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POTSDAM
SIGHTSEEING
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History I
Sightseeing I
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Hotels in Potsdam
Here are some of the highlights of the
city of Potsdam :
Schloss
Sanssouci
: Northwest from Potsdam, the park Sanssouci is located, which has
an area of 287 hectares and in which for over two centuries a diversity
of castles and gardens has been growing. One of these buildings is the
so-called leisure house, Schloss Sanssouci. In 1744, Friedrich der Große
commissioned the architect, Georg Wenzeslaus, to construct this castle;
and in 1747, this castle, which represents an example of Rococo, was
dedicated. Friedrich der Große, who spoke French instead of German, used
this castle for free time. The name Sanssouci is French and means
without worry. In front of the castle, one sees a stairway and six
parabolic swinging terraces for wine grapes, which remind one of the
classic French art of garden building. On the terraces, in the alcoves
enclosed by glass, wine grapes, small orange trees and fig trees were
raised. In the foreground the great fountain is located.
New Palace
: The powerful castle is located on the west side of the park
Sanssouci, where the Hauptallee runs into the garden side of the Neues
Palais (new palace). The building expresses the power and the glory of
the Prussians, which arose from the peace treaty of the Seven Years War
and the leadership of Friedrich II. Before the war, in 1750, Georg
Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorf created the first plans; and, in the 1750s,
Gottfried von Büring and the French Jean Laurent Le Geay Gottfried,
participated in the design. As a result of the Seven Years' War (1756 -
1763), the execution of the plans was delayed. In 1763, von Büring began
and led the construction; and then, from 1763 on, Karl von Gontard led
it. Despite the high costs of the war, the Neue Palais was built in only
seven years, as all participants were constantly driven by the king to
hurry. During the period of construction, Friedrich der Große (Frederick
the Great) maintained the architectural genre of the late Baroque.
Therefore, the Neue Palais is regarded as the last important castle of
the Prussian Baroque, which reflects the later style of the architecture
from the reign of Frederick the Great. Corinthian pilasters divide the
three-story stucco building to which one-story, corner pavilions are
added. A powerful tambourine-shaped cupola surmounts the gable-crowned
projection of the central building. Before the pilasters and on top of
the attic stand 292 sandstone figures. Above all the Neue Palais, having
over 200 rooms, served as the guest house for numerous visitors of the
house of the Prussian king.
Schloss Cecilienhof
: The Cecilienhof villa (or castle) was the venue for the 1945
Potsdam conference at the end of World War II. It was built in 1914 and
designed by Paul Schultze-Naumburg in the style of an English country
manor. The Palace served as a residence to the Hohenzollern family after
they had lost the crown. They stayed here in Potsdam until 1945. Today
the Cecilienhof residence is a hotel. One of the attractions is the
large green park surrounding the building;
Dutch Quarter
: Dutch workers arrived in Potsdam at the beginning of the 18th
century. Between 1733 and 1742 a settlement was built for them by order
of Friedrich Wilhelm I. The quarter comprises 134 gabled houses arranged
in four groups. The houses were built from small red bricks and finished
with stone and plaster details.
Alexandrovka Russian Colony
: another example of the "exotic" attraction of Potsdam. These
houses were built in 1826 for a group of 12 singers of a Russian choir
that was established in 1812. Wooden log cabins with intricate carvings,
set in their own gardens, create a charming residential estate. The
architect was the German Snethlage.
Babelsberg Film Park:
here the visitor gets a look at the fascinating world of German
film-making. It is located on the site where the first movies of Germany
were produced in 1912. The main production company was the UFA
(Universum Film AG). Some of the most important movies : "Metropolis" by
Fritz Lang, "Der Blaue Engel (The blue angel) with actress Marlene
Dietrich. Later the studios were used by the Nazis to produce their
propaganda films.
The
lovely lakes and countryside of the Havel.
An overview of hotels in Potsdam.
Other German cities.
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