Potsdam, Germany

Fluffing about in Potsdam,  Nikolai-kirche

Are we, the rest of the western world, doing it wrong? This whole going to work process? We had a moment of doubt at 10am this Monday morning as our train creaked and moved toward the city of Potsdam. Around us several commuters quietly in a nonchalant fashion sipped on large bottles of golden larger like it was their morning coffee. 

We felt so unprepared and the water bottles in our hands were screaming out our tourist status. It felt like we were missing such a key ingredient on how to commute on a German train. 

Around 11am we arrived, completely sober mind you, into Potsdam the small capital city of Brandenburg. Potsdam is to Germany what Versailles is to France or Windsor to England but on a slightly larger scale. Directly along the city edge of Berlin against the river Havel, Potsdam has been occupied for over 5,000 years and many of the best and some of the worst moments of German history happened in Potsdam. On an international scale it's home of the well known Potsdam Conference, the largest post-WWII meeting between the Allies (the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States), during which they decided how to administer punishment to the defeated Nazi Germany, as well as establish post-war peace treaties and outline the terms of surrender for Japan.  

Inside the Landesrechnugshof Brandenburg

As a little background, the city is known to have been home to Slavic migrants as far back as the early Bronze Age (2000BC). However the old city town itself dates back to the year 993, then a small village in a country that was still to become Germany. 

The following centuries saw onslaughts of crusades and pillaging. Christianity flourished and conflict pursued for generations. By 1531, Potsdam was a thriving market town. 

Battles for land and estates continued and over the years not one but hundreds of royal palaces and estates of great sizes rose from the ground. It was these beautiful collection of stunning UNESCO heritage palaces set within large parklands that were waiting for us on this cold wet winter's day.

As a steady stream of rain hit the pavement we set off from the train station with a very eager plan and a city map on which we circled almost everything we could possibly see. 

The first thing we saw from the station was the towering Landtag Brandenburg snuggled against other also large and dominant town buildings surrounding a small cobbled square. Across the perimeter the Alter Markt stood silently in the rain. Ohh so pretty we thought! It was then it dawned on us that we could catch the city trams on our travel pass, so we got on the next one tottering past, for all of one stop! We were already in the old historic city centre. 

Walking down the main street

Small churches tucked at the road end

Here the soft pastel buildings lined the main street leading toward what looked like a castle. It was the Nauener Tor (new tower) which, on closer inspection, really did look very new. Very grey and very new. We walked along peering down the road leading to the red bricked Dutch quarter before turning right towards Potsdam’s miniature Brandenburg Tor, a Roman-style triumphal arch similar to the large Berlin city landmark. 

Nauener Tor, Potsdam

Brandenburg Tor, Potsdam

Unlike most of Potsdam’s historic center, which was heavily damaged in the World War II bombings, the palaces inside the city's large Sanssouci Park remain intact. As we wandered around, alone on the quiet wet cobbled streets looking for the park entrance we hoped we were heading in the right direction. However soon enough we stumbled upon the 700acre park entrance and were staring straight up at the Schloss Sanssouci (Sanssouci Palace). 

Scholoss Sanssouci

The golden yellow palace sits atop a terraced garden like a beautiful rising sun. A king of the Prussian dynasty, Frederick the Great had designed and commissioned the surrounding gardens to cultivate his plums, figs and wine. 

The king didn’t want the beautiful view to go to waste so he thought of building the palace on top of the garden to serve as his summer residence. Although a lot of the regal palace statues were covered from the brutal winter weather we could still feel how magical it must be in summer. 

Approaching the stairs

We bounded up the garden stairs and peered in the windows (the museum was closed today).

Located about two kilometers away and still within the parklands is the Neues Palais or the New Palace. We could see it and it didn't look too far away as we set off in a straight line from the king's summer residence. But we totally misjudged the enormous size of the palace and the walk felt forever! Also built by Frederick the Great, as his main home, it was designed to show Prussia’s glory and power after the Seven Years’ War. 

Close up of Sanssouci

Within the green park, successive monarchs constructed their own palaces, pavilions and pleasure gardens throughout, including a Chinese teahouse, a Roman villa and baths, an Italian Renaissance orangerie, a Romantic hilltop ruin, vineyards, and a monumental neo-classical palace with a Grotto Room elaborately decorated in seashells.

We saw a few of these as we powered through although because of the time of year many were covered from the elements. 

Approaching the Neues Palais

As we arrived and stood alone at the back of the Neues Palais we felt like it was the biggest palace we had ever seen. It was ginormous. Large king statues stared down at us from the rooftop and the building was so beautiful. 

John jumping and falling faster than the rain

Circling around the palace's exterior we realised our itinerary for our Potsdam visit was quite ambitious, we wouldn't be able to visit the palace if we wanted to check everything else off on our list. Really once we stepped foot inside Sanssouci Park, we knew it wasn't going to be easy to see everything whilst all the while walking through the rain, but we had no true idea of the size of these palaces!! We continued on, upbeat and again in awe as more magnificent towering buildings (these ones belong to the city university) came into view directly behind the new palace. The park was a walkathon and so to give our feet a break we jumped on the next bus as it came around.

University of Potsdam- wow! 

Front side of the Neues Palais

Can you imagine studying here!

Back in the city, we transferred onto the tram line and next headed toward the Glienicke Bridge. The bridge crosses the Havel River, connecting Berlin with Potsdam.

Glienicke Bridge, Potsdam

It is named after nearby Glienicke Palace, a small charming estate. The current bridge was completed in 1907 and major reconstruction was necessary after it was damaged during World War II. 

The bridge is popular as during the Cold War it was used several times for the exchange of captured spies and thus became known as the "Bridge of Spies". We took a quick photo climbed underneath to see what was there and walked back to the tram. 

John outside the Marble Palace

We were so hungry by the time we returned to the historic centre we think the lining of our stomachs were eating themselves. We sat down to a hearty chicken schnitzel for lunch pretty much licking the plate clean. 

With food in our bellies and warm again we ventured back outside and took a city bus on the 603 Cecilienhof line. From here we could explore the New Garden built by King Fredrich Wilhelm II in 1787, the Marble Palace and the Schloss Cecilienhof. 

It was difficult to know where to get off the bus and we got off a little too soon but with the rain only pattering down slightly we opted to explore more of the garden park. 

Taking the long way in the New Garden

Cute little rest stop

Next on the list was the Belvedere auf dem Pfingstberg.

Outside the Belvedere auf dem Pfingstberg

The Belvedere on the Pfingstberg is a palace atop the Pfinstberg mountain. It was commissioned by King Fredrich Wilhelm IV. The twin-towered building was modelled on Italian Renaissance architecture, and it was built in 1847.

Standing at its feet it looked glorious and the white roman columns had us wishing we were back somewhere warm and sunny! 

Heading back a third time to the city we walked slowly stopping to look at some interesting looking houses and by the time we returned to the train we were weary and tired. 

Old wooden house

Interesting roof tiling

Not really having paced ourselves but covered a huge distance in one day our legs ached and our shoes were wet through but we were happy to have seen such beauty. We would strongly recommend a trip to Potsdam!

Tot siens,

John and Kara