Summer Festival Guide: Bayreuth

For fans of the operas by composer Richard Wagner, attending the annual Bayreuth Festival, in the southern town of Bayreuth, is the ultimate experience. (The Festival Hall itself was built following the composer's specifications, including an enormous orchestra pit to hold the large number of musicians required to play his operas.) The month-long extravaganza is often in the European press due to its avant-garde, oftentimes critically divisive, productions and leadership drama straight out of an opera libretto (it's currently run by the great-granddaughters of the composer).

But the festival also draws the opera world's most renowned artists, and past stars have included conductor Christian Thielemann and singers like Jonas Kaufmann, Johan Botha and Annete Dasch. Tickets are coveted commodities and sell out months in advance, especially to the premieres. Indagare member Christiane Deiters, a longtime opera lover and Bayreuth goer, shares her tips.

Getting To Bayreuth

• From Munich: 2 hour drive
• From Frankfurt: 2h40 min. drive
• From Prague: 2h45 min. driving time

Lay of the Land

Wagner's Festspielhaus (Festival Hall) is located on top of the so-called "grüner Hügel," the green hill, which rises above the town of Bayreuth. The hall was built following the composer's specifications, including an enormous orchestra pit to hold the large number of musicians required to play his operas. From town, it's a brisk, lovely 25-minute walk through a residential neighborhood and a beautiful park, though one can also take a taxi.

Food & Wine Favorites

For the (long) intermissions, make a reservations at the Steigenberger Hotel (Festspielhügel 1-2; 49-921-871-0550) right next to the theater. If you head to the Restaurant Buergerreuth (An der Bürgerreuth 20; 49-921-78400) after the show, there's a good chance you will encounter the singers there. The times this has happened, I always found theses incredible artists open to chatting about the show with their fellow diners. On the evenings when you are not attending a performance, make a reservation for a multi-course meal at the renowned Restaurant Alexander Herrmann (Marktpl. 11, 95339 Wirsberg; 49-9227-2080).

Must-Sees for a First-Time Visitor

Walk around the small town of Bayreuth and get a feeling for the destination. Visit the other opera house in town, the Markgräfliche Opernhaus (Opernstraße 14), a beautiful Baroque building that is a Unseco World Heritage site. Dating from 1748, it is often cited alongside the opera houses in Paris, Vienna and Venice from the same period. The Villa Wahnfried (Richard-Wagner-Straße 48) is exquisite. If you can understand German, sitting in on one of the introductory lectures hosted by Stefan Mickisch is incredibly insightful. I also love to explore the country side of Fichtelgebirge, with beautiful hikes and a lake (Fichtelsee) where you can swim.

Performance Insider Tips

The Festspielhaus is one of Europe's most traditional, old-fashioned performance spaces. The seats are wooden (read: uncomfortable) and the air conditioning never really seems to work. Always bring a bottle of water and a small pillow to make sitting through the long operas more comfortable. Also, perhaps due to the heat and the fact that every show is always sold out, I tend to feel a little claustrophobic when they close the doors to the hall, so I avoid looking back when they do this. I've also seen women bring small ice packs to cool their necks with.

This all sounds like torture but I promise that once the music begins, you will forget about all of these minor inconveniences. There are no better acoustics for Wagner music anywhere in the world, and the first notes that emerge from the orchestra pit, which is covered, are always otherworldly.

Also, get to know your neighbors. On many nights, you will be sitting next to the same people (especially if you have tickets to the Ring). I always enjoy saying hello and getting to hear their stories, what brought them to Bayreuth. They are always very particular types (read intense) of opera lovers and are interesting to meet.

Favorite Non-Opera Activities

During a day "off" from the opera, make a spa appointment at the Lohengrin Therme (www.lohengrin-therme.de), a large wellness center near town. Golfers should not miss a round at the Wagner Club, where you can listen to classical music or lectures about Wagner on the greens. Go hiking in the nearby Fichtelgebirge or just take a walk in Bayreuth's scenic Hofgarten and stop for a beer and sausage at one of the city's traditional beer gardens. But then, quickly back to the hotel to change and up the hill for the evening's performance.