Things to Do in Potsdam

Potsdam’s Cecilienhof Palace (Schloss Cecilienhof) was the last palace built by the House of Hohenzollern, the dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire until the end of World War I. These days, the former home of Crown Prince Wilhelm is best known for the role it played as the location for the Potsdam Conference of 1945, during which the leaders of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States (The ‘Big Three’) negotiated the terms for the end of WWII. 

Today, the 176-room castle is an historic memorial and museum where visitors can tour the impressive working rooms where the conference took place. Schloss Cecilienhof is located in the northern part of the large Neuer Garten park, close to the shore of the Jungfernsee (Virgins’ Lake). The lake, once a glacial kettle, is now a part of the River Havel. Lunch or dinner can be found right on the lake at the former working dairy, now a hearty restaurant and brewery called the ‘Gasthausbrauerei Meierei im Neuen Garten.’

Marmorpalais, or Marble Palace in English, is the former royal residence in Potsdam, Germany, outside of Berlin. It sits on the grounds of the Neuer Garten along the shores of the Heiliger Lake. It was designed in a Neoclassical style in the late 1700s and remained as the home of royalty until the early 20th century. Today the palace serves as a museum and is open to the public. Visitors can explore the interiors and see early classical furniture and detailed arches, which have different designs in almost every room. 

The Marble Palace also has several marble fireplaces and ancient sculptures that were obtained from Italy. Local trees were used for creating the high quality wood floors and other detailed aspects of the palace. Some of the walls are covered in fine silks. Other impressive items on display here include two grandfather clocks and an extensive collection of ceramic vases. Most of the rooms have been preserved in their original state, giving visitors a good look at how royalty lived.

The Neues Palais (New Palace) is the largest 18th-century structure in Potsdam’s Sanssouci Park. Situated on the western side of the park, the building was completed under Prussian King Friedrich II in 1769. It is the last palace that Frederick the Great built in the Potsdam park grounds — no further baroque palaces were built in Germany after this one. Once the royal residence during the German Empire (1871-1918), the New Palace is made up of opulent main reception rooms, beautiful galleries, and luxurious royal apartments.

Today, the New Palace is home to the University of Potsdam’s philosophy department, and various other institutes. Out of the 200 palatial rooms, some 60 can be viewed by visitors. Among these are the Grottensaal (Grotto Hall), the Marmorgalerie (Marble Gallery), and the guest apartments. The Visitor’s Hall is located in the historic Südtorgebäude (South Tower), and is a reception point for groups of visitors as well as a multimedia information center for adults and for children. A bronze model located here allows blind and visually impaired visitors to literally get a feel for the park. The New Palace also has an on-site restaurant (Fredersdorf), which combines the fresh, modern kitchen with a royal backdrop.