Grand Ducal Palace

The Grand Ducal Palace began in the 1570s as the city hall, its facade worked in a Flemish Renaissance manner with pinnacles and decorated stonework, and it became the sovereign's residence in the nineteenth century. It is still used for that purpose and for state functions, so it opens to visitors only for a few weeks in summer, on guided tours through the state rooms. A guard stands at the door year round. It lies within the inscribed old quarters.

What you actually see

• The Renaissance facade - the decorated sixteenth-century front on the street.
• The state rooms - the interiors shown on the summer guided visits.
• The guard - the sentry on the door through the year.
• The old town setting - the palace in the middle of the inscribed quarter.

When to go

Guided visits run only from mid-July to early September and must be booked. The facade can be seen year round. Tickets sell out.

Honest expectations

Interior access is limited to a few weeks a year and tickets go quickly. Outside that window only the outside can be seen. Photography inside is not permitted.

Nearby

Notre-Dame Cathedral is south, and the Chemin de la Corniche is east.