Potsdam
Introduction
Potsdam is the capital of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, sitting on the River Havel downstream of Berlin and roughly 25 kilometres southwest of the capital's centre. The city lies in a hilly, morainic landscape dotted with lakes — around twenty fall within its limits.
Its name, like those of many of its boroughs, is of Slavic origin, a reminder that the city's roots reach back well before the Prussian era that shaped its best-known landmarks.
Before you go
Potsdam lies about 30 km southwest of Berlin and long served as a royal residence for the kings of Prussia, who retreated here to escape the capital. That role has echoes today: since reunification, many well-off Berliners have moved to Potsdam or bought second homes here, and the city is the capital of the Bundesland of Brandenburg. It was also the setting for the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945, when Attlee, Truman and Stalin met at Schloss Cecilienhof to discuss the administration of occupied Germany. Until reunification, Potsdam was cut off from the former West Berlin, with Wannsee as the last station before the former GDR. Much of what you see today was rebuilt after the Second World War and after the neglect of the East German years. The city grew from the Great Elector's wish that "the whole island must become a paradise", shaped by five architects — Peter Joseph Lenné, Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, Carl Phillipp Christian von Gontard, Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Friedrich Ludwig Persius — under Frederick the Great and Emperor Wilhelm II. Most of the main sights are UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Sanssouci Park and the Crown estate of Bornstedt, the New Garden with the Pfingstberg and the Russian colony of Alexandrowka, and Babelsberg Park and Sacrow Park. The suburb of Babelsberg is home to Media City Babelsberg, a hub of film studios, the Konrad Wolf Film University, schools, radio and TV stations, a museum and an archive. Potsdam is a safe city for tourists, and in daylight the palaces and gardens fill with visitors.Getting there
Potsdam sits within the Berlin metropolitan area, so you can reach it on the same suburban network that serves the capital. Inner S-Bahn trains and faster RegionalExpress (RE) services both run here, though they don't all serve the same parts of the city, and your ticket needs to cover at least Berlin zones BC. For central Potsdam, head for Potsdam Main Station, the terminus of S-Bahn line S7 and a stop on RE1 towards Brandenburg or Magdeburg. From Berlin Friedrichstraße, the S-Bahn takes considerably longer than the RE1, which makes limited stops through the inner city.
- For Schloss Sanssouci, Park Sanssouci and Krongut Bornstedt: take an RE1 in the direction of Brandenburg (not Magdeburg) and get off at Charlottenhof, the station after Potsdam Main Station; the attractions are about ten minutes away on foot.
- For Babelsberg: take the S7 to Babelsberg, the station before Potsdam Main Station.
- For the Medienstadt film studios: take an RE7 towards Bad Belzig or Dessau and get off at Medienstadt Babelsberg.
By bus, Potsdam is somewhat underserved because intercity services can't sell tickets for trips shorter than 50 km, though there are several stops in Berlin and the central bus station (ZOB) is served by the S-Bahn. By car, the A10 and A115 highways connect the city. From Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, suburban train line RB22 runs hourly to Potsdam Main Station, with a transfer currently required; if you're heading to Babelsberg, change to the S7 at Potsdam Main Station. Alternatively, the express bus BER2 runs from the airport to the main station, stopping in Teltow and Stahnsdorf before the Potsdam Stern Center and terminating at Potsdam Main Station — the express service carries an extra charge, payable by cash or card to the driver.
Getting around
Potsdam is part of the same regional transport network as Berlin and the rest of Brandenburg (the VBB), so a single ticket covers trams, buses and trains and you can change between them freely as long as your ticket is valid for the zone you are travelling in. Potsdam has its own zones: the inner city is Zone A, the outer parts are Zone B, and the hinterland is Zone C. Potsdam itself lies within Berlin's Zone C, so a ticket valid for Berlin ABC or Berlin BC also works on Potsdam's public transport — just don't mix up Potsdam's zones with Berlin's. Buy tickets at the machines on board trams and buses, but for advice on zones and prices it's best to ask at Potsdam Hauptbahnhof or check the VBB website. The system is modern and overall excellent, if a little confusing at first, and it's laid out logically: each attraction tends to have its own stop named after it.
Several lines are especially useful. The Schlösser-Linie (Palaces Line), bus 695, runs from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof to Bahnhof Pirschheide, stopping for the Historic Steam Engine House, Sanssouci Palace and Park, the Orangery, the Dragon House, the Belvedere, the New Palace and a path to Charlottenhof Park. The Krongut-Linie (Crown Estate Line), trams 92 and 96, heads from the Hauptbahnhof towards Bornstedt Kirschallee and Campus Jungfernsee, serving the city centre, the Dutch Quarter, the Russian Colony, the Pfingstberg and the Volkspark; tram 92 to Hannes-Meyer-Str. puts you a short walk from the Ruinenberg, and tram 96 gives a more direct Volkspark stop for the Biosphere. The Tropen-Linie (Tropics Line) covers the Historic City Centre, the Russian Colony, the Pfingstberg, the Biosphere and the Volkspark, while the Cecilienhof-Linie combines trams 90 or 92 to Reiterweg / Alleestraße with bus 692 to Höhenstraße for the New Garden, the Marble Palace and Cecilienhof Palace. The Filmstadt-Linie (Film City Line) runs to Stern-Center / Gerlachstraße for Babelsberg Palace and Park, Flatow Tower, the Neubabelsberg Villa Colony, Babelsberg Media City and the Film Park. Among trains, take RE1 towards Brandenburg for Charlottenhof, the station after Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, for Sanssouci and Krongut Bornstedt; the S7 for Babelsberg; and RE7 towards Bad Belzig or Dessau for Medienstadt Babelsberg. From Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, the RB22 suburban train runs hourly to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof with a transfer currently required, and the BER2 express bus stops in Teltow and Stahnsdorf before the Stern Center and the Hauptbahnhof, with an extra charge payable to the driver.
On foot, the historic centre and the palace parks are rewarding, and many key sights — Sanssouci, the New Garden, Cecilienhof, the Dutch Quarter and the Russian Colony — sit in walkable clusters, with stops deliberately placed a short stroll from park entrances. Bikes are practical too: Nextbike operates in the city, and Donkey Bike has stations in nearby Wannsee, around 6 km away. Cycling is allowed in the Neuer Garten, but in Park Sanssouci it is restricted to certain paths such as the Ökonomieweg, which crosses the park from west to east. For door-to-door trips, Uber and Free Now both cover the city.
Where to stay
Many visitors see Potsdam as a day trip from Berlin, and staying in the capital is a perfectly reasonable option given its huge range of accommodation. If you would rather base yourself here, Potsdam has plenty of choices of its own, from budget pensions and hostels to mid-range and upscale hotels.
- For budget stays, options include Quartier (Hostel Pension Backpackers) on Ribbeckstraße, on the border of the park, with gender-exclusive shared rooms, a community room with full kitchen facilities, TV, free wireless access and a PC; Potsdam-Pension on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße (use the postcode when navigating, as the street exists twice in the city); Youth Hostel Potsdam - Haus der Jugend; Pension Scheffler on Grenzstr.; and Gästehaus Urban on Charlottenstraße.
- Mid-range choices include Avendi - Hotel am Griebnitzsee on Rudolf-Breitscheid-Str. and Seminaris SeeHotel Potsdam on An der Pirschheide.
- For a splurge, the MAXX Hotel Sanssouci Potsdam on Allee nach Sanssouci has rooms inspired by German film and cinema history. NH Potsdam on Friedrich-Ebert-Str. occupies the former "Palais Brühl" from the time of Frederick the Great and sits in the heart of Potsdam, in the Dutch district. Mercure Potsdam on Lange Brücke is a socialist-era concrete tower that has become a notorious eyesore, with ongoing public debate about removing it for spoiling the view and harmony of the gradually rebuilt historic centre; for a traveller it offers a central location and unparalleled views, and inside it has been refurbished to modern standards, though service is a little lacking. Dorint Sanssouci Berlin/Potsdam on Jägerallee is a congress hotel with a large pool area.
Food & drink
For budget meals, the city centre offers plenty of options. You can find Kneipe Hafthorn and Pizzeria Melody on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße, Suppenstube and De Lewante Restaurant on Gutenbergstraße, and 11-line on Charlottenstraße. Long Hai Asia Restaurant Potsdam sits on Lindenstraße, while Pizzeria Nr. 1 is on Jägerstraße. For something mid-range, try Lindner Esskultur on Jägerstraße, a branch of a bakery and delicatessen chain, or Restaurant Dreimäderlhaus on Hermann-Elflein-Straße. Der Butt and Brasserie zu Gutenberg are both on Gutenbergstraße, and Restaurant Alexandrowka1 is in the Russische Kolonie. If you're after a splurge, head to Restaurant kochZIMMER on Am Neuen Markt or Villa Kellermann on Mangerstraße. Potsdam's nightlife is somewhat overshadowed by nearby Berlin, but there are still good clubs and pubs worth your time. Interesting pubs cluster in the Holländer Viertel around Mittelstraße and in the city centre. For a student crowd, Pub à la Pub sits near the City Palace, while KuZe is a cultural centre and pub on Hermann-Elflein-Straße, and Olga on Charlottenstraße is an alternative pub with very basic furniture run by a basic democratic club. Hafthorn on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße is a famous pub with a nice Biergarten in summer, known for its handmade burger, and Waschbar on Geschwister-Scholl-Straße is a Szenekneipe where you'll find many beers, menus, and laundry facilities. La Leander on Benkertstraße is a coffee and bar spot for the gay-lesbian scene that also welcomes hetero guests, and Das Café Heider is on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße. For clubs, Archiv on Leipziger Straße is an alternative youth centre with regular parties and concerts, and Freiland Potsdam near the Hauptbahnhof hosts concerts, parties, youth clubs, art clubs, and social organisations. Club Charlotte in the city holds concerts and parties, Waschhaus near the Hans-Otto-Theatre offers parties, concerts, cinema, and art exhibitions, and Lindenpark in Babelsberg is a traditional address for concerts, parties, and a skater park. Palmenzelt on Lange Brücke opens only in autumn, winter, and early spring, with parties among palm trees, and in summer it organizes parties on a ship at the harbour near the main station.What to see and do
Potsdam's palaces and parks are largely managed by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, and a combined sanssouci+ ticket gives you access to most of their sites in a single day. Start in the centre: the Dutch Quarter is a grid of red-brick houses built in the 18th century by Dutch master builder Johann Boumann to draw Dutch artisans to the city, with the history of the quarter told in the Jan Bouman house on Mittelstraße. Nearby, the Alter Markt is the historic heart, with the Stadtschloss beside it and the Nikolaikirche to visit, while the Neuer Markt preserves an 18th-century market square. The Garrison Church holds a Coventry Cross of Nails chapel, an exhibition on the site's history, and a viewing platform. For art and history, Potsdam's museums include the Haus der Brandenburgisch-Preußischen Geschichte, the Naturkundemuseum, the Film Museum, the Potsdam Museum, and changing exhibitions at the Altes Rathaus. The Glienicke Bridge, completed in 1907, once served as a crossing for exchanged spies. The vast Park Sanssouci, a UNESCO World Heritage site with all its outbuildings, rewards wandering among its palaces, follies, cascading terraces, mini-gardens and romantic ruins. Within it, Sanssouci Palace is a rococo showpiece with remarkable interiors, though a daily entry limit means you should arrive early; the Gemäldegalerie holds its painting collection. The New Palace is also worth a visit, its Konzertsaal dripping in rococo glory, and it sits beside a University of Potsdam campus. Also in the park are the Orangerieschloss, built in Italian Renaissance style with the Raphael Hall and panoramic colonnade views, and Schloss Charlottenhof, a Neoclassical summer residence with period furnishings and a "tent room". Beyond the park, Park Babelsberg offers a Gothic-style palace, nature paths and historical landmarks, and you can cross a bridge into Klein Glienicke toward Schloss Glienicke and Jagdschloß Glienicke. The New Garden, laid out in 1787 in contrast to Baroque Sanssouci, borders two lakes and holds the Marble Palace and Cecilienhof Palace, where the Potsdam Conference met. In Nauener Vorstadt you can also see the former KGB prison, now a memorial, and the Russian Colony of Alexandrowka, with a museum in Haus 2 and a café in Haus 4. Krongut Bornstedt is an Italian-style complex with a palace and garden. For activities, cycle the city, climb the Babelsberg, and seek out the Dutch Quarter, Russian Colony and the Weberviertel in Babelsberg, three architectural oddities commissioned by the Prussian kings to attract foreign craftsmen. North of the city, Nikolskoe's Russian church and lodge now serve as a café and a stop en route to Peacock Island. Walk the south bank of Lake Griebnitz into Neubabelsberg, a Belle Epoque Villenkolonie, and visit Filmpark Babelsberg or the Studio Babelsberg film studios.When to go
Potsdam has a temperate climate, so what you pack depends heavily on when you visit. Winters are cold and snowy, with daytime highs often hovering near or just above freezing and overnight lows dropping below it. Spring arrives as a short, changeable transition out of the cold, so expect conditions to shift quickly as the season passes.
- Winter: Cold days near or just above freezing, common snow, and lows below freezing — a chilly, occasionally snowy visit.
- Spring: Brief and changeable, a quick transition from winter cold toward milder weather.
- Summer: Mild and relatively warm, with heat waves possible due to the urban heat island.
- Autumn: Short and cooling, a fast transition from summer warmth toward winter cold.
Three days in Potsdam
Day one: Start in Potsdam itself, the city that grew from a Slavic settlement into a Prussian residence and later the capital of the Bundesland of Brandenburg. Walk the centre, where the streets carry the marks of the Great Elector and of Frederick the Great, and take in the architecture associated with Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, Carl Phillipp Christian Gontard, Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Friedrich Ludwig Persius. Much of the historic core is recognised as UNESCO World Heritage, so give yourself time to look up at the façades rather than rushing between them.
Day two: Follow the water. The River Havel runs through Potsdam and the wider Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, linking the city to Berlin and to Wannsee, and its banks are the natural setting for the parks and palaces that most visitors come for. Peter Joseph Lenné shaped much of this landscape, and the gardens he laid out are best seen slowly, on foot. Keep the day loose: the pleasure here is in the sequence of water, trees and buildings rather than in any single stop.
Day three: Turn to the twentieth century. Schloss Cecilienhof, built for Emperor Wilhelm II, was the setting for the Potsdam Conference, where Attlee, Truman and Stalin met as the Second World War ended. From there the story runs on through the division of Germany, the GDR and the strange position of West Berlin as an island within East German territory. Until you have stood in these rooms and walked these grounds, the politics of the period can feel abstract; here it does not.