How is weiss beer made differently from most German lagers?

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Six small glasses of craft beer in varying amber and golden hues are arranged on a metal tray atop a wooden bar counter in Brussels, Belgium. — Beer Glasses of beer in a bar in Brussels.

Weiss beer, or Weissbier, differs from most German lagers primarily in its ingredients and fermentation process. While all traditional German lagers are brewed using malted barley, weiss beer is made from malted wheat.1

Furthermore, the two styles utilize different fermentation methods:

Weiss Beer: This style uses top-fermentation yeast. It is often characterized as a highly effervescent, light-colored beverage.2
German Lagers: These are bottom-fermented beers. The brewing process for lagers typically involves slower fermentation and a period of maturation in cool temperatures.134

In contrast to the bottom-fermentation process that defines the lager category, the use of top-fermentation yeast in weiss beer aligns it more closely with the ale tradition.43