Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg in eastern Germany, makes a great day trip from Berlin and offers some of the elegance that the city lacks. Prussian kings made their royal mark here with lavish palaces, parks and gardens, many of them with UNESCO World Heritage status. Most people come to Potsdam to see the Rococo palace that Sanssouci built for Frederick the Great, but the city has much more to offer.
These are the best things not to be missed when visiting Potsdam.
Sanssouci Palace
Direction
Maulbeerallee , 14469 Potsdam , AlemaniaGet directions
Telephone
+49 331 9694200
Web
Visit the website
When the King of Prussia, Frederick the Great, wanted to escape the formalities of his life in Berlin, he retired to his summer palace in Potsdam, aptly named Sanssouci (“carefree” in French). The Rococo-style palace built in 1774 sits atop a terraced vineyard, overlooking 700 acres of royal gardens.
Designed after Versailles in France, the ornate garden is filled with cascading terraces, fountains, marble sculptures, and a Chinese tea house. On the highest terrace near the palace, you will find Fredrick’s grave. He was relocated here after reunification in 1990.
If you want to see inside the palace, you need to get a fixed-time ticket (tip: the best time to visit is before noon and during the week). The interiors are decorated in the elaborate Baroque tradition with a strong influence from Frederick himself. He created his own style now known Frederician Rococo. Highlights include the Entrance Hall and Marble Hall.
- Address : Maulbeerallee, 14469 Potsdam
- Entrance : the gardens are free; The interior of the palace and the garden houses cost 12 euros.
Dutch neighborhood
Direction
Hebbelstraße 1C, 14467 Potsdam, AlemaniaGet directions
Telephone
+49 331 20121875
Web
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Gables, red bricks and white shutters coming straight out of the Netherlands have found a home in Potsdam. The Dutch Quarter (Hollaenderviertel) was built in the 18th century Dutch artisans and craftsmen who were invited to settle here by Frederick the Great.
The ensemble of more than 130 houses built in the traditional Dutch style is unique in Europe and on the UNESCO world heritage list. Walk the cobbled streets of Mittelstrasse and Benkertstrasse, which are lined with cafes, specialty shops, and restaurants.
- Dirección : Mittelstrasse / Benkertstrasse, 14467 Potsdam
- Admission : Free
Palacio Cecilienhof
Direction
In the New Garden, 14469 Potsdam, AlemaniaGet directions
Telephone
+49 331 9694107
Web
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Another must-see for history buffs is the Cecilienhof Palace, located in the beautiful Neuer Garten park. The last palace built by the Hohenzoller family, it offers a contrast to Sanssouci as it was designed in the rustic English Tudor style.
You can tour some of the historic rooms, such as the smoking room, the music room, and the royal family bedroom. But one of the most fascinating rooms is the Great Hall. It was here that the Potsdam Conference was held in 1945, and Stalin, Churchill, and Truman decided to divide Germany into different zones of occupation. (The nearby House of the Wannsee Conference is another feature for history buffs.)
- Dirección : Am Neuen Garten 8, 14469 Potsdam
- Entrada : 6 euros
The bridge of spies
Direction
Königstraße , 14109 Berlin , GermanyGet directions
Web
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Before the wall fell and Germany was still divided in two, the Glienicke Bridge was one of the most mysterious sites of the Cold War. Spanning the River Havel, the bridge connected Soviet-occupied Potsdam in the east with US-occupied West Berlin, and the two superpowers used this checkpoint to exchange captured Cold War spies and secret agents.
The Glienicke Bridge was dubbed the “Bridge of Spies” after the 1962 exchange of Russian agent Rudolf Abel for downed American pilot Francis Gary Powers. One of the largest exchanges took place here on June 12, 1985. After three years of negotiation, 23 American agents were returned to the West in exchange for the Polish agent Marian Zacharski plus three additional Soviet agents.
This little-known attraction gained international attention in 2015 with the Academy Award-nominated film Bridge of Spies .
- Address : Glienicke Bridge 1, 14467 Potsdam
- Entrance : Free
Russian colony Alexandrowka
Direction
Russian Colony 2 , 14469 Potsdam , AlemaniaGet directions
Telephone
+49 331 8170203
Web
Visit the website
Just north of Potsdam city center you will find the Russian colony Alexandrowka. Built in 1827, the Prussian king erected the 13 wooden Russian houses to house the Russian singers of the First Prussian Guards Regiment. Some of his descendants still live in these beautiful historic houses.
Surrounded by fruit and vegetable gardens, the small colony is completed by a Russian Orthodox chapel and a Russian tea house, housed in the former Guardian’s House.
- Address : Russian Colony, Alexandrowka 1-14, 14469 Potsdam
- Entrance : Free
