The Potsdam Palaces
Without a doubt, the city of Potsdam is one of Germany’s most beautiful cities. With its variety of sights and location in an attractive cultural landscape, the city is ideal as a travel destination for those with diverse interests and expectations.
For more than three centuries, great building artists, architects and royal lords have created a total work of art – Potsdam. Take your time and let the impressive palaces with their palace gardens work their magic on you. The best known sight, of course is the Sanssouci Palace in Sanssouci Park, at one time the summer residence of Frederick the Great. There are other palaces and gardens to discover, historical city districts, the Krongut Bornstedt, the Volkspark (people’s park) with the biosphere hall and much more.
Sanssouci Park
- Sanssouci Palace: built between 1745 and 1747 by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, the summer residence of Frederick the Great
- Neue Kammern (new chambers): built according to the designs by George Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff as the Orangerie in 1747
- Chinese teahouse: built by Buering from 1754 to 1757, an important example of the Chinese style popular in Europe in the 18th century
- Picture gallery: built by Buering from 1755 to 1763, the first autonomous museum built on German soil
- Neues Palais (the new palace): built between 1763 and 1769, the largest structure in Sanssouci Park in the 18th century
- Historical windmill: built between 1787 and 1791 by van der Bosch, completely destroyed in 1945 and reconstructed in 1993
- Charlottenhof Palace: built between 1826 and 1829 by Schinkel for the crown prince and princess, Friedrich Wilhelm IV and Elisabeth; it is one of his main works
- Roman baths: erected between 1829 and 1840 by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Ludwig Persius
- Friedenskirche (Church of Peace): built between 1844 and 1854 by Persius, Stueler Hesse and von Arnim, the church premises follow the Italian example with Apsis mosaics and sepulchres
- Orangerie: built between 1851 and 1864 by Persius, Stueler, Hesse and von Arnim, it was the last building built in the park and is still used for winter storage for plants
- Botanical Garden: planted in 1950, belongs to the University of Potsdam
Neuer Garten (New Garden)
- Marble Palace: built between 1787 and 1791 by Gontard and Langhans, completed only in 1845 by Hesse
- Cecilienhof Palace: built between 1914 and 1917 by Schultze-Naumburg for the crown prince Wilhelm and his wife, Cecilie von Mecklenburg-Schwerin and is the last palace built by the Hohenzollern family the New Garden was built between 1847 and 1863 by Persius, Stueler and Hesse from sketches made by F. Wilhelm IV as a viewpoint; it has a very beautiful view of the Sanssouci Park
- Pomona temple on the Pfingstberg hill: built in 1801, it was the first structure built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel
- Meierei: brewery on the shore of Jungfernsee Lake with a restaurant; combines century-old brewing traditions with regional specialities
Babelsberg Park
- Babelsberg Palace: built between 1834 and 1835 by Schinkel, renovated between 1844 and 1849 by Persius and Strack
- Flatow Tower: erected between 1853 and 1856 of stones from the former royal reign in Flatow (West Prussia)
Other Palaces and Gardens in and around Potsdam
- Volkspark (Peoples Park) and Biosphere: the Volkspark in the north of Potsdam is a fascinating park system between Sanssouci Park and the New Garden and includes the Biosphere which provides a unique nature adventure world. The Volkspark was specially built for the National Garden Show in 2001 on an area formerly used by the military; it provides a colourful mixture of various materials and plants as well as interesting architecture
- Friendship Island: surrounded by the Havel River in the middle of Potsdam; has rare plants and numerous sculptures
- New Pleasance: at one time belonged to the Potsdam City Palace and was the oldest arrangement of gardens in Potsdam; after World War II a sports stadium was erected here; the New Pleasance was laid out between the bank of the Havel River and the film museum for the National Garden Show in 2001
- Foerster Garden: Karl Foerster was a cultivator of bushes and a garden philosopher who lived and worked in Potsdam-Bornium and created a magnificent arrangement of gardens there
- Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island): covers 76 hectares and can be reached only by a ferry; re-designed in the 19th century by Lenne; Pfauensinsel Palace was built out of wood between 1794 and 1796 by Brendel
- Paretz Palace: built in 1797 by David Gilly as the country summer residence for crown prince Friedrich Wilhelm III and his wife, Luise
- Caputh Palace and Park: built in 1662; expanded in 1671; is the only remaining palace of the great dukes; the summer home of Albert Einstein is also in Caputh
- Sacrow Palace and Park: built in 1773; Heilandskirche (Church of our Saviour) was built by Persius on the bank of the Havel River; the Landschaftspark (Landscape Park) was designed according to plans by Lennes
- Glienicke Palace and Park: the park and palace grounds directly on the bank of the Havel River, not far from the Glienicker Bridge were designed by Schinkel and Lenne and inspired by Italian influences in the first half of the 19th century
Glienicker Bridge
Connects Potsdam and Berlin over the Havel River; during the Cold War agents and political prisoners were exchanged here.
The Crown Estate of Bornstedt
The “Italian village” on the shore of Bornstedt Lake, not far from Sanssouci Palace was once the country estate of the Prussian crown; painstakingly restored in 2002; swept away in the tradition of brewing and distilling as well as the old art of manufacturing Brandenburg handicrafts
Bornstedter Cemetery
It is more than 400 years old, numerous artists and architects of the 18th and 19th century have been buried here.
Old and New Cemetery
Here are the graves of historical celebrities who were very important to Potsdam.
Steam Engine House (Mosque)
This was built between 1841 and 1843 by Persius as the pump house for the fountains in Sanssouci Park.
Historical Districts in Potsdam
- Dutch quarter
- Russian colony Alexandrowka with the Alexander Newski Chapel
- Weavers quarter
- Villa colony, Neubabelsberg
Baroque City Centre
- Old market with the old town hall, Nikolai Church, Obelisk, Knobelsdorff House and the Fortuna Portal which was inaugurated in 2002
- New Market has one of the best maintained baroque squares in Europe with the former Kutschstall (carriage stall), the Cabinet House and the Ratswaage, built by J. Boumann and is a restaurant today
- The three remaining city gates, Nauener Gate, Brandenburg Gate and Jaeger Gate
- Franzoesische (French) Church and Propstei Church of St. Peter and Paul
- Former Great Military Orphanage, dedicated in 1724 by Friedrich Wilhelm I as an institution for raising and educating children of soldiers and military orphans
- Potsdam city canal; filled up in 1965 and restored in recent years
Berlin Suburb
One of the preferred residential districts in Potsdam is near the New Garden, attractively situated between Jungfernsee Lake, Tiefemsee Lake and Heiligemsee Lake. The neighbourhood is characterized by distinguished villas situated in expansive gardens. The ferry dock of the Viking ship, “Kari” is also here with which you can cross over to the Heilandskirche (Church of our Saviour) in Sacrow.
Shipwright’s Alley
On the shore of Tiefensee Lake, across from Babelsberg Park, a very special project has developed – an integrated cultural and commercial site. A landmark is the new Hans Otto Theatre building designed by Gottfried Boehm, one of the most significant German architects of the post war era. Born in 1920, he was the first German to receive the Pritzker award in 1986. The European sales headquarters of the software producer, Oracle is also located there as well as one of the world’s three design centres of the VW Corporation.
After Slavic people settled and the land was cultivated and fishing was established, a chicory mill was in operation here before 1800 that manufactured a coffee substitute or “thin coffee”. The building is under monumental protection and has been maintained next to the new theatre building. In the future it will be a restaurant. The name, “Schiffbauergasse” (Shipwright’s Alley) came into being because of the shipyard of Englishman John Barnett Humphrey who built the first Prussian steam ship here in 1817. Today, the restaurant-ship made from an old converted fishing cargo boat at the wharf is a reminder. Following a design by Schinkel, a riding and stable facility was built in 1822, the Hussar Guard Barracks belonging to it was build between 1838 -1842 and up to 1912, it was expanded to include a laundry facility (today the "Waschhaus"), an officers' mess and other riding halls. The first Potsdam gasworks has been on the site since 1856. It was expanded between 1953 and 1955 to include coke separation; today it is the headquarters of Oracle. The barracks were later used by the NVA (Nationale Volksarmee der DDR or National Army of the German Democratic Republic), the Soviet Armed Forces, and until 1994 by the KGB. The entire area and the buildings were renovated and reconstructed for cultural use, commercial development, restaurants and tourist functions. The combination of an attractive river bank park, the outstanding architecture, a wharf, and pedestrian and bicycle paths make the Schiffbauergasse into one of the city’s modern, urban attractions.
Boat Trips
Discovery tours around Potsdam are offered by Weissen Flotte Potsdam and Haveldampfschiffahrt from the dock at the Langen Bruecke. The palace tours, for example, spend 90 minutes in the parks and palaces of the Hohenzollern dynasty. The Havel Lake cruise leads past the fruit basket of Mark Brandenburg. Along the way, the cruise passes idyllic towns like Caputh, Petzow, Ferch and Werder. During the two hour round trip tour of Wannsee Lake, attractive river and lake scenery alternates with architectural witnesses of the past such as the Trumann Villa, for example, and numerous villas of former UFA stars on Griebnitzsee Lake.
Babelsberg Film Park
Enjoy the fascination of the world of films! The Babelsberg film park has something for every taste. Rummage in the film park’s lost-and-found; perhaps you’ll even discover the props from one of your favourite films. Visit the sandman exhibition. A long time ago, the sandman brought sleep to all children with a story and a grain of sand. Slip into the role of a cowboy and fight your way through the western city. The Babelsberg film park welcomes you!
Excursions into the surrounding area
- Berlin
In only one hour, you can travel from the Travel Charme Am Jägertor by bus and commuter train into the hustle and bustle of Berlin. Shop on the one kilometre long Kurfuerstendamm, stroll through the museums of Museum Island, tour the parliament, discover Potsdam Square with the Sony Center or Paris Square with the Brandenburg Gate or Alexander Square with the television tower or or or…. Discover this unique world metropolis for yourself!
- Spreewald (Spree Forest)
Discover Spree Forest in a special way. It is possible to cross through on a boat trip. Afterwards, visit the museum village in Lehde.
- Neuruppin and Rheinsberg
Visit Neuruppin and Rheinsberg. Be a guest at Schinkel and Fontane! An interesting meeting point is the museum of local history in Neuruppin. Discover this fascinating little town. In Rheinsberg, you mustn’t miss a guided tour of Rheinsberg Castle, the former residence of crown prince Friedrich the Great. Afterwards, relax in the beautiful park.
