Attraction · Bayreuth · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth

Margravial Opera House is an attraction in Bayreuth, Bavaria. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. 11 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 510 m you'll find a bench, a public toilet, a water point and a bike pump.

Directions in Google Maps

Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth, photo 2

Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth, photo 3

The story

Wikipedia ↗Official website ↗

Audio tour · Margravial Opera House

2:22

You're standing at the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth, one of the few theatres from the eighteenth century in Europe that have survived. Start with the façade. It's sandstone, with large Corinthian columns, and it was designed to blend in with the buildings around it. A balustrade runs along the whole front, topped with statues of Minerva, Apollo and six Muses. Notice how the street widens right here? That was so carriages could pull up at the door.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Opening hours: Apr-Sep Mo-Su 09:00-18:00; Oct-Mar Mo-Su 10:00-16:00; Dec 24-25,Dec 31,Jan 01: off
Admission: Paid
Wheelchair: Partly accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

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Photo: Chianti · Wikimedia Commons · FALView the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth: an 18th-century theatre

The Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth is one of the few theatres from the eighteenth century in Europe to have survived. The building is a UNESCO-werelderfgoed site. Princess Wilhelmina van Pruisen was central to its history, as she wrote music, directed productions and performed on stage herself. Later, Richard Wagner drew on ideas from this theatre for his own festival house. You will find the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth on Opernstraße. The Schlosskirche, the Altes Schloss and the Urwelt-Museum are all close by.

The history of the Margravial Opera House

The Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth is one of the few eighteenth-century theatres in Europe to have survived intact. It was designed by Joseph Saint-Pierre, and Wilhelmina was the driving force behind its construction. The opera house opened during the marriage of her daughter Elisabeth to Karel Eugenius van Württemberg, with Ezio by Johann Adolf Hasse conducted by the composer himself. After Wilhelmina died in 1758, performances stopped. Because the building was no longer in use, it was kept in good condition. In 1812, the troops of Napoleon took the curtain from the princely box with them. The building has been a UNESCO site since 2012. After a major renovation, the theatre reopened on 12 April 2018.

Tickets and accessibility at the Margravial Opera House

You pay for entry to the building. Information about tickets for the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth is available on the official website, bayreuth-wilhelmine.de/deutsch/opernh/index.htm. The theatre is partly accessible by wheelchair, and there is a toilet inside that is suitable for wheelchair users. You can come here to visit this historic building in Bayreuth. The website gives details of the different ways to access it, so use this information to plan your visit to the theatre properly.

Benches, drinking water and toilets near the Margravial Opera House

There are plenty of benches near the Margravial Opera House. The nearest bench is 57 metres away, at Opernplatz, and there are 112 benches within 500 metres. A toilet that is accessible for wheelchairs is 71 metres away, also at Opernplatz, and there are 13 public toilets within 500 metres. For drinking water, head to Luitpoldplatz. This water point, 293 metres away, is also suitable for wheelchairs, and there are 3 drinking water points within 500 metres. A free bike pump stands 508 metres away.

Walks and sights around the Margravial Opera House

Several other places to visit are close to the theatre. The Schlosskirche is 92 metres away, and the Altes Schloss is 161 metres away. A little further on, you will find the Urwelt-Museum at 173 metres and the Kunstmuseum at 295 metres. At 440 metres, you can visit the Richard-Wagner-Museum, where an audio story is available. In the Outdoor Pitstop app, you can also listen to an audio story about the Markgräfliches Opernhaus on the spot. This story lasts 2 minutes.