The Park, located on the bank of the Havel surrounding Castle Babelsberg and covering 124 hectares, was commissioned by Prince Wilhelm and his wife Augusta and laid out in 1833 by Peter Joseph Lenné. Subsequently new design features were added by the Prince of Pückler-Muskau. Strolling along the pathways leading to the Flatow Tower, which was built between 1853 and 1856, the visitor can enjoy pleasant views over the Havel lakes and the silhouette of Potsdam. The border between West Berlin and Potsdam, which ran in the area covered by the Park, destroyed the historic network of pathways but this was reinstated after the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

Castle Cecilienhof in the New Garden was built in 1914 in the style of the English country house, the last castle of the Hohenzollern dynasty. Today it is a hotel and a memorial site. It came to fame as a result of the Potsdam Conference in 1945 at which Truman, Churchill and Stalin conducted their negotiations on the future of Germany. Between 1961 and 1989 the border installations on the side of the castle facing the water carved what is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site into the cultural landscape of Potsdam. On the edge of the New Garden was ‘Military Settlement No. 7’, incorporating the German headquarters of the KGB Secret Service as well as a notorious military prison. One city tour available offers the visitor the opportunity to experience Castle Cecilienhof and the Forbidden City.

The Marble Palace was only re-opened to visitors as the Castle Museum in 1997 following extensive construction and restoration works. Of all the Potsdam castles, it has become one of the jewels in the crown. After the Second World War and occupation by the Red Army, it was used as a military museum by the GDR.  A T-34 tank and a MIG fighter plane used to stand in what was formerly a romantic garden.

With the arrival of the Soviet Secret Service in the ‘Forbidden City’ between Pfingstberg and the New Garden and large military units in the adjacent barracks, the Castle of Belvedere with its fine views fell into a Sleeping Beauty-like slumber. Its proximity to the border of West Berlin also rendered any visits to it impossible after 1961. The buildings decayed and became a ruin. It was not until 1987 that the attention of the "Pfingstberg Consortium" was once more drawn to the Pfingstberg. During the years that followed the development association succeeded in procuring donations for the restoration of the building and the work was fully completed in 2003. Since then visitors have been enjoying the opportunity to rediscover the site with its two towers.

At the heart of the capital city of Brandenburg the historic city of Potsdam is reinventing itself.  It is here that, by the year 2011, the Potsdam City Castle is poised to rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes. The Hohenzollern residence, which was gutted by fire in 1945 and later blown up, will in the future be the seat of the Brandenburg State Parliament. And the tower of the garrison church, once the characterising feature of the city’s silhouette and blown up in 1968, is also scheduled to be rebuilt. Worth visiting is the Haus der Brandenburgisch Preussischen Geschichte, which stages alternating exhibitions in the former royal coaching stables in the Neuer Markt.  In the historic centre the city’s canal, which was at one time filled in, is being restored. The former Stasi prison in the Lindenstrasse is today a memorial site to the victims of political constraint.

The Borsig Estate lies in the centre of landscaped parkland on the Gross Behnitzer See in the Havelland district. The former model agricultural estate belonging to the Borsig family has been extensively and sympathetically re-designed. The former lodging house has been refurbished and reopened as a small yet distinguished hotel.  The Borsig estate today beckons with a wide range of events and spectacles, such as the steam bakery and ceramic workshop. Culinary reinforcements can be obtained in the Cafe and Restaurant Seeterrassen. After the Land Reforms the estate became the headquarters of the newly established Agricultural Production Cooperative (LPG). The one-time lodging house was, in the time of the GDR, used as a social services building with a doctor’s surgery and a kindergarten.

Prior to the opening of the Castle Museum which features a collection of unique artefacts, the Castle of Oranienburg underwent a basic refurbishment. The Castle of Oranienburg was formerly used as an Officer Training Centre for the Barracked People’s Police and subsequently for the GDR border troops.

From derelict Baroque edifice to Federal Government ’guesthouse’:  after the successful restoration of the Castle of Meseberg and its handover to the Federal Government for use as  accommodation for visitors, the Messerschmitt Foundation assigned the adjacent buildings a new role as a hotel and restaurant. ‘Mine Host’ at the Castle of Meseberg welcomes guests to the former wheelwright’s workshop and castle distillery with an invitation to them to sample the facilities on offer for celebrations and conferences. In the time of the GDR, the Baroque edifice was put to a variety of uses, including as a school and a co-operative store.

In the middle of a landscape rich in woodland and lakes lies the Castle & Estate of Liebenberg. Overnight accommodation is not all that is offered by this splendid ensemble.  An estate featuring the Emperor’s Well, 'Inspektorhaus', a cobbled church, a museum and the  Lenné Park with its tea house, the Libertas chapel as well as a wide diversity of events make this place well worth visiting.  After 1945 the Liebenberg Castle underwent major modification as part of a GDR schools programme and gradually fell into decay before eventually being restored in conformity with its original layout.

Nestling in the landscape of woods and lakes in the biosphere reserve at Schorfheide-Chorin close to the Werbellinsee lies the historic area of Hubertusstock, an ideal destination for excursions and walks. The hunting lodge can be hired for celebrations or conferences. To fortify the inner man, the day visitor can visit the restaurant of the hotel ‘bbw Communications Centre’ which is also situated in the grounds. In GDR times the Hubertusstock Hunting Lodge was the country seat of the Prime Minister: it was used as a convalescent home for the People’s Police and, subsequently, the National People’s Army as well as a ‘guest house’ for the GDR government. It is here that, in 1981, Erich Honecker received the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt for working discussions.

Situated in the middle of a landscaped park designed by Peter Joseph Lenné and Hermann Fürst von Pückler-Muskau is an impressive ensemble of buildings in the classical style: these include the castle, together with its library, salons and banqueting rooms, a 5-star hotel, restaurants such as the Orangerie and the Distillery,  together with a museum and functions room. Featuring concerts, lectures, exhibitions and theatre, the ensemble ranks as a cultural destination that is particularly special. Until the Seventies, the Castle was used as a central school, later it became a youth club and then the Nahe Neuhardenberg training centre for weightlifters. Known as Marxwalde in the days of the GDR, there was also a military airfield for the GDR government squadrons located here.

The facility, occupying an idyllic position in woodland fronting the Madlitzer See, has been completely restored and extended thanks to the dedication and commitment of the Düsseldorf architects, Mr. and Mrs. Brune. The grounds incorporate a number of historic buildings and elegant annexes with stylishly furnished rooms, three restaurants, each of which is fitted out in a different style, a generously-proportioned Med & Spa Suite, a theatre forum and a riding hall.  The GDR Ministry of State Security knew and appreciated the peace and quiet offered by the woodland around the hidden Lake of Alt Madlitz. They commandeered the area for themselves, installed radio listening devices and built bungalow estates for the officers and for training purposes, to the total exclusion of the general public.

The Castle of Lübbenau, situated in the centre of the Spreewald, is regarded as one of the most imposing residences in the classical style in Brandenburg. The ensemble consists of a spacious area comprising the castle and its grounds, separated from the town by waterways, parkland and woodland. Together with the Orangery, the Castle Museum, the stables and the Chancellery building, the splendid Castle Park makes for an interesting excursion. The family of the Counts of Lynar has a close connection with the history of the construction of this castle ensemble.  In GDR times the Castle of Lübbenau was in occasional use as a training centre.

The moated Castle of  Fürstlich Drehna has been extensively restored and is today a hotel that boasts a historic ambience, but nevertheless the epitome of modern convenience. In addition to elegant rooms, it has a Wellness Suite, a restaurant, a brasserie as well as high-class catering in the central courtyard of the Castle. The magnificent landscaped park with its lake, estate, brewery and courthouse beckons the visitor to take a stroll and while away some time there. In the time of the GDR the Party School of Trade was housed in the Castle of Fürstlich Drehna and later on a School of Forestry and a ‘Jugendwerkhof’ facility, in which adolescents who did not fit the socialist mould were indoctrinated and trained to carry out menial support tasks.