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Wagner in a different form: a bust made of marzipan
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Is there Life in Bayreuth after Wagner?
During the Richard Wagner Festival you only meet two kinds of people in Bayreuth: those who are here because they live here and those who have come here because they're Wagner fanatics. But what about the rest of the year when the opera fans from around the world have gone back home?
Research on the Plate
The best way to get to know the natives of Bayreuth is to eat and drink where they do. You can easily make a culinary tour of the city on foot. Gourmets and connoisseurs might want to start at the 'Operncafe', stop by the 'Weihenstephan', and end the evening in the 'Goldener Hirsch'. Fans of beer gardens can down a few cold ones and listen to the beats at the 'Jazzkeller'. Or how about popping by 'Miamiam Glouglou' for a French aperitif before diving into the pasta at 'Noodles' and ending the night at 'Oskar'? The morning after, both the gourmet and the pub-crawler can meet up at the 'Parsifal' drug store and find an antidote to the common hangover.
Franconian Festivals
Bayreuth is a university town. But after classes there isn't much to keep the students on campus. Exploring downtown is much more exciting than talking to yourself in an empty lecture hall.But twice a year "the landing pad" on campus is the hub of activity. The university's Open Air Festival and the Tent Festival give students a reason to stay on campus outside of class hours. These festivals even draw the natives of Bayreuth to the university grounds. And that's no small feat: native Bayreuthers have a reputation for being rather standoffish when it comes to outside ideas.
But over the years the students and their laid-back lifestyles have helped loosen up the Franconians, who have a reputation for being somewhat stubborn. Students and native Bayreuthers can often be found dancing together - be it to music from local bands playing during the campus festivals or to the funky beats at the downtown Jazz Festival. And if that doesn't break the ice, there's always the White Beer Festival or the Bürgerfest to launch a new friendship.
Excursions and Relaxation
To recover from all the festivals you can take a dip in one of many thermal springs in the area or go hiking in the forests and hills nearby: the Fränkische Schweiz or the Fichtelgebirge. The immediate area surrounding the campus also offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature.
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