See & Do
Potsdam
Less than an hour from Friedrichstrasse on the S-Bahn, Potsdam offers visitors a heavy hit of attractions absent from Berlin: royal palaces, a quaint old town and manicured formal gardens. Today the capital of the state of Brandenburg, Potsdam was long the summer playground of Prussia’s ruling Hohenzollern family. The Prussian royals collected palaces in every conceivable style, from mock-Tudor to neoclassical. These buildings are tucked among lakes and parks in a rustic landscape whose sprawling scale makes cycling the best way to take in the sights (bike rental at Potsdam per Pedales is €10.50 per day – 033 1748 0057, www.potsdam-per-pedales.de). But when cycling around Potsdam, beware of small signs bearing long German words: Fahrradschiebestrecke means you’re only allowed to walk your bike, not ride it, and they’re serious about enforcing this rule. The foundation that runs the Potsdam parks has recently become very stict, and, along with the many bike-walking zones, has introduced areas where you’re not allowed to ride your bike, take your dog, or sit on the grass.
Spread over 600 acres, Park Sanssouci is Potsdam’s leading tourist attraction and can feel overrun on summer weekends. As the park’s centrepiece, Schloss Sanssouci, the ‘Prussian Versailles’ of Friedrich the Great, overlooks terraced gardens and custom-built artificial ruins. Among the park’s other palaces, the 200 chamber Neues Palais, less crowded and more opulent than Schloss Sanssouci, is especially worth visiting. Potsdam’s second park, the Neuer Garten, occupies one shore of the Heiliger See, a lake best-known for the many German celebrities whose villas line the opposite shore. This park also contains several royal residences. Second world war buffs will especially enjoy Schloss Cecilienhof, where the Potsdam Treaty was signed in 1945. Again, cycling is recommended, as the park is about a 30 minute walk from the station. Entry at Schloss Sanssouci, with required guided tour, is €12 for adults and €9 for students; Neues Palais and Schloss Cecilienhof are both €5 for adults and €4 for students.
Beyond royal palaces, the town of Potsdam has plenty of historical interest in itself. Stroll through the impressive baroque quarter to soak up well-preserved and harmonious 18th century architecture you won’t find in Berlin. Nearby, boutiques and restaurants dot the attractive Dutch quarter (Holländisches Viertel). Two good restaurants are Cafe Heider (033 1270 5596, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 29) and B-West (033 1951 0798, Zeppelinstrasse 146).
Spread over 600 acres, Park Sanssouci is Potsdam’s leading tourist attraction and can feel overrun on summer weekends. As the park’s centrepiece, Schloss Sanssouci, the ‘Prussian Versailles’ of Friedrich the Great, overlooks terraced gardens and custom-built artificial ruins. Among the park’s other palaces, the 200 chamber Neues Palais, less crowded and more opulent than Schloss Sanssouci, is especially worth visiting. Potsdam’s second park, the Neuer Garten, occupies one shore of the Heiliger See, a lake best-known for the many German celebrities whose villas line the opposite shore. This park also contains several royal residences. Second world war buffs will especially enjoy Schloss Cecilienhof, where the Potsdam Treaty was signed in 1945. Again, cycling is recommended, as the park is about a 30 minute walk from the station. Entry at Schloss Sanssouci, with required guided tour, is €12 for adults and €9 for students; Neues Palais and Schloss Cecilienhof are both €5 for adults and €4 for students.
Beyond royal palaces, the town of Potsdam has plenty of historical interest in itself. Stroll through the impressive baroque quarter to soak up well-preserved and harmonious 18th century architecture you won’t find in Berlin. Nearby, boutiques and restaurants dot the attractive Dutch quarter (Holländisches Viertel). Two good restaurants are Cafe Heider (033 1270 5596, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 29) and B-West (033 1951 0798, Zeppelinstrasse 146).
