Sanssouci Palace
Potsdam, a rather small town famous for its palaces, is located twenty kilometres from Berlin. In the town, one may count over twenty palaces, among which Sanssouci with its park and garden complex is worth a mention. In the 18th century, it was the summer residence of King of Prussia.
The palace was built according to the rough drawing of Frederick II. The king wanted to spend the summer in the lap of nature, to walk and enjoy the scenery at off-work time. In French, “sans souci” means “no worries”. The palace was built quite fast – between 1745 and 1747. The one-story palace, designed in the style of Rococo, has several large halls, guest rooms, a royal apartment and a library.
The green park stretching up to three kilometres is surrounding the palace. It is decorated with elegant lattice gazeboes, sculptures, various arches, fruit alleys, and fountains. In addition, you can see other interesting buildings: the Sanssouci Picture Gallery with its unique collection of works by French artists of the 18th century, the Chinese House with its collection of porcelain, the New Palace used for official meetings, and many other attractions.
However, the main attraction of the park complex are the vine terraces, located next to the main entrance of Sanssouci. As envisioned by the king, the vineyards had to give the estate some negligence and provincialism. The vineyards are in good keep, and tourists only for 3-4 euros can buy a bottle of wine from the vineyards of the Frederick the Great.
You are well advised to visit Potsdam in spring or summer time, when the magnificent Sanssouci is buried in verdure and flowers. Entrance to the park is free, but to visit a palace you need a ticket. It costs about 12 euros and includes a guide or an audio guide. Purchasing a Premium Day Pass would be reasonable. It is a special ticket that allows visiting all the palaces of Potsdam, including Sanssouci, within one day. It costs about 20 euros. You can buy it at all ticket offices of the palace, as well as online on the official website of Sanssouci.
Please note, the number of tickets to visit Sanssouci Palace is limited, so it is best to purchase them in advance online. Ticket offices in the palace are open from 10am. The palace is open daily from 10am to 18pm during the summer period (1 April – 31 October) and from 10am to 17pm in winter (1 November – 31 March). Monday is a day off.
The best way to get to Potsdam is by a car. However, you can use a train, in the direction to Brandenburg, Charlottenhof Station, further you should go by the signs. Way from the station to the palace takes about 10 minutes. Also you can use buses No 605 or 606, P.Park Sanssouci Stop.
