Photo courtesy of Bayreuth Tourist Information.
The timing was serendipitous for my recent visit to Bayreuth, a city known for it culture, palaces and beer. A week earlier the Margravial Opera House became Germany’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site. While opera is not really my thing, I’m a sucker for all things UNESCO, especially architecture. The Margravial Opera House delivered on both accounts:
The exterior of the Opera House is nice, but nothing special. This was done intentionally by the Italian architect Guiseppe Galli Bibiena. He set guest’s expectations low, then wowed them with the interior of the opera house.
And wow it did. The opera house was built between 1746-1750 and constructed entirely of wood. Miraculously it has survived over 250 years of potential fires earning it the distinction of being the most beautifully preserved Baroque Opera House in all of Europe!
The showpiece of the opera house is the hand painted roof which never in a million years would I think was constructed of wood.
The devil is really in the details, of which there are so many intricate carvings, all done miraculously in wood.
Not everyone is a fan of the Margravial Opera House though, Bayreuth resident, Richard Wagner, a famous composer thought it was too showy and that the acoustics weren’t very good. This was in sharp contrast to the understated Bayreuth Festspielhaus that he built that is still renowned for its acoustics and home to the annual Richard Wagner Festival.
Even the stage curtains are made of wood. Originally there were made of blue velvet and gold. But, thhey were so beautiful that they caught Napolean’s eye and he took them for a present for his father-in-law in Vienna – where they were sadly destroyed by fire. The irony being if he would have just left them there, they wouldn’t have been destroyed.
I would highly recommend a visit to the Margravial Opera House, even if you’re not a fan of opera -the architecture is incredible! But you have to hurry. The Opera house will be undergoing an estimated five year renovation beginning in October 2012. As of July, it had been unknown whether any part of the opera house would be open for tours.
Know Before You Go to the Margravial Opera House:
- The Opera house is open from 9:00-6:00 every day from April to September and from 10:00-4:00 from October to March.
- German tours run every 45 minutes. The English tour is every day at 1:30. Tours in other languages are available with advance notice.
- The tour costs €5.50 for adults, and is free for children under 18.This photo has been submitted to Nancie’s Budget Travelers Sandbox where you can see more travel photos.
Thank you to the Bayreuth Tourist Office for hosting me. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
Loved learning about this place. Like you, I am not in to opera but I love buildings with such a history!
Jackie Smith @travelnwrite recently posted..TPThursday: Do you ‘Capture the Colours’ or Clichés?
Lovely photos of a beautiful building. I love the new banner, too!
I would love this place too! Wow, wow, wow! What a beautiful interior.
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted..Munich – My Olympic Adventure
Holy ornateness! I can’t even imagine how long it would take to build such a place. The ceiling has a major WOW factor.
Leigh recently posted..Hiking the Spectacular Iceline Trail near Field, BC
It’s a pretty amazing place and the intricate details are great for macro shots! I would love to see an opera there.. although maybe not Wagner with its several-hour long operas
Zhu recently posted..NYC’s Little Italy and Chinatown
Wow, entirely of wood? Amazing! I’ll definitely have to add this to my list. I love Heritage places. Thanks for sharing this one with us.
InsideJourneys recently posted..New York City: Library Way
It’s very beautiful and ornate. Interesting that an Opera house made it as a UNESCO heritage site. Not something you probably see much and something that probably only happens in Europe.
Jeremy Branham recently posted..How you can help raise money for Passports with #Purpose with #ExpediaFindYours
That is so over the top. I love it:)
Italian Notes recently posted..The wine museum in Barolo
I like that the architect designed the exterior to set the expectations of the guests low. Sure enough, once inside they’d be totally dazzled. I’m dazzled just looking at your great photos.
Cathy Sweeney recently posted..Wyoming Roundup
What a masterpiece! I had no idea that such a beautiful building existed. Your first photo stopped me mid sentence!! It’s great news that UNESCO have registered it as a world heritage sight. It will be interesting for you to see it after the restoration.
jenny@atasteoftravel recently posted..What to do in New York
What a fascinating place you’ve stumbled upon my friend. I can’t get over the ornate interiors and stunning architecture!!! what magnificent details! Thanks for the brilliant introduction and the spectacular photos!!!
Jeff Titelius recently posted..Capturing the Colors of Europe from Amsterdam to Venice
Thanks for your comments everyone. Great to see so much enthusiasm for an opera house. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re ever in Bavaria. It’s definitely the most ornate opera house I’ve ever seen!
Wow! I can’t believe it’s made all out of wood and lasted this long. So cool! When I visited a huge wooden church in Honfleur, France, I was so in awe because you could really feel taking a step back in time.
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