Exploring the palaces and gardens of Potsdam (power, prestige and stunning palaces)

Spring time in Potsdam is the ideal time frame to visit the royal palaces and gardens around Potsdam in Brandenburg, Germany. Home to the Prussian Kings of Germany and their magnificent royal residences, Potsdam became their showpiece close to the city of Berlin and the German equivalent to Versailles. The Sanssouci palaces and gardens are the largest Unesco world heritage site in Germany and worth spending an entire day to visit all the main landmarks throughout the site and attractions around the city.

 

When is the best time to visit Potsdam and the palaces of Potsdam

With temperate German weather during the spring and still being the low season in Germany, a visit to Potsdam is ideal without all the massive crowds that typically visit the castles during the peak summer periods. Spring to summer is when the gardens are in full bloom with annuals and other colorful perennial plants coming into bloom and creating beautiful garden spaces at the large public gardens around the palace grounds. It definitely makes for fantastic photo captures when all the gardens have been planted out with spring time annuals to really make the city, palaces and gardens spectacular to explore around Potsdam.

Weather in Potsdam spring to summer

Typical temperatures at Potsdam in spring is an average of 7 degrees Celsius in March to around 12 degrees in May. Summer time temperatures at Potsdam from June to August range from an average of 16 to 17 degrees Celsius.

 

Here are some highlights of what you will see in visiting the amazing royal palaces, gardens and other cultural landmarks around the city of Potsdam in Brandenburg.

 

 

 

A colorful garden next to the Havel River

Potsdam is filled with green belts and beautiful parks, in fact the city has over three quarters of green space that take up the entire city limit and the rest allocated for urban development. If you decide to walk from the train station to town, you’ll come across this lovely garden overlooking the river and it is a nice detour to explore the river trails in the area and also the annual plantings come alive in the park area.

 

 

 

Gorgeous details to a public building in Potsdam

The city of Potsdam has many grand public spaces, buildings and architecture to enjoy and on a gorgeous spring or summer day here, it is so wonderful being outdoors and just enjoying the warm weather and seeing the city with beautiful skies and temperature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sanssouci park and palaces

Towards the main entrance to the palaces are expansive natural parks with a sprinkling of statuary, greenhouses and other follies that were a retreat for the royal families to enjoy.  Broad meadows filled with wild yellow flowers dot the entire grassy areas of the semi forested park. Along the way to the main residences of Sanssouci and the Neues Palais are green houses and beautiful structures like the wire folly and statues on pedestals that pop out unexpectedly in different areas. Following one of the main graveled roads eventually leads to the stately Neues Palais below. I could have easily enjoyed a simple picnic and explore some of the cool monuments and follies in the park, but there is definitely so much more in store visiting this magnificent site.

There are maps around the park grounds to show the main attractions around the park and gardens and when you enter the grounds, you’ll also be given a small brochure with map to check out the main parts to explore here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entering the Neues Palais or New Palace 

Built 20 years after the smaller villa style of Sanssouci, the Neues Palais was envisioned by Frederick the Great to showcase his power and strength to the rest of the world. A grand palace done in over the top Baroque style that was popular during that time frame, the Neues Palais was designed to impress. Both the exterior and interior of the palace are embellished and filled with multiple statuary, grand staircases, imported luxury materials with gilt details and skilled craft work to present a more is better approach for the Prussian Kings of Germany. It looks like every window detail, rooftop perimeter and even the terraces have to be jammed with excess and be topped with sculpture and architectural details to make the building look even more impressive. Unfortunately, the time I was visiting, a lot of the façade was undergoing restoration to clean and polish the dingy and worn surfaces to bring it back to its former glory. You can see from the image below what the sculptures would look like after a nice power cleaning, and it does make a wonderful difference.

Touring Neues Palais

There are entrance booths just outside the palace entrance and you can pay your fees before entering on the side entrance of the palace.

You are required to tour with a guide through the palace who will share all the fantastic details, culture and history of this amazing palace and the building phases and elaborate details that were done to create it. Once outside, you can wander around the courtyards, gardens and public areas on your own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still a lot of spring cleaning needed to all the exterior statuary and architectural details on the façade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facing the main residence of the Neues palace were the Communs with its identical buildings and an attached colonnade. These buildings housed the royal kitchens, palace guard, servants, utilities and gardner’s shops. Today the Communs is utilized as the University of Potsdam and is not open to the public for viewing but fun to walk through the perimeter and capture some nice architectural details on the ornate structure.

 

Touring the interior of the Neues Palais

Just like the lavish details to the exterior, the interior of the Neues Palais reflected the Prussian Kings interest in the grand Baroque and Rococo style which was all about excess, filled with gilted details in all of the state and private the rooms above and below. Even the ceilings and chandeliers where dripping with gold leaf, crystals and fanciful flourishes that were hand carved from skilled craftsmen who were brought in from around the country to create the splendid rooms of the Neus Palais.

 

 

 

Stunning and real silver leaf details in the Silver room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interior tour and details to visiting the Neues Palais

 

 

 

 

 

 

Royal gardens of Sanssouci

Just like the expansive gardens of Versaille, Sanssouci’s gardens are also impressive with a variety of gardens appealing to the all the pomp and grand lifestyle in an outdoor setting. With so many garden rooms on display, it can easily filled up an entire day to explore the different gardens, follies and special areas all around the entire Unesco site (So pick and choose your place of interest because there is a lot to see at this Unesco site). An extensive volunteer and landscape staff from the Sanssouci foundation grow the beautiful seasonal arrangements while maintaining the expansive grounds for visitors to enjoy. Here are some highlights of the different gardens on display and in bloom for springtime.

 

 

Life-size golden figures to the Chinese tea house

 

Views and landscape from Sanssouci Palace

From above Sanssouci Palace, the views below to the formal gardens, reflecting pool and the terraced planting beds create a majestic and scenic vista of the landscape around Potsdam. The summer palace at Sanssouci reflected the Prussian kings version of  harmony between nature and man.  Directly below Sanssouci palace is a terraced garden of mostly fruit trees and grape vines along walled terraces and colorful annuals on the beds. The “little vineyard house” crowns the hill of terraced plantings and is the personal retreat or Sans souci (“Without a care”) of Frederick the Great and his guests. On a beautiful spring day like today, it is really nice to be outdoors to explore and enjoy the gardens and colorful spring plantings at Sanssouci.

 

 

Terraced gardens below Sanssouci palace

There is plenty to see if you love gardens or beautiful landscape and panoramas. The many gardens surrounding Sanssouci are filled with gorgeous focal points, statuary, fountains and interesting follies from a distance that are fun to explore and photograph. This includes the imposing Orangerie (below)that housed the many tropical and citrus plants, the Windmill above Sanssouci palace, an ancient Obelisk and many other garden ornaments around the site.

 

 

Looking up the terraced wall garden to Sanssouci palace

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a visit to the gorgeous gardens at Sanssouci

 

 

 

 

 

Statue fronting the Orangerie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interior rooms of Sanssouci

Frederick’s little vineyard house was filled with whimsical details and Rococo flourishes on both the exterior and interiors of Sanssouci creating a new style called “Frederician Rococo”. The Prussian king wanted to be surrounded with beautiful objects and works of art which fills up all the decorated rooms to his own personal taste and love of excess and luxury materials. Starting with a grand hall and marbled hall, the state and common rooms progress to more private apartments on the east end of the building. Baroque rooms with marble, gilted wood details and exuberant ornamentation fill the themed rooms in intricate craft work and luxurious materials. Below are some more highlights to the interior apartments of Sanssouci.

 

 

Sanssouci grand hall and ornate wall details

 

 

 

 

Rococo flourishes on the ceilings and walls are a personal favorite style

 

 

 

 

The colorful birds of the yellow room at Sanssouci

 

Beautiful marquetry work details

 

 

 

 

A visit to the Sanssouci palace interiors below

 

 

 

 

 

Friedenskirche and colonnade galleries

Friedenskirche or the Protestant Church of Peace located inside the palace grounds is built to resemble more of a medieval style that Frederick William IV requested to be built to resemble the Basilica di San Clemente in Rome. The church was used as a royal chapel and church for the parish of BrandenburgerVorstadt.

A visit to central Potsdam

After exiting the royal palaces of Sanssouci and the Brandenburg gate, it’s worthwhile to walk around Potsdam especially on the main pedestrian promenades in the center of town. The pedestrian only street is filled with small galleries, souvenir shops,  cafes and coffee shops and specialty goods stores that are fun to explore. After spending some time visiting Sanssouci, its nice to relax and have a nice meal and there are plenty of eating and drinking options around the walking promenades.

 

Here’s a fun scenic tour of Potsdam city and highlights to visiting the area

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where to stay around Potsdam or Berlin

Even though Berlin is just a short ride by bus or train, there are plenty of choices of places to stay in Potsdam from smaller hotels to Inns. Check out these top reviewed sites in Potsdam here for current prices and availability.

If you want to base yourself in Berlin, Check out these top reviewed sites in Berlin here for current prices and availabililty.

 

Details to visiting Potsdam and the palaces and gardens

You can easily sign up for a bus and guided tour of Potsdam and the palaces here to save time and effort in planning a day here or you can do your town type of tour on a Hop on Hop off bus experence here.

If you want to have a private tour and transportation from Berlin, considering booking this tour experience here.

If you do visit Potsdam, spend the entire day because there is a lot to do and see in the city

Taking a train from Berlin is easy, fast and also inexpensive

Do explore the town and you will also get plenty options of places to dine here

The main walking promenade in Postdam is nice especially late in the afternoon to early evening when everyone is enjoying the day outside.

Conclusion to visiting the palaces at Potsdam

Thanks for visiting today and checking out this post on Exploring the palaces and gardens of Potsdam, hopefully some of these places will inspire you to visit when you come to the city. If you enjoyed the images and post, could you please share it with any of the social media buttons located around the post.

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