Eremitage

About the museum

The origins of the Eremitage date back to the 17th century: in 1666 Margrave Christian Ernst had a game park laid out on a wooded site above the Roter Main river east of Bayreuth. From 1715 Margrave Georg Wilhelm built a palace there as the setting for a courtly hermit play – at times the court lived according to the rules of a hermit order, in cowls and sparse cells.

In 1735 Margrave Friedrich gave the complex to his wife Wilhelmine, the sister of Frederick the Great, as a birthday present. She had the small palace extended and lavishly furnished, including a Japanese Cabinet, a Music Room and the Chinese Mirror Cabinet. The building later became known as the Altes Schloss (Old Palace).

Around 1750 the Neues Schloss (New Palace) was built to the west, an unusual piece of garden architecture with the Sonnentempel (Temple of the Sun) at its center and semicircular arcade wings studded with colored glass paste and rock crystals. The complex celebrates Margrave Friedrich as the sun god Apollo. Wilhelmine also expanded the park with garden areas, grottoes, fountains and ornamental buildings.

In World War II a bomb hit destroyed the interior of the New Palace; today its rooms are used for events and a café. The Old Palace with Wilhelmine's apartments can be visited on guided tours in the summer half of the year, and the court garden is freely accessible all year. The complex is managed by the Bavarian Palace Administration (Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung).

Highlights

• Chinese Mirror Cabinet and Japanese Cabinet in the Old Palace
• Margravine Wilhelmine's apartment in the ladies' wing
• Temple of the Sun decorated with glass paste and rock crystal
• Fountain displays at the Upper and Lower Grottoes and the Great Basin
• Expansive court garden above the Roter Main

Permanent exhibitions

• Altes Schloss Eremitage – Guided tour through the grotto, hermit cells, Marble Hall and the apartments of the margrave and margravine with their Rococo cabinets.

Operated by

Bayerische Verwaltung der staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten und Seen (Schloss- und Gartenverwaltung Bayreuth-Eremitage)

Admission & discounts

2026 admission for the Old Palace; the court garden is free. Tickets only at the on-site ticket desk. Annual and multi-day passes of the Bavarian Palace Administration are valid.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: not available
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: not available

Wheelchair entrance at the side of the Old Palace via several ramps (opened by staff, intercom); inside the palace, thresholds of 3–5 cm and doors at least 80 cm wide. The grotto fountains can only be reached via steps but are visible through windows from the inner courtyard. Accessible restroom at the back of the New Palace, three accessible parking spaces in the visitor parking lot. Park paths mostly gravel, with inclines in outlying areas. No tactile guidance system, no induction loop.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Bookable themed tours for daycare centers, schools and groups (75–90 min., e.g. on the fountains, the park and the Old Palace); themed tours and activities for families in the program of the Bayreuth Palace Administration, which also offers explorer and rally sheets for its palaces and gardens.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available

“Orangerie Schlosscafé & Events” in the New Palace (closed Mondays, step-free access via ramps).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 30 guests.

The Temple of the Sun is available for small concerts, readings, exhibitions as well as civil and celebrant-led wedding ceremonies for up to 30 people; rentals through the Bavarian Palace Administration.

Plan your visit