Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam
Schloss Sanssouci
Frederick the Great’s rococo summer palace, built on terraced vineyards. Among the palaces scattered through the 290-hectare park are the New Palace and the Chinese Tea House. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sanssouci (French for “without a care”) is the summer palace that Prussian King Frederick II, known as Frederick the Great, built in Potsdam between 1745 and 1747. He sketched the design himself, and the architect Knobelsdorff completed it. It is a leading example of German Rococo architecture. In 1990 it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site together with the palace and garden ensembles of Potsdam and Berlin. The palace has just one storey and 12 rooms, set on top of six levels of terraced vineyards. Frederick spent time here with Voltaire, discussing philosophy and playing the flute. He asked to be buried on the terrace beside the palace with his beloved dogs. His wish was fulfilled in 1991, and visitors often leave potatoes on his gravestone to honor his promotion of the potato. Visiting the palace requires a ticket. The Sanssouci+ pass, about €22, covers all the palaces in the park, while a single palace costs about €14. Book timed-entry tickets on spsg.de, and in peak season you must book well in advance. Highlights inside include the oval marble hall, the Voltaire Room and the music room. The 290-hectare park is free (voluntary donations welcome) and is best explored on foot or by bike. Its highlights include the classic panorama of the great fountain and terraced vineyards, the gilded Chinese Tea House, the enormous New Palace that Frederick built late in life to display national power, the Picture Gallery (Germany’s first purpose-built museum building), the Orangery Palace and a windmill. Potsdam itself also has the Dutch Quarter, the Russian Colony and Cecilienhof Palace, where the 1945 Potsdam Conference was held. Getting there: from Berlin, take the S7 line for about 45 minutes or the RE1 regional train for about 25 minutes to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, then take bus 695 or X15 to the Schloss Sanssouci stop (ABC zone ticket required). Picnics are not allowed in the park, and cycling through the core area is prohibited. Paths are mostly gravel, so wear comfortable shoes. One day is enough to see Sanssouci, the New Palace and the town center.
Opening hours
Palace Apr–Oct 10:00–17:30, Nov–Mar 10:00–16:30, closed Mon; park sunrise to sunset
Nearby sights
- Cecilienhof Palace
- Glienicke Bridge
- House of the Wannsee Conference
- Großer Wannsee
- Spandau Citadel
- Botanic Garden Berlin
- Charlottenburg Palace
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church