Potsdam
Quick Overview
Description
Time
10 am
Duration
6 hours
Meeting Point
Reichstagufer 17, 10117 Berlin
Prices
Adult
aged 18 to 64
€28.90
Senior/Student/Youth
aged 65 and over/7 to 17
€24.90
WelcomeCard
€24.90
Children
aged 6 and under
free
Required Transport Ticket
ABC 24-hour ticket required
Highlights
- Stroll around the small shops, galleries and cafés of the old Dutch Quarter, an ensemble of two-storey red-brick houses that is unique in Europe.
- Traverse the Glienicke Bridge, a former border crossing between East and West dubbed the “Bridge of Spies” for its use in the exchange of prisoners.
- Take in the splendid Sanssouci Palace, Frederick the Great’s favourite residence, which is set in beautiful grounds scattered with temples, churches and follies.
- Visit the UNESCO-listed Cecilienhof Palace, which was built in the style of a country manor and used to host the historic Potsdam Conference in 1945.
- Explore the “Forbidden City”, the headquarters of Soviet counterintelligence during the Cold War.
- Walk under the ornate triumphal arch of Potsdam’s Brandenburg Gate on your way to the graceful Friedenskirche (Church of Peace).
Starting Point
Meet your guide on the square next to the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), Reichstagufer 17, 10117 Berlin.
Description
The palace complexes and landscape gardens of Potsdam were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990 – and it’s easy to see why. With its many magnificent edifices, serene lakes, manicured gardens, statues and water fountains dotted over hundreds of green acres, this ensemble is a real feast for the eyes.
Completed in 1742, the Dutch Quarter (or “Little Amsterdam”) boasts charming cobbled streets and pretty red-brick buildings. Commissioned by the infamous “Soldier King”, Frederick William I (also renowned for the giant men he recruited for his showcase military regiments), these 134 terraced houses were built to accommodate Potsdam’s growing community of Dutch artisans.
After crossing the “Bridge of Spies”, the tour arrives at Cecilienhof, a palace that was originally intended as a residence for the last Crown Prince of the German Empire but came to host the Potsdam Conference in 1945. We describe the talks held between the UK, US and USSR leaders – Churchill (and later Attlee), Truman and Stalin –, which were to seal the fate of Cold War Europe for the subsequent half century. Walk around the Soviet “Forbidden City”, one of the most important intelligence sites of the Soviets in East Germany during the Cold War.
Often referred to as the “Versailles of Germany”, Sanssouci Palace is a masterpiece of rococo architecture. Built as a summer residence for Frederick the Great, the palace stands in 700-acre grounds that are a masterpiece of landscape design with their blend of man-made features, formal gardens and natural landscapes.
Finishing Point
Your guide will travel back with you to Friedrichstraße station in the centre of Berlin.
Insider Route
This itinerary is intended to give you a general idea of our route on this tour. You can expect to see and hear stories about all of these sites, as well as many more! Please be aware that the route is subject to change on any given day, should unforeseen circumstances arise.
- Meeting point – on the square next to the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), Reichstagufer 17
- S-Bahn Potsdam – upon arrival in the beautiful city of Potsdam, hear a fascinating overview of Potsdam’s history.
- Alter Markt and Potsdamer Stadtschloss – spectacular square and newly reconstructed city palace
- Glienicke Bridge (known as the “Bridge of Spies”) – site of spy swaps during the Cold War
- Neuer Garten and Marmorpalais (Marble Palace) – gorgeous sprawling gardens and some of the most attractive palaces Potsdam has to offer
- Schloss Cecilienhof (Cecilienhof Palace) – the last of the royal palaces to be built (1917) and the location of the 1945 Potsdam Conference
- Former “Forbidden City” – the HQ of the KGB and a no-go area for locals
- Dutch Quarter – this unique and appealing collection of Dutch-style houses is an architectural marvel.
- Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate Potsdam) – its two vastly different sides were designed by two different architects.
- Friedenskirche (Church of Peace) – a picturesque church with an eye-catching tower set amid beautiful gardens
- Sanssouci Palace – Frederick the Great’s opulent summer residence
Insider Reviews
Gallery
