Hermitage Bayreuth

The Hermitage is a historical park at the gates of Bayreuth. With its many hidden corners, fountains and interesting building elements, it attracts numerous visitors. During a guided tour of the Old Palace you can visit the magnificent rooms from the time of Margravine Wilhelmine. The west wing is used for art exhibitions during the summer months, the old ruin theatre for performances.

One highlight is the annual hermitage summer night party, which is considered one of the most beautiful and romantic summer festivals of all time.

The former forest area near Bayreuth, where the Hermitage is located, came into the possession of the margrave as early as 1616. 50 years later, Christian Ernst had a zoo and a "grotto and well house" built there.

Hermit game

The forest area is very remote and surrounded by the Red Main from three sides. For this reason, Margrave Georg Wilhelm chose it as the setting for his hermit game, a pretend hermitage, and initiated the construction of the Old Palace in 1715. There, and in individual hermit cottages lying deeper in the forest, the margrave's court imitated the simple life of a hermits' order with the margrave as its head. Instead of exquisite meals, simple home-made dishes on earthen plates were served here and eaten with wooden spoons. The court, accustomed to luxury, wore monk's robes during the hermit play and slept in small, unadorned cells.

Margravine Wilhelmine

In 1735 his successor, Margrave Friedrich, gave the entire Hermitage to his wife Wilhelmine. She added additional geometric garden sections with tree-lined walkways and water features to the unique garden created by Margrave Georg Wilhelm. Although there are many Baroque elements in the garden, the complex cannot be described as a true Baroque garden due to the absence of a main axis and individual garden sections.

Wilhelmine also had the Old Palace, which she used as a summer residence from then on, extended by a magrave and a margravine wing. With the Chinese Mirror Cabinet, where she later wrote her memoirs, the Japanese Cabinet, the Inner Grotto and the precious room decorations, she created a real gem.

The New Palace

A little later the construction of the New Palace began to the west of the old one. It is often referred to as the Sun Temple and not to be confused with the New Palace in the centre of Bayreuth.

Situated in the side wings, is the orangery of the Hermitage. The building of which was followed by the Upper and Lower Grotto, the "Ruined Theatre", the Margrave's Hermitage and other small architectural works of art.

At the end of the 18th century the park was partly landscaped and even used for agriculture. Later, lost parts were restored.

By car:

You can reach Bayreuth via the A9 to Munich-Berlin and the A70 to Bayreuth-Schweinfurt, as well as over the federal highways B2, B22 and B85. The Hermitage is located on the eastern outskirts of the city.

By public transport:

From Bayreuth main station: Bus 303 to bus stop "Ochsenhut".

From the central bus stop Bayreuth (ZOH):

Bus 302 to bus stop "Eremitage".