Schloss Sanssouci, Frederick the Great’s fantastical summer palace, is the best known of Potsdam’s many UNESCO-listed attractions, but there are a plethora of magnificent Baroque buildings to admire.
If you’re looking for something a bit more modern, Babelsberg is the oldest large-scale film studio in the world, with a Hollywood highlight reel which includes credits on the Hunger Games and Captain America. Whether you’re in Potsdam for business or pleasure, you’re sure to be amazed with what’s on offer.
Throw away your cares at a baroque palace
Frederick the Great built Schloss Sanssouci as a summer retreat but it soon became his favorite place to stay, where he could be 'sans souci' (without cares). The glorious palace has lost none of its glittering charm, and remains a magical place to stroll around. Wander through the vast park and grounds, the oldest and most beautiful of Potsdam’s green spaces dotted with more ornate palaces.
It’s a mile-long walk through the park to the vast, impressive Neues Palais. Friedrich II built this imposing palace in just six years as a symbol of Prussian power and prestige in the wake of the Seven Years War.
Today, you can walk through the glittering festival hall, the magnificent Marmorsaal (Marble Hall) and lavishly decorated banqueting halls and galleries. Despite the extravagant opulence, the king rarely stayed here, though the last German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, used it as his residence until 1918.
Explore a corner of Dutch delights
Between Sanssouci park and the river is the fascinating Dutch Quarter, or Holländerviertel. An area of more than 100 typical Dutch-style red brick houses arranged on four squares and built in the 18th century for Dutch immigrants.
Lose yourself among these lovingly restored houses, which have been transformed into arts and crafts stores, galleries, workshops, antique dealers and cozy little cafés. Here, too, is the Jan-Bouman-Haus, a museum with fascinating displays and videos on how the Dutch quarter was built, and the Potsdam Museum, taking you through 1,000 years in the history of the city.
An excellent place to rest and have a bite to eat is Maison Charlotte, a rustic bistro serving fine French-style country cuisine.
Lose yourself in Little Russia
One of Potsdam's more unusual neighbourhoods is Alexandrowka, a Russian colony that was built by Friedrich Wilhelm III to house the singers of a Russian military choir in 1820.
The descendants of those original settlers still live in the chalet-like wooden houses and you can learn more at the pretty little Alexandrowka museum.
Find out the secrets of movie making
South-east of the Havel, in the outlying district of Babelsberg, is the world-renowned Studio Babelsberg, where movies have been shot since the 1920s, including such classics such as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and, more recently, blockbusters like The Bourne Supremacy.
Babelsberg is still a working studio and you can get an authentic behind-the-scenes look at the secrets of film making at the Filmpark Babelsberg, where costume designers and make-up artists show how they create their magic and stuntmen and women show off their skills in a spectacular show.
Whatever you want out of your visit to Potsdam, a rental car means you have the freedom to explore it all at your own pace.