Sitting at the western edge of Luisenplatz, this gate built by Frederick the Great in 1770 to…read morecommemorate victory in the Seven Years War. It ended up being designed by two architects--Karl von Gontard, who designed the side facing Brandenburg Straße and his student Georg Christian singer, who designed the one facing Luisenplatz, which was the side originally towards the fields, (though the square itself outside the gate was created in 1744). The gate was built on top of a site that used to be a smaller town gate along a wall surrounding central Potsdam, which controlled the flow of traffic into the city. In 1900 when the city walls were torn down the Brandenburg Tor was left standing. Again as a landmark not much to do except view it and walk through it, though I can see how considering its location leading towards a main shopping thoroughfare there could be community and seasonal activities set up in its vicinity.

Majestic and gorgeous. This building has amazing architectural features and is everything you'd…read moreimagine it to be, and more. The winter time is especially beautiful with the huge Christmas tree.

During the 18th Century, a wave of Francophilia swept across Europe. Suddenly, every monarch had to…read morehave their own version of Versatile. The former Prussian Prince, now King Friedrich II (Der Große Kurfürst, oder Alte Fritz) was no exception. He also btw, decreed the learning of French which was all the rage. According to historians, it also created a bit of controversy as well. In this environment, Sanssouci was built. Der Große had his architect, Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff design & build for him a small, but modest summer palace and vineyard in Potsdam. The front of the Schloss, with its elaborate tiers for the vines, is very impressive. You can also see it's distinctive golden rotundra from below. The Schloss itself is magnificent and yes, it is like a miniature Versatile. Tres Bon, und Beeindruckend!

Perfekte Potsdam Schloss- und Gartenanlage. Um das Schloss von innen zu sehen muss mann einen…read moreEintritt bezahlen. Review: 5+

The Nauener Tor (gate) is one of three surviving gates that guard the entries to the old town of…read morePotsdam. This one was built about 1755, and lends a mediaval fair ambiance to the main north south drag through town. Certainly worth a visit by anyone who appreciates history.

If you are visiting Potsdam, this will probably be your first stop, and rightfully so. Apparently…read moreduring WWII it was heavily damaged and is now in an almost restored state. Still some work to do. You can climb the tower for a small fee (I was lazy and did not) and there is a suggested 2 euro donation as you leave. Perfectly legit and I was happy to oblige. The church itself is beautiful, but not overwhelming like some. Helpfully, there is an explanatory laminated page on the left, just as you enter, with a full history - available in 10 languages or so.

The Park is directly behind the Sanssouci Sloss and near the parking lot…read more We came here mostly for Friedrich Der Große's summer place but, if you have time and the weather is kind, it's a very enjoyable and relaxing stroll.

For a city the size of Potsdam, the size of this park and the number of buildings on its grounds…read moreare impressive, clearly constructed centuries ago to be a playground for royalty. Sanssouci Palace was designed and built between 1944-47 for Frederick the Great of Prussia to be a summer palace, in a Rococo style and is rather small with only 10 rooms, more of a casual residence rather than a full-blown palace. The terraced gardens and fountains were modeled after Versailles with grape vines imported from France, with Frederick being a proponent of harmonizing art with nature. The extensive gardens and park grounds were built after the main palace was completed following a similar horticultural theme, entailing planting fruit trees and establishing nurseries, and building a number of smaller reception rooms, temples, decorative buildings, fountains, etc. Ironically even though fountains were built around the park, the systems only fully worked once hydraulic technology advancements allowed broader installation of functional water pumps across the park in the mid-19th century. Further expansion and development occurred under later rulers, when Charlottenhof Palace was built. The park itself is free to visit, though tickets need to be purchased for individual sites within (palaces, picture gallery, Orangerie) or together as a combo ticket--some buildings (including the castles) require timed entry so book in advance for best time selections. Options are available on the website or in person at the ticket counters in Schloß Sanssouci or at the info booths in the park. Walking from east to west, edge to edge of the park can take about 40 minutes walking straight across. However if you're walking around trying to see the various large and small sites, you could spend a full day within the park. The paths are paved, pretty flat, and disability friendly. Not all of the larger buildings have bathrooms so plan accordingly in advance. Sanssouci Palace is on the east side and Neues Palais is on the west side and it's easily ~25-30 mins to walk between the two. Charlottenhof and Orangerieschloß are respectively in the more south and north areas in the park.

A bit off the beaten path, this structure is an UNESCO world heritage site, originally built by…read morePrussian monarch Friedrich Wilhelm IV in the mid 19th century as a viewing platform of the surrounding area. The architecture has Roman and Greek influences and is reminiscent of an ancient Roman temple, with the immediate grounds laid out in an English garden format. During WWII the building fell into disrepair and the subsequently was renovated starting the mid-1990s to mid 2000. It is now open to the public via ticketed self-tour, timed tours (seasonal), and special events for both community and private functions. When I went on a Saturday morning the grounds were fairly empty, maybe a dozen or so other visitors. You could spend 20-30 min or more here. Tickets were €8 for a regular adult price, €6 if I recall correctly, including the discount if you have separately booked the Berlin Welcomecard or the Sansoucci+ package though the ticket is not included in that package. Bathrooms are available though parking is not, it's recommended to take public transportation and then walk. This can be anywhere from a 15-30 minute walk depending on where you're coming from. I came from the direction of Schloß Cecilienhof and that was about 25 minutes with about 10-15 minutes of uphill. Coming from the north or west the walk is shorter from the main road though still takes you along a path in the park/woods.

From the owner: Belvedere auf dem Pfingstberg - Potsdams schönste Aussicht…read more Der Pfingstberg im Norden Potsdams ist mit 76 Metern die höchste Erhebung der Stadt. Hier befindet sich das Pfingstbergensemble mit Potsdams schönster Aussicht, welches seit 1999 Teil der UNESCO-Welterbestätte Schlösser und Parks von Potsdam und Berlin ist. Neben dem bis 1863 nach Plänen König Friedrich Wilhelms IV. erbauten Aussichtsschloss Belvedere und dem 1800 nach Plänen Schinkels errichteten Pomonatempel ist auch die Parkanlage Peter Joseph Lennés dort zu finden. Nach dem II. Weltkrieg wegen der Nähe zur KGB-Zentrale gesperrt und verfallen, wurde das Ensemble von 1992 bis 2005 restauriert. Heute können Besucher dort viel "Kultur in der Natur" erleben, neben einer neuen zweisprachigen Ausstellung zur Geschichte, Hörführungen für Kinder und Erwachsene und Kunstausstellungen im Pomonatempel zum Beispiel auch samstags und sonntags (Mai-September) um 15 Uhr Kleinkunst. Der Neue Garten, das Schloss Cecilienhof und die russische Kolonie Alexandrowka sind nahe. Öffnungszeiten: April-Oktober: täglich, 10 bis 18 Uhr März, November: samstags und sonntags, 10 bis 16 Uhr Anfahrt: Tram 92 oder 96 bis Haltestelle "Puschkinallee" oder "Am Schragen" oder Bus 638 bis Haltestelle "Potsdam, Am Pfingstberg" bzw. Bus 603 bis "Höhenstraße" Parkplätze: am Volkspark Potsdam (ehemaliger BUGA-Park), erreichbar von der Nedlitzer Straße über Straße Esplanade und am Schloss Cecilienhof (erreichbar über Straße Am Neuen Garten)

Worth a walk down Zeppelinstrasse from Brandenburg Tor to see this odd little pump house from 1843…read more Its purpose is to provide pressure for all the fountains in Sanssoucci Park. There is a marker outside that shows pix of the inside, which looks totally steampunk in its design. Tragically, like many things in Potsdam, the opening hours are very limited. May-October Sat & Sundays, plus some public holidays.