Belvedere Pfingstberg

The beautiful maison de plaisance is Potsdam's highest elevation. Here you will find the green parks, the pompous palaces and the baroque city centre framed by the idyllic river landscape lying to your feet. If you look further east you can even see the skyline of Potsdam's younger and bigger sister, Berlin.

Already Friedrich Wilhelm II dreamed of a palace on the Pfingstberg. But it was Frederick William IV who commissioned it. The construction of the romantic lookout palace started in 1847. His enthusiasm for Italy can be seen in the architecture of the building once again. The "Romantic on the Throne" was inspired by the Villa Medici in Rome and the Villa d'Este in Tivoli. The king did not live to see the completion of the building in 1863. His brother Wilhelm I completed the building in a slimmed-down version.

During the German division, the ensemble was exposed to decay due to its proximity to the inner-German border and to the KGB headquarters. From 1988, the later founders of the Förderverein Pfingstberg e.V. (Pfingstberg Association) were committed to ensuring that today it has the splendour of its early years again.

A multimedia, bilingual permanent exhibition informs about the eventful history of the ensemble. An audio guide for smartphones, a digital group tour or private guided tours are available.

The Belvedere is regularly used for concerts and events almost all year round. You can rent the Belvedere for private and business events and receptions. Couples can get married on Pfingstberg Hill.

Tip: Over the river Havel to the Belvedere. From Easter to autumn, you can take the Potsdam water taxi to station 3 "Cecilienhof – Meierei – Belvedere". After a walk (approx. 800 m) the Belvedere is reached.