Weimar's city palace anchors the eastern edge of the Altstadt, overlooking the Ilm river and the park below. The current building dates mostly from the early nineteenth-century reconstruction, but its tower — the Schlossturm — is older and offers views over the town's rooftops. Inside, the palace houses the art collection of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, with works by Cranach the Elder, Durer, and Caspar David Friedrich.
The state rooms on the upper floors are the highlight: the Festsaal, the poets' rooms dedicated to Goethe, Schiller, Herder, and Wieland, each decorated to reflect the writer's character. The palace is part of the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble, and visiting it alongside the nearby Herderkirche and library makes for a natural morning circuit.