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.

A small church with political history tied to its foundation. The Church of Peace was dedicated in…read more1848 by King Frederich Wilhelm IV, as completed in 1854. Its designs are thought to be based on the Basilica di San Clemente in Rome, with a 13th century Venetian mosaic included in the apse that was shipped from Murano via boat. Aside from acting as the royal chapel and church building for the local parish, it's thought that a subtext of this undertaking was for the king to reestablish the divine right of monarchy in relation to the Protestant church majority that was present in Prussia during his reign. History aside, this building is fairly simple and unadorned compared to others on the park ground. The church building (with apse, in altar, baptistery, sacristy, naves) is connected to a cloister, campanile bell tower and courtyard surrounded by porticos. The exterior of the building on the northeast side sits along a manmade pond, the rest along the Sanssouci Park garden paths. The church is free to visit during the hours of 11:30am-4pm Saturday and 12-4pm Sunday from mid-October to mid-March, and from 11am-5pm Monday-Saturday, 12-5pm Sunday during the warmer months. Paid parking is located closer to the windmill or outside the park and then walkable within 10-15 minutes.