This small chapel in the historical cemetery on the Poseckschen Garten was built in 1860 as a funerary chapel for Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, who had married into the Saxe-Weimar dynasty in 1804. The onion dome and Byzantine-style interior are startlingly out of place in central Thuringia, which is precisely what makes it worth a detour.
Maria Pavlovna was instrumental in making Weimar a cultural centre during her decades as Grand Duchess. She patronised artists and musicians, and her Russian connections brought a cosmopolitan streak to the small court city. The chapel sits in a quiet, tree-shaded cemetery that few tourists find. It is usually locked, but the exterior and setting are the real draw.