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

Berchtesgaden is a key Bavarian resort, active year-round, with six ski centres nearby. It has formerly put in bids to stage the Winter Olympics. A very pretty village with excellent accommodation and dining options.

A ski holiday in Obersaxen – Val Lumnezia offers an impressive mountain view. Obersaxen with its 29 churches and nearly as many chapels lies on a plateau at an altitude of 1200 metres.

Alpine skiers and snowboarders have the choice among 28 lifts, from baby-lift to small-cabin mountain railway. On 40 kilometres of ski-runs, all kinds of difficulty turn winter sports into an experience for everyone.

Alpine skiers and snowboarders have the choice among 28 lifts, from baby-lift to small-cabin mountain railway. On 40 kilometres of ski-runs, all kinds of difficulty turn winter sports into an experience for everyone.

The ski area Nebelhorn is more diverse than any other ski area in the Allgäu. It is usually blessed with lots of natural snow but in case it is not modern snow making equipment is available.

The ski area Oberstdorf-Söllereck/Höllwies is known to be very family-friendly. There are lots of possibilities or activities you can puruse during your winter vacation in Oberstdorf-Slöllereck/Höllwies.