Bayreuth’s Hermitage Old Palace exemplifies the traditional German royal hermitage of a private space where royalty could be themselves far from the pressures of public life. Though built in 1715 by the Margrave Georg Wilhelm, it took its current form under the close attention of his successor’s wife, Princess Wilhelmine. Imagine her intense creative energy as she molded the building to suit her tastes and needs, incorporating Eastern elements that were becoming popular in Europe.
Follow the tour through the different rooms she designed, such as the Music Room, where she wrote and performed some of her original compositions and arrangements. See the desk at which she penned her famous memoirs in the Chinese Mirror Cabinet and the delicate detailing she commissioned for the nearby Japanese Cabinet. Picture her attendants bustling from room to room in the relatively small space, her haven in an otherwise male-dominated world.
Go back outside and see how the palace presides over the extensive wooded park that surrounds it on all sides. Enjoy the unusual design of the garden, which is more segmented and intimate than the grand alleys made famous by the gardens at Versailles.
Climb to the top of the hill and look down at the water of the Roter Main flowing by, nourishing the grounds and the palace that sits on the wide green spaces.
The Hermitage Old Palace is located east of downtown Bayreuth, in a larger park complex. Take the bus or drive from the main train station to the entrance of the park in about 10 minutes. The Old Palace is about a 10-minute walk from the park entrance, where parking is available. Drive from Nuremberg in a little over an hour.
Access to the palace is available only on a German-language guided tour, though printed English materials are provided. Tours take place every 45 minutes. The palace itself is open to visitors daily during regular business hours, with slightly shorter hours at the end of the season. The palace closes its doors in winter.