Sanssouci Park & Palace

Location

Berlin
Germany
52° 24' 11.9988" N, 13° 2' 18.9996" E
DE
General info: 

Between 1745 and 1747 Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, built a German version of the Versailles to serve as his summer residence. The king wanted to get away from the Berlin hustle and located the palace a little further away from Berlin to get his needed peace. In fact the name of the palace comes from French phrase “sans souci private://that translates to “without concernsprivate://.

The rococo styled palace is amazing. But the park surrounding it does not lag behind at all. The 2,5 long park was initiated immediately after completion of the palace. A baroque flower garden with lawns, flower beds, hedges and trees was created. 3,000 fruit trees were planted in the park, and greenhouses and nurseries laid out, producing oranges, melons, peaches and bananas. Statuary and obelisks were also erected, with representations of the goddesses Flora and Pomona. Frederick had several temples and follies erected in the same rococo style as the palace itself.

Hint: Get there early: there is a 2000 person/day entry limit at the palace.

Getting there: 

Potsdam is about 45 minutes from Berlin by S-bahn. Bus 695 and 606 are running from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof (south side) to Sanssouci.

Costs: 

Entrance to the park is free.
Admission to the Palace:
1st Apr to 31st Oct: 12€, discounted 8€
1st Nov to 31st. Mar: 8€, discounted 5€

Interesting places nearby

Ski resort Polana Sosny is located at the foot of the Pieniny Mountains in Niedzica town and lake Czorsztyn raised by the construction of the barrier on the Dunajec river in the years 1975-97.

BASE: 2572ft
SUMMIT: 3359ft
VERTICAL DROP: 787ft

NO. OF. LIFTS: 1
Gondolas: 0
Chairs: 0
Surface: 1

The price-performance ration in the ski area Oberaudorf-Hocheck is especially favourable. And you can go skiing in Germany’s largest flood light ski area.

The ski area Obergurgl – Hochgurgl is equipped with modern snow-making equipment which guarantees reliable snow conditions throughout the season. Obergurgl lies at the end of the Gurgler Tal on 1930 m altitude.

In Oberhof situated at the „Rennsteig“, a famous Thuringian hiking path, alpine and especially cross country skiers will get their money’s worth. Two ski lifts carry you up to lots of slopes and trails suitable for any requirements.

The ski area Oberjoch-Bad Hindelang is known for it’s snow reliability. The pistes are located on the Iseler on an altitude of 1200 m. The cross-country ski runs are equally well groomed to make your winter vacation unforgettable.