Discover Potsdam: History, Gardens and Culture

Potsdam combines historic architecture with gardens, cultural offerings and opportunities to explore the city on foot, by bicycle or on the water. If you’re looking for a hotel in Potsdam, you can focus your stay on the topics that interest you: architectural history, plant life, seasonal events or outdoor activities.

Historic Buildings and Squares

The Dutch Quarter was built between 1734 and 1742 for Dutch craftsmen whom King Frederick William I had brought to Potsdam. The Old Market Square was laid out near the Havel as a Roman-style square under Frederick the Great in the mid-18th century. The two places represent different historical perspectives: the settlement of Dutch craftsmen on the one hand, and a square modeled on ancient Rome on the other.

Sanssouci Palace also has its own history: Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff built it from 1745 to 1747 based on the ideas and sketches of Frederick II. Sanssouci Park, with its palaces, is managed by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg. The Nauener Tor is one of the three city gates of Potsdam still standing. The square, palace and city gate reveal different facets of the city’s historic character.

Gardens, Plants and Leisure

Potsdam Botanical Garden cultivates around 10,000 different plant species from tropical and subtropical regions, in greenhouses and across five hectares of open grounds. Its educational and cultural program invites visitors to learn more about plant life and combine cultural experiences with time in nature. Specific program items may vary.

Volkspark Potsdam offers a four-kilometer circular route, as well as a skate course, water and sand playgrounds, basketball courts and soccer pitches. This provides a range of leisure options, from the circular route to play and sports areas. For specific plans, it is advisable to check the latest information about the facilities, as they may change.

Culture and Exploration

The Belvedere on Pfingstberg hosts guided tours, theater, concerts, cabaret and exhibitions, especially during the summer months. The program varies. If cultural events are part of your travel plans, check the dates in advance and take the seasonal focus into account when planning.

Potsdam can be explored on foot, by bicycle or on the water. Suggested routes combine sights with views of the cultural landscape and the Havel. This information gives you an idea of the ways to explore; the specific suggestions bring together sights and landscape views.

The grave of the scholar and later court jester Baron Jakob Paul von Gundling (1673–1731) is located in Bornstedt Cemetery. His painted sandstone epitaph lies beneath the organ gallery and is one of the church and cemetery’s main attractions. The combination of a specific historical figure and the epitaph described adds a personal chapter of the city’s history to the picture of Potsdam’s squares and buildings.

Discover more destinations: Schwielowsee, Golm, Marquardt, Kleinmachnow, Borkheide, Gollwitz, Klein Briesen, Bad Belzig

For the higher-level travel overview: Potsdam-Mittelmark.