Bayreuth - Kulmbach: Where the Red and White Main meet
For both of us this is a first visit to Bayreuth. We're not in a hurry so we spend some time looking at the town's sights.
Bayreuth's Golden Age was mid 18th-century during the reign of Wilhelmine, sister of King Frederick II of Prussia. Wilhelmine made Bayreuth one of the chief intellectual centers of the Holy Roman Empire, surrounding herself with a court of artists and intellectuals, enhanced by the occasional visit of Voltaire and Frederick the Great. At this time several parks and castles were built which constitute much of Bayreuth's present appearance.
We start off the day with a ride through Bayreuth's Hofgarten (Castle Park) behind the Neues Schloss.
Beautiful concert hall in the Markgräfliches Opernhaus (Margrave's Opera House), a Baroque opera house in Bayreuth, which has been extensively restored. It was built between 1744 and 1748.
The barn is abandoned and the platform for stork nests is also vacant. In other parts of Franconia we saw many storks and their nests, on this trip we saw none.
From the confluence we backtrack a few kilometers for a stop in Kulmbach. The Plassenburg, Kulmbach's landmark, is visible from the distance, high above the town. Unfortunately, it is covered with scaffolding and some less attractive modern buildings flanking the old town don't improve the view.
View of Kulmbach's Plassenburg as we enter the town; in the foreground is the new tourist information center
We spend the rest of the afternoon strolling through the town. Kulmbach is known for its beer and we look forward to a meal in a local brewery pub in the evening. Unfortunately, it is full and we have to look elsewhere.
