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

Obertauern is one of the Alps’ most snow reliable areas. That means perfect skiing conditions from the end of November till the beginning of May.

The compact and hence very family-friendly ski resort of Golzentipp, as well as the whole Hochtal, is a secret tip - if there ever is one. Especially beginners, children and less experienced skiers will find an almost ideal ski resort.

Warmensteinach offers six ski lifts, of which two are open late to offer floodlit skiing, The resort also caters for people on a tight budget with lower rate day passes.

The Oberwiesenthal - Fichtelberg area, an attractive and unique area, favourably situated as regards transport facilities in the midst of Germany, offers a natural and varied countryside.

There is chairlift access to the skiing from both sides of the mountain. In Bischofsgrun there are three lifts serving trails with lighting for night skiing, and two with snow-making.

Ofterschwang in the Allgäu is the perfect destination for your winter vacation. The slopes can be groomed with snowmaking equipment and the pistes are suitable for all levels of difficulty.