scattered around the walls. Apparently Wilhelmine herself painted several of the pictures herself. I kept wondering how the margraves accumulated so much wealth to afford such a luxurious palace – margraves are not rulers that one typically hears about in history and thus palaces such as this seem to be fitting for kings or emperors. The power, wealth and influence of the margraves was on fully display in each room that I visited.

Towards the end of the palace tour I entered a room that made me gasp in awe. The “Palm Room” is long and narrow, and has carved gilt palm trees lining the walls on either side. The wood paneling, coupled with these intricately detailed palm trees, is intended to create the illusion of a palm grove. Mirrors alone one side of the room helped to make it feel larger in size as well. Even the parquet floor was phenomenal – I have never seen a similar room in all of the palaces that I have visited. The margraves were indeed quite wealthy to afford all of the luxuries of the palace.

I still had some time left to explore the rest of Bayreuth before my train to Bamberg departed, so I set off on a quick stroll through the town center. Bayreuth is a very pretty town, full of lovely buildings that one thinks of when they think of a stereotypical German town. I visited the Ehrenhof square, which was surrounded by the impressive Altes Schloss Bayreuth (the old residence of the margraves), which is now used as a governmental building. One quirky thing in the square was a large statue of a brontosaurus, which was both interesting and seemingly out of place in the historic town.

I walked past the old opera house, though I unfortunately did not have the time to tour the interior. I later viewed photos of the inside and deeply regretted not making the time to go inside – it looks incredible! My final stop in Bayreuth was at La-Spezia Platz, a large square at the rear of the Altes Schloss. There were several statues throughout the park, along with a small park area. A tiny stream ran separated the square from the road nearby, giving it some added peace.

I hopped on a bus nearby so I could head back to the train station, where I caught the train to Bamberg. The train departed at 13:00 and lasted on 30 minutes, giving me plenty of time in the afternoon to explore this new city!

Bamberg is yet another charming Bavarian town, full of unique charm and I took an instant liking to the town. The walk into town from the train station was pleasant and I had to cross over the Regnitz river. I walked through Maximiliansplatz, where a statue of King Maximilian stands. The city had quite a few interesting statues, including one of Neptune and another of a partial Roman centurion’s face (this is a modern sculpture).

I soon came to another bridge over part of the river and I could see the stunning Altes Rathaus standing along one side of the bridge. I was in awe when I beheld the building. Architecturally it is rather simple, but the walls of the building are painted in bright, vibrant colors. The figures in the paintings are Greco-Roman in style, reminding me of many ancient gods and deities. One window had a statue of a cherub perched atop it, which was interacting with a painted curtain, further enhancing the uniqueness of the artwork.

I crossed over the bridge and walked around to the other side of the Altes Rathaus to further marvel at its beauty. One side had a tall tower and gate leading onto another bridge. The tower had several sculptures and statues adorning it as well as a clock at the top. I was truly astonished by the Altes Rathaus – it would be impossible for anyone to view it and not be mesmerized.

My next destination was the Bamberg cathedral, which was located on a small hill nearby. This 13th-century church had two unique towers at the front which resembled something from a castle rather than church spires. Restoration work was being done on the towers and there was a small metal walkway erected between them at the top. I skipped going inside (for now) so I could make my way to the nearby palace before it closed for the day.

The Neue Residenz is another fabulous royal residence. This one was used by the prince-bishops of Bamberg, who were both the secular rulers of the region as well as the heads of the church until the early 19th century. I arrived late in the afternoon and the staff were very friendly, explaining the main rooms that I should visit in the palace. There are two main sections: the state rooms and the art galleries.

I walked up to the floor where the state rooms are located and began my self-guided tour. The very first room was the Imperial Hall, which was stunning in its beauty. The ceilings and walls were covered in paintings that flow into and with one another. The primary scene is of the Triumph of Wisdom, which is meant to represent good government by the price-bishops. This hall was grandiose and exuded wealth and power. The fireplace at the far end of the Imperial Hall had very detailed sculptures in white stone and the entire hall was illuminated by several elaborate chandeliers.

Every room in the palace was ornately decorated, from the vibrant wall coverings to the paintings hung on the walls to the intricately detailed ceilings. One room contained a wooden desk that belonged to one of the price-bishops, and it was also used by Emperor Napoleon I in 1806 to draft a letter to prepare his soldiers for war against Prussia! I love everything related to Napoleon, so this was a special treat for me to see in the palace.

As with many other palaces, each room had its own distinct color scheme. The red room was very lush and rich, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere. Next door was the green room, which had yellow accented panels along the walls and ceilings. I found this room to be my favorite because of the décor. The ceiling was particularly striking, with the white decorations on top of the yellow-painted ceiling, coupled with the master paintings.

There was not a vast number of rooms to see in the imperial state rooms and, unfortunately, another wing of state rooms was closed at the moment due to refurbishment work. I went back through the rooms and marveled one last time at the Imperial Hall before making my way to the exit. The palace itself is quite large and it was a pity that I could not tour more of the state rooms. Nevertheless, it was an amazing visit.

From outside the palace, I was able to get an incredible view of the cathedral. Behind the cathedral is an area known as the “Old Court” – a series of buildings that dates back to the 11th century which houses a history museum. I didn’t have time to go inside the museum itself, but I wandered around the main courtyard outside so I could admire the centuries-old buildings, which had been meticulously maintained.

I began to head towards the cathedral, which provided me with a view of the entire palace behind me. As with the palace in Bayreuth, I was struck by grand scale of the building and was amazed that the price-bishops of this small region could afford such luxury. Again, I had only associated such grandeur with kings, queens, emperors, etc.

The interior of the cathedral was, unfortunately, a bit of a letdown. It was nowhere near as interesting as the exterior, with just simple stone walls and archways. I couldn’t walk around very much though due to the refurbishment work, so perhaps I was just unable to see the best aspects of the inside. I then had to begin heading back towards the train station. Along the way, I stopped one final time to gawk at the Altes Rathaus and the views over the river.

My train departed at 19:17 and, after changing trains again in Nuremburg, I arrived into Regensburg at quarter-past nine. I grabbed a quick bite to eat at the train station before walking back to my hotel for the night. Both Bayreuth and Bamberg had been exquisite cities that were well-worth visiting. It had been a very long day and, even though I was exhausted, I was exceedingly glad that I had visited both places. They had set the bar very high and I hoped the next towns on my tour would be just as amazing.