The palace lies southwest of the historic town centre of Rochlitz on a spur of the Rochlitzer Berg that descends gradually towards the east-northeast and is flanked by the Zwickau Mulde to the southeast and the Hellerbach stream to the northwest. The hill spur is divided into the Nosswitz castle hill in the west, which at sea level (NN) is noticeably higher and covers an area of about 300 metres by 60 metres, and the Rochlitz castle hill with the palace complex (about 90 × 30-40 m), separated by a late medieval neck ditch. The main palace is further separated by ditches from the western lower bailey (the so-called Unterschloss) and the eastern lower bailey (Vorburg) with St. Peter's Church and a total length of about 220 × 40 m.