Potsdam One-Day Tour: Wunderkammer Park, Old Town

Potsdam is a very historical place, Potsdam is located in the vicinity of Berlin, about 40 minutes of driving distance, take the Berlin public transportation Bahn can also be reached, just like Taipei to Taoyuan as convenient, so many people will come to Berlin will arrange a day of Potsdam itinerary, is considered to be the big Berlin and the surrounding area have gone through a circle.

We had a rental car, so we drove here. We spent half a day or so in the Wunderkammerpark, visiting the Wunderkammerpark, the New Palace, and the Charlottenhof. In the afternoon, we arranged to walk around the old town.

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Wunderkammer Park: Germany's largest World Heritage Site

The highlight of the Potsdam region in general is the famous Schloss Sansouccini park. It is the largest World Heritage Site in Germany and is visited by many tourists. There are many attractions in the Schloss Sansouccini Park, the most important of which are the Schloss Sansouccini and the Neues Schloss, both of which require reservations, so a little attention to scheduling is required.

No Worries Palace

We went to the Scholoss Visitor Center early in the morning to buy tickets, there are several kinds of tickets, I think the easiest way is to buy the Scholoss+ ticket, which not only allows us to visit the key Scholoss Palace and the New Palace, but also includes other attractions in the park. If you buy the tickets for these two important attractions alone, it's actually only 1 euro cheaper than buying the Scholoss+ ticket, so it's an easy and cost-effective option. After you buy your ticket at the Worry-Free Palace Visitor Center, you can arrange the Worry-Free Palace tour time directly with the ticket office. However, you should note that you need to go to the New Palace Visitor Center to reserve the tour time for the New Palace, which is a little bit far away from here, so if you come during the popular time, you may have to spend some time waiting for the tour.

Known as the Versailles of Prussia, the Palais des Sceaux was designed and built as a summer residence by the art-loving Frederick II, and later enlarged by Frederick IV. The interior is rococo style, with lots of gold and romantic pastel colors, and it's quite gorgeous. We didn't buy a photo ticket, so we were only able to take photos of the front porch of the entrance. Audio tour is included in the ticket.

In addition to the architecture of the Wujing Palace, the landscape outside the palace is also very famous. The Serenity Palace is situated on the hill of grapes, and below it is a terraced vineyard that follows the slope of the hill, which is quite special. Standing on the terrace of the Serenity Palace, you can see the fountain below, which is said to have never been used by Frederick II himself, as the technology at that time was not advanced enough to use it.

There is also a windmill next to the Worry-Free Palace. There is a special legend about this windmill: it is said that Frederick the Great wanted to force the mill to be demolished because of the landscape considerations, but the owner of the mill insisted on not selling it, and sued the emperor to the court, and the court even ruled against the emperor. The court ruled against the emperor, and the windmill was left here to commemorate the fair justice of Prussia. However, although the story itself is very nice, it is not a historical fact. I don't know who invented the story, but it is just a story used by the descendants to publicize the story.

Shingu

As I mentioned earlier, the New Palace is a bit far away, so we drove here even though we could walk. Unlike the Rococo style of the Wunderkammer, the New Palace is a Baroque palace. It was built after the Seven Years' War, during the reign of Frederick II. Although the same owner, but the style of the two palaces are completely different, ㄧ Entering the New Palace, the first thing you see is the hall decorated with shells, compared to the gentle and gorgeous style of the Worry-free Palace, the decoration of the New Palace is particularly dominant, and also more serious.

The cloister opposite the New Palace is also a magnificent building.

Charlottenhof Palace

Charlottenhof is located on the west side of the Wunderkammer Park and is also a summer palace. Due to the lack of time, we just passed by but did not enter the palace to visit.

Old Town

In the afternoon, we took a lunch break in the old town of Potsdam. The city of Potsdam is not particularly glamorous, but there are some monuments around from time to time.

Brandenburg Gate

Potsdam also has a Brandenburg Gate, and theBrandenburg Gate in BerlinLikewise, the Arc de Triomphe, which was built to win the war, is not as glamorous as the Berlin one, but it is somewhat similar in style.

Nauener Tor

Nauener Tor is another old city gate and one of the local landmarks. Inside the gate is a bustling marketplace, perfect for a stroll after dinner.

Jan Bouman Haus

Jan Bouman Haus is the Dutch Quarter, a whole row of red Dutch-style buildings and one of Potsdam's specialties.

Potsdam One Day Tour: Wunderkammerpark, Old Town