Bayreuth's Margravial Opera House is the sort of building that makes you wonder how a small provincial court could afford it. It was built between 1745 and 1750 for Margrave Frederick of Brandenburg-Bayreuth and his wife, Wilhelmine, the sister of Frederick the Great, who was a composer, writer and patron and the driving force behind the court's cultural life. The interior, designed by the Italian theatre architect Giuseppe Galli Bibiena and his son Carlo, is a Baroque jewel box of carved and painted wood, with gold and blue tiers, a royal box like a throne and a stage deep enough for elaborate scenery.
It is one of the best-preserved Baroque theatres in Europe, and UNESCO listed it in 2012. Because the interior is made of wood and canvas, with no stone or brick, it is acoustically warm and visually fragile, and the guided tours are timed to protect it. Richard Wagner is said to have been drawn to Bayreuth by the size of this stage, but found the interior too ornate, so he built his own festival theatre on the hill outside town, which is still the home of the summer Wagner festival.
Bayreuth lies in Upper Franconia, on the edge of the Franconian Switzerland, a region of limestone cliffs, caves and small valleys. Riding from the Fichtel Mountains or the Franconian Forest brings long, easy bends, forest, good surface and light traffic, with villages of half-timbered houses and old breweries. Franconia has more breweries per head than almost anywhere in the world, and the local beer is a natural reward at the end of a ride.
The city has over seventy thousand people, so fuel, food and parking are not a problem, though the old town has narrow streets and a pedestrian zone, so use a car park and walk. The local food includes pork roasts, dumplings and the bratwurst of Franconia.
The ride pairs this theatre with Bad Kissingen, the grand spa town to the north-west. In July and August the Wagner festival fills the town, so book ahead if you plan to stay.