Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and is part of the Metropolitan area of Berlin/Brandenburg. Part of erstwhile East Germany, Potsdam is now a much sought after place to live, with the highest cost index in the East Germany of old. Founded as a military base for the Prussian army, it was used more by the Soviets. Potsdam has lakes all round, and Havel River splits it cleanly. Today, the city is two thirds green and vacant, and the population of close to 152,000 lives in the urban area remaining. About 20 lakes, a river, five hills and over a dozen palaces form the scenic backdrop to Potsdam.
How to Get There:
In addition to being a destination in its own right, Potsdam is a suburb of Germany's cosmopolitan capital, Berlin. From Berlin: Regional Train direction "Magdeburg" or "Brandenburg", 20 min. from Zoo-Station; Inner-city train direction Potsdam, about 45 min. from Zoo-Station. You must have a ticket for the zones A, B and C because zone C covers
the public transport in Potsdam. Alternatively, one can board a boat which will arrive in Potsdam via a scenic journey that lasts about 3-4 hours.
Both cities have extensive and reliable public transportation, and you can purchase a day pass that is good for both Potsdam and Berlin until three a.m. The tram and bus system in Potsdam is modern and more than adequate. For tourists there are five main lines in and around Potsdam: the Schlösser-Linie (Palaces Line); Krongut-Linie (Crown Estate Line); Tropen-Linie (Tropics Line); Cecilienhof-Linie (Cecilienhof Line) and the Filmstadt-Linie (Film City Line).
What to See:
The most popular attraction in Potsdam is Sanssouci Park, 2 km west of the city centre. The park hosts a botanical garden (Botanischer Garten Potsdam) and many magnificent buildings: The Sanssouci Palace (Schloss Sanssouci); The Orangery Palace (Orangerieschloss);
The New Palace (Neues Palais), built between 1763 and 1769 to celebrate the end of the Seven Years' War, in which Prussia ousted Austria from its centuries-long role as the dominant power in German affairs. It is a much larger and grander palace than Sanssouci, having over 200 rooms and 400 statues as decoration; The Charlottenhof Palace (Schloss Charlottenhof), a Neoclassical palace built in 1826; The Roman Baths (Römische Bäder), built in 1829-1840. It is a complex of buildings including a tea pavilion, a Renaissance-style villa, and a Roman bathhouse (from which the whole complex takes its name) and the Chinese Tea House (Chinesisches Teehaus), an 18th century pavilion built in a Chinese style, the fashion of the time. Potsdam's history is built around the Old Market Square (Alter Markt). For three centuries this was the site of the City Palace (Stadtschloß), a royal palace built in 1662, but destroyed by bombs and after them, the communist forces.
Where to Eat:
Potsdam has over 135 restaurants. Select restaurants are the Schlosshotel Cecilienhof, Alter Stadtwachter, Juliette, Cafe KieselStein, Fontane im Inselhotel and Pfeffer und Salz. There are also many Coffeehouses, where you can have a snack or two.
Hotels:
The 38 hotels in Potsdam include the historic Cecilienhof, the romantic Hotel Bayerisches House, the very modern Dorint, and the charmingly comfortable Hotel Jaegertor, all in the upper bracket. NH Voltaire Potsdam,TOP CityLine Hotel Ascot Bristol,Mercure Hotel Potsdam City and the Landhotel Potsdam are in the mid-range hotels. In the Avendi region - Hotel am Griebnitzsee; Potsdam-Pension; Youth Hostel Potsdam - Haus der Jugend, Pension Scheffler. In the Holländerviertel, Gästehaus Urban; in Potsdam-North, Pension Stropp and Youth Hostel: Jugendgästehaus „Siebenschläfer“ Potsdam, Stern (suburban)- Haus Katharina, all in the budget class. 11 B&Bs are also available.
