Visit Potsdam

Palaces and Gardens

Potsdam is the town where palaces and gardens never end!!! Stay one day or more here and enjoy every bit of the culture and architecture of the city.

• Sanssouci Palace (Altes Schloss) The palace was used by Frederick the Great as summer residence. It was the place where the king enjoyed his privacy without having to worry about anything (ohne Sorgen). The palace was constructed based on the king's ideas and it was completed in 1747 by Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff.
• Neues Palais Sanssouci Frederick the Great had this palace built from 1763-69. It's the most impressive palace among all palaces in Potsdam. The most legendary chamber is the famous Grotto Hall. Don't leave Potsdam without visiting it. It's really worth every second!!!
• Chinesisches Haus The place where Frederick the Great used to enjoy his tea reveals without doubt the preference of that time for Chinoiserie.
  
• Picture Gallery This building is just near the Sanssoucci Palace and houses paintings made by Rubens, van Dyk,Carravagio and other important painters.
• New Chambers Frederick the Great used this part of the palace as a guest house.
• Orangery Palace This palace was built from 1851-64 . To be seen is certainly the Raphael Hall which houses copies of the artist's work. Note that it is closed every Monday from May to October.
• Schloss Cecilienhof This palace is one of the most interesting and important sites in Potsdam. It's the place where the Potsdam Conference (1945), one of the most important conferences during the Second World War took place.
• To learn more about the palaces in Potsdam and access details, download this file.
• You can also download this free official guide of Potsdam which offers a detailed description of the sites, palaces, public transport, passes, hotels and restaurants in Potsdam.
• Important tourist information can also be found here.

The centre of Potsdam


Visiting Potsdam doesn't only mean seeing palaces and admiring the magnificent gardens. The centre of the city is really very interesting so don't leave the town without visiting it.These are the most interesting sites:

• Dutch Quarter (Hollandisches Viertel) - This quarter was bult from 1734-42 for Dutch workers who were brought here by the king Friedrich Wilhelm I. There are about 150 houses all built in a dutch architecture style according to the plans of Johann Boumann. Many beautiful cafes, restaurants and small shops can be found here.
• Russian Colony Alexandrowka (Russische Kolonie Alexandrowka) - Located in the north part of the town was created in 1826-27 upon the request of Frederick Wilhelm III in memory of his deceased friend Czar Alexander I. The village consists of 12 yards, one warden's house at the point of intersection, a royal mansion, and a Russian Orthodox chapel (1829) on the neighbouring Kapellenberg hill in the north. For further information see the official site.
• Nauener Tor - The Nauen Gate Located just near the Dutch Quarter is certainly one of the most characteristic parts of the city.
• Brandenburger Tor - Did you know that a Brandenburg gate cannot be seen only in Berlin but also in Potsdam? Yes, it's true.The Brandenburger Tor is situated at the western end of the Brandenburger Straße, which lies in a straight line from the Church of St. Peter and Paul at the opposite end.
• Stadtkanal - The City Canal was recontructed in 2001. It is 120 m long and is situated in York street. This canal was once 1,9 km long but was filled in from 1962-65.

If you are going to stay in Potsdam for more than a day, visit this website for a more detailed description of the town and its beauties.

Tip: Potsdam is easily reached in about 30 minutes from Berlin using the S-Bahn.

You may as well want to see our Berlin article collection.