• Understand
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Stay safe
• Contact
• Get out

Potsdam is the capital of Brandenburg and borders Berlin. The town has population of approx. 146.500. It is widely known for its castles and landscape as a World Heritage Site. Potsdam is more than 1000 years old. Many historic buildings are under re-construction after World War Two and the period of the GDR.

[edit] Understand

For most of its recent history Potsdam has not been accessible from Berlin. The last station before the former GDR was Wannsee. Many of the buildings that are visible today have been reconstructed after the bombings of the Second World War and after the lax care of the East German Government. The city as we see it today is the work of five architects (After the Great Elector had said: "Das ganze Eyland muß ein Paradies werden" (The whole island must become a paradise)): Peter Joseph Lenné, Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, Carl Phillipp Christian von Gontard, Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Friedrich Ludwig Persius, and of course Emperors Frederick the Great and Wilhelm II.

It is important to realise that most of the tourist attraction in the city are UNESCO World Heritage sites - these are:

• Sanssouci Park and the Crown estate of Bornstedt
• The New Garden (including the Pfingstberg and the Russian colony of Alxandrowka)
• Babelsberg Park
• Sacrow Park

[edit] Get in

[edit] By train

From Berlin: Regional Train "R1" direction "Magdeburg" or "Brandenburg", 20 min from Zoo-Station. Inner-city train "S7"/"S1" direction Potsdam, about 45 min from Zoo-Station. You must have a ticket for the zones A,B and C because the zone C covers from BVG the public transport in Potsdam

[edit] By Road

[edit] By Air

Fly to Berlin, Tegel or Schönefeld. Then use public Transport S7 or S1 or Re1.

[edit] Get around

The tram and bus system in Potsdam is very modern and pretty much excellent, but confusing. Potsdam is, together with Berlin and parts of Brandenburg, part of the VBB transportation network. That enables you to change trams and busses pretty much at will, as long as your ticket is valid for the zone you're in. The inner city of Potsdam is in Zone A, the outer parts are in Zone B, the hinterland is Zone C. Beware though, as Potsdam itself lies in Berlin's Zone C, Berlin's outer parts are Berlin Zone B and so on. Tickets can be bought at ticket machines in every tram and bus. Unfortunately they're of no big help when it comes to choosing the right ticket, and furthermore they only accept coins and rechargeable "Geldkarten", but no bills. It's best to get detailed information about prices and zones at Potsdam's central station or on the VBB website. The transport although confusing at first is pretty logically laid out - each tourist attraction has its own bus / tram stop (with the appropropriate name) and the staff of the VBB are extremely helpful, with most speaking very good English.

For tourists there are four main lines in and around Potsdam:

• Schlösser-Linie (Palaces Line):
  

Bus No 695 from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof - Bahnhof Pirschheide
With stops for: The Historic Steam Engine House, Sanssouci Palace and Park, The Orangery, the Dragon House, the Belvedere, The New Palce and a path to the Charlottenhof Park

• Krongut-Linie (Crown Estate Line):
  

Tram No 92 from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof - Bornstedt Kirschallee
With stops for: The Dutch Quater, The Russian Colony (Alexandrowka), the Pfingstberg, the Potsdam Biosphere and the Volkspark

• Tropen-Linie (Tropics Line):
  

From Potsdam Haupbahnhof - Viereckremise
With stops for: The Historic City Centre, the Russian Colony (Alexandrowka),the Pfingstberg, the Potsdam Biosphere and the Volkspark

• Cecilienhof-Linie (Cecilienhof Line):
  

From Potsdam Haupbahanhof take Tram Nos 90/92 to Reiterweg / Alleestraße, then Bus No 692 - Höhenstraße
With stops for: The Russian colony (Alexandrowka), the New Garden, the Marble Palace, Celcilienhof Palace and the Pfingstberg

• Filmstadt-Linie (Film City Line):
  

From Potsdam Hauptbahnhof - Stern-Center / Gerlachstraße
With stops for: Babelsberg palace and park, Flatow Tower, the Arcaded Court House, the Neubabelsberg Villa Colony, Babelsberg Media City and the Film Park.

[edit] See

Schloss Sanssouci.

• Park Sanssouci - This immense park outside Berlin in the city of Potsdam is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, along with all its outbuildings. Get there early: there is a 2000 person/day entry limit at Schloss (Castle) Sanssouci, a fabulous rococo palace with amazing interiors. One of the most noteworthy rooms in the palace is the Konzertsaal (concert hall) - dripping in rococo glory.

• The New Garden hosts the Marmorpalais and the Palace Cecilienhof.

• Gedenk- und Begegnungsstätte Ehemaliges KGB-Gefängnis Potsdam, Leistikowstr. 1 [1]. Literally the Memorial and Meeting-place Former KGB Prison Potsdam. From August 1945 it was occupied by soviet forces und has been reconstructed as a prison for the counterintelligence. Today it's been left standing to remind of the depressing reality of dictatorships. Open from May to October, every Saturday and Sunday 11-17h.

• Holländisches Viertel - Right in the middle of Potsdam are the "Dutch Quarters", build in the 18th century by Dutch master builder Johann Boumann to attract other Dutch artisans. The quarters consist of 134 red brick houses, divided into four blocks. The history of the Dutch Quarters can be seen in the house in Mittelstraße 8.

• Alter Markt, the old market is the historic city center, the Stadtschloss (city castle) is under re-construction. You can visit the Nikolaikirche there.

• New Market, the new market is an original preserved barque market square from the 18th century.

• Park Babelsberg is a beautiful park with an gothic-style castle, it is also part of the World heritage site. One part of the university is placed here, so expect some students.

• The Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island) is a small island with free living peacocks.

• The Russian Colony - Alexandrowska. Alexandrowska consisits of a few "Russian Style" house built for Russian immigrants during the reign of "The Soldier King". House No. 2 (Haus 2) has a very interesting museum while House No. 4 ( Haus 4) has an excellent café. Visit their website for further information [2].

• Krongut Bornstedt - an archtitectonical complex in Italian style with a palace and a garden

Potsdam has several interesting museums to offer:

• Haus der Brandenburgisch-Preußischen Geschichte, [3]. A museum about Potsdam's history.

• Museum of Natural History

• Film Museum, Well worth a visit, the first German expressionist film in the world was made at these studios. The next-door studios are home to Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten a famous German soap opera[4].

• Potsdam Museum at the Duch District.

• Altes Rathaus Changing exhibitions at the old town hall.

• Gemäldegaleria. The beautiful collection of paintings at the Sans Souci Palace.

[edit] Do

• Visit Sanssouci - the baroque decoration is wonderful.
• Take a cycling tour of the city
• Walk around Sanssouci Park
• Climb the Babelsberg

[edit] Buy

The Dutch Quarter (Holländisches Viertel) Has over 70 antique shops.

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Waldstadt and surround

[edit] Babelsberg

• direct at station "S-Bahnhof Babelsberg":

[edit] Holländerviertel

[edit] Potsdam-North

• *

[edit] Stern (suburban)

[edit] Stay safe

Potsdam is a safe city for tourists. During daylight the city is full of tourists that visit the amazing castles and gardens.

[edit] Contact

For international contact details see the Berlin page. The nearest embassies (German:Botschaft) are all located in Berlin

[edit] Get out

Visit Berlin - It's the easiest thing to do.