Schloßmuseum (Castle Museum)

Weimar sometimes appears to be one big celebration of Goethe, but in the art collection of the Schloßmuseum (Palace Museum), Goethe for once has to take a backseat. True, Goethe played a major role in arranging the construction of the Neoclassical palace to replace the one that had burnt down; he also played a major role in expanding the art collection itself. However, here, Goethe is banished to a single corner room on the upper floors of the gallery.

A highlight of the gallery is the Cranach collection, which includes a famous and often copied painting depicting Martin Luther disguised as the monk Junker Jörg in the Wartburg. (Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) spent the last year of his life in Weimar, in the lovely Renaissance Cranachhaus on the Market Square.) The collection, which is spread over three floors, also includes works by Dürer, Bruyn, and Grien. Works range from a Carolingian ivory book cover to paintings by German Impressionists and Expressionists of the early 20th century. The museum lost valuable pieces during the Nazi era when some of the art was declared degenerate. A painting by Bauhaus artist Lyonel Feininger recently returned to the collection.

In the corner section of the second floor are four rooms dedicated to the four great German classicist writers: Wieland, Goethe, Schiller, and Herder. In these rooms, famous scenes from their works are illustrated. Also on the second floor are the ceremonial reception rooms of the former dukes. (In typical German museum style, the door leading from this room to the ceremonial staircase is unmarked and closed, but not locked. Special Germany sightseeing tip: turn every doorknob - the worst that can happen is being asked not to enter.)

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, April to October from 9am to 6pm, November to March from 9am to 4pm. Admission is €4,50. Great audio guides, using nifty MP3 players, are available for €1 and a photo ID.

Near the Schloßmuseum, on Herderplatz, is the triple-nave Stadtkirche (City Church), where Herder and Luther preached. Bach and Liszt played the organ. Parts of the church date back to the 15th century, but most visible parts are Baroque. The high, steep roof is particularly impressive. Inside the church is a splendid Cranach triptych. Lucas Cranach the Elder designed it, but it was completed after his death by his son Lucas Cranach the Younger. It features a crucifixion with scenes from the Bible and the Reformation. Both Luther and Cranach are depicted. The church is also commonly known as the Herderkirche - a large statue of Johann Gottfried Herder is on the square in front of the building. The church is open Monday to Saturday, from April to October from 10am to noon and 2pm to 4pm, and from November to March from 11 to noon and 2pm to 3pm.