Potsdam – royal seat at the water’s edge

The attractive ambience of Potsdam, the Brandenburg state capital, which is situated opposite Berlin metropolis on an island between the branched arms of river Havel is best found on the occasion of a visit to the beautiful castle and park complex, which is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. The picturesque sight of the world-renowned Sanssouci summer residence with its fountains and vineyard terraces, on which Frederick the Great strolled, or the walk through the tree-lined avenue to the Neue Palais (new palace), which is the last large castle complex in the Prussian baroque style, let you imagine why once electors, kings and the emperor chose Potsdam to be their royal seat. All of them strolled through the park of Sanssouci Castle, which is one of Europe’s most significant and most extensive park areas.

The traces of many European states and cultures refer today to the cosmopolitan character of the Brandenburg rulers, who fetched Huguenots from France, skilled building workers from the Netherlands or weavers from Bohemia into the town. The Russian colony of Alexandrowka (19th century), the Bohemian weaver settlement of Nowakes (18th century) and the Dutch quarter (18th century) with its antique shops, restaurants and cafés are an attraction for many visitors and recall the lively history of Potsdam. In the venerable halls of Cecilienhof im Neuen Garten Castle (in the new garden), world history was written. Churchill, Truman and Stalin held discussions there during the “Potsdam Conference” on how to divide Germany after the Second World War.

The modern Potsdam is also worth a visit: since the legendary “times of the UFA” (film studio) in the twenties and thirties of the past century and their stars, such as the directors Fritz Lang and Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, or the actors Marlene Dietrich and Hans Albers, Potsdam has been a centre of films. Today, national and international productions are produced for cinema and television in the studios that are rich in tradition and located on Europe’s most extensive and oldest film complex. Visitors to Babelsberg Film Park can even look behind the scenes and take part in live stunts. Apart from a permanent collection, the Potsdam Film Museum, which is housed in the historic royal stables, shows interesting special shows on film and television topics from all over the world.
Additional highlights in Potsdam are the numerous concerts and performances taking place each year in the context of the Potsdam Sanssouci Musical Festivals, the Potsdam Schlössernacht (night of castles), the Babelsberg Film Park Night  and the nocturnal castle impressions with the White Fleet (passenger ships).

Potsdam stands out as a town of science and culture due to its technical monuments, such as the pumping station built in the form of a mosque for the fountains of Sanssouci Park or the Einsteinturm (a tower), which is situated on Telegrafenberg (“Telegraph Hill”). This quite unique Bauhaus building (The “Bauhaus” was founded in Weimar by Walter Gropius in 1919 and was Germany’s most famous and most avant-garde art and design school.), designed by the architect Erich Mendelsohn, is the centre of a renowned centre of science on Telegrafenberg. Nobel laureate Albert Einstein also lived outside the gates of Potsdam for a few years. Queen Elizabeth II of England could not escape the great diversity of Potsdam while strolling in the footprints of her ancestors and even Mick Jagger praised Potsdam as “simply beautiful” when visiting the baroque town centre with its lively restaurants and bars.

Our tip for you: anyone who is lured by the view of the castles and the lake landscape with its passenger ships of the White Fleet that smoothly move along and the training Olympic water sports athletes, should set off to Pfingstberg for Belvedere Castle, which seems so romantic.