Palais Altenstein, Rococo city palace in the Baroque quarter, Fulda, Germany

Palais Altenstein is a two-storey Baroque town palace at the corner of Schlossstraße and Nonnengasse in Fulda, built on a rectangular plan with a mansard hipped roof and two gabled entrance portals with external steps. Its first-floor Rococo hall, stuccoed by Johann Michael Hoys in 1774, has ceiling cartouches showing allegories of the four seasons.

The building was constructed between 1701 and 1704 as a testament to early Baroque building culture in Fulda. After Baron Christian Adam Ludwig Stein zu Altenstein purchased it in 1750, he commissioned comprehensive renovations in the Rococo style.

The palace is named after Christian Adam Ludwig Freiherr Stein zu Altenstein, court marshal of Fulda, who acquired it in 1750. In the 19th and 20th centuries it housed the Fulda Reading Society's library, founded by Clemens Wenzeslaus Coudray, which held reading, lecture and discussion evenings there. The Rococo hall still hosts civic receptions and concerts.

The building now functions as an administrative center and houses the city registry office, making it easily recognizable in the downtown area. Visitors should note that access is limited to certain areas, so it is advisable to check specific opening times beforehand.

In 1961, two window sections on the castle-facing side were removed to make room for a bus station. This urban planning decision left visible marks on the palace's facade that remain apparent today.