The Keraton Kasunanan is Solo's primary royal palace and one of the finest examples of Javanese court architecture in Java. The complex was built in the mid-18th century after the Mataram kingdom was divided, and it remains the formal seat of the Susuhunan — the Javanese king — though today the role is ceremonial.
The palace compound contains a series of pavilions and pendopo (open-sided halls), a museum with royal regalia and traditional weapons, and a garden of Dutch-era curiosities. Regular gamelan performances take place in the great pavilions, and you may see dancers practising the slow, refined movements of the court style. Dress modestly and behave respectfully — this is a living palace, not a ruin.