Dornburg Palaces Museum

The tour of the Dornburg Palaces Museum takes visitors through two buildings: the Rococo Palaces and the Renaissance Palaces. Visitors can also explore the neighbouring Bauhaus Workshop Museum.

Discover history

In the Rococo Palace, visitors can explore the two residential and state floors, where they can see, amongst other things, the ballroom decorated with stucco marble and the dining room featuring Baroque and Chinese porcelain. The tour also provides an insight into the palace’s use as a summer residence by the Grand Dukes of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

Among other things, the Renaissance Palace features the rooms where Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived for several months in 1828. The ‘Bergstube’ in particular, with its writing desk and the doodles he left behind on the window frames, holds a great deal of appeal. The Renaissance castle is currently closed to the public due to building works; it will be open to visitors again from 2028.

The former stables are situated opposite the Rococo palace. They house the Bauhaus Workshop Museum in Dornburg, which is run by the Bürgel Ceramics Museum. It displays the original workshop of the ceramics class at the Weimar Bauhaus, as well as ceramic works by Bauhaus artists.

The museum ticket office and shop are located in the Rococo Palace. Combined tickets for the guided tour, including admission to the Bauhaus Workshop Museum, can also be purchased there.

Exhibitions

Permanent exhibition

The museum tour currently begins at the Rococo Palace. If you have purchased a combined ticket that includes a visit to the Bauhaus Workshop Museum in the Marstall, you can reach it via the courtyard of honour at the Rococo Palace.

Special exhibitions

Special exhibitions are held in the attic of the Rococo Palace; occasionally, they are also incorporated into the guided tour. Photography exhibitions are regularly on display in the basement of the Rococo Palace.

As part of its exhibitions, the Thuringian Castles and Gardens Foundation collaborates with various partners, such as the Thuringian Association of Visual Artists (Verband Bildender Künstler Thüringen e.V.), Dornburger Impressionen e.V. and the Bürgel Ceramics Museum.

Information for travel providers

Perched on the edge of a rugged cliff high above the River Saale lies the imposing complex of the Dornburg Castles, which served as the summer residence of the Grand Dukes of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach until 1918. Their lovingly tended historic gardens, each in a different style, are linked by terraced paths offering fantastic views of the Saale Valley landscape. Even whilst strolling through the gardens, there are many details to discover, such as the pentagon jutting far into the valley and the romantic arbours. Rose lovers will find a wide variety of species among the more than 2,000 rose bushes.

A visit to the Dornburg Castles – for which you should allow two to three hours – can easily be combined with a visit to the nearby towns of Weimar and Jena, as well as the Saale-Unstrut region, home to Naumburg Cathedral and the wine-growing areas around Freyburg.

The museum season runs from April to October; the gardens are open all year round from 9 am until sunset. The roses are usually in full bloom in mid-June, but can be admired well into autumn. A lush variety of seasonal flowers and meticulous care make a visit to the gardens a delight throughout the season. Dornburg wine, grown on the steep slope, is available in the museum shop.

Well worth a visit