Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam, Germany

The Park Sanssouci was originally an orchard near Potsdam. This was the favorite retreat of King Frederick II - later known as Frederick the Great. Here he could stay without worries (hence the name sans souci, French for "without worries"). No women were allowed in Sanssouci, not even the king"s wife.

In 1744 the king commissioned architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff to build a summer palace, the Schloss Sanssouci. Here he could leave all the formalities of the royal court behind and spend time on his hobbies like music and philosophy. In the central room, the Marmorsaal which was loosely based on the Pantheon in Rome, he would invite famous philosophers like Voltaire.

The design of the Sanssouci Palace was based on sketches made by Frederick the Great himself. The relatively small palace with only twelve rooms was completed in 1747. It is located on top of a terraced vineyard, known as the Weinberg (wine mountain). The palace is only one storey high, but beautifully decorated in rococo style. Over the years, several other buildings were added to the grounds of the Sanssouci park.

The most impressive of all is the Neues Palais, a large Baroque palace. It was commissioned by King Frederick the Great in 1750 but construction only started in 1763 after the Seven Years" War, which solidified Prussia"s status as a powerful nation. The Neues Palais is one of Germany"s most impressive palaces; in contrast to the Sanssouci Palace, which is rather modest, the imposing sumptuous palace contains more than two hundred lavishly decorated rooms spread over two storeys. The central ballroom is topped by a large dome. Another noteworthy building in the Sanssouci Park is the Chinesisches Teehaus, an oriental style teahouse constructed in 1756. It currently houses a collection of porcelain.

The 700-acre / 287-hectare large park around the palace consists of several different gardens, all with their own character. The park contains many statues and fountains, the largest of them, the Große Fontäne (Great Fountain) in front of the Neues Palais.

The Friedenskirche (church of peace) was built by King Frederick William IV between 1845 and 1854. It was based on the Santa Maria Clemente church in Rome.

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User Reviews

MH Apin (9 months ago)
This place is beautiful. The outdoor park is open to public and no ticket is required. You will need 2-3 hrs to really explore the whole place. And it’s a wonderful for an afternoon activity. Plenty of quiet places to read and just sit quietly. The grounds are kept and is manicured. I had a great time walking around the grounds. Some building require ticket to enter but the outdoor space is definitely a must walk if you have time.

Pruthvi (10 months ago)
One of the most exquisite palaces that I've seen. The park and formal gardens offer a captivating stroll, alternating between magical viewpoints, geometric flower beds and majestic statues. The Sun can be seen everywhere in the decoration of the apartments at the palace. The surroundings also house the Potsdam university. The place is a little remote and you can commute there via bus or car. A must visit!

J. (10 months ago)
The Palace is surrounded by a very huge park! It’s free of charge to walk around the park. The audio tour is included in the entrance fees and it’s available in many languages. The whole audio tour is less than an hour. It’s very well made. The audio tour was actually better than what I expected! The tour was actually very nice, the rooms was nicely and tastefully decorated and well maintained. I would definitely recommend it! Even we couldn’t buy tickets in advance, we were able to buy the tickets on-site.

Adrián Zelaya (10 months ago)
It’s a really unique place. You can walk around the parks for free and see the palaces from the outside. It takes some time, at least 2-3 hours to see & enjoy the park in its fullness. The palace was small but the inside was incredible. The tour is organized pretty well and the storyline in the audio guide is cohesive. We bought our tickets directly at the entrance (by the Windmill) and we were pretty lucky because there were not so many free slots available left, so I would advise buying the tickets ahead of time, otherwise you risk not being able to enter ?

Alejandro Montiel (11 months ago)
If you travel by bus, catch the X15 bus from Potsdam central station. Bring shoes suitable for walking. This is quite a magnificent place. Recommended.

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