Monday 16 April 2012

Berlin: Potsdam, the Sans Souci palaces

We spent a day at the Sans Souci palaces in Potsdam, a 20 minute train ride away from the Berlin City Centre.  The three main palaces were the Sans Souci, the New Palace and the Orangery.  I wish I were less rusty and more confident on a bike - really the best way to see the parks and palaces with the bike rentals just outside the train station.  Instead we had to opt for the double-decker tourist bus.


Old town Potsdam


A building in the New Palace complex


The formal gardens
The garden in the Sans Souci palace


This was a summer palace - all on one floor



Looks familiar?  The same sculpture was also in the Altes Museum in Berlin


The Tudor style Cecilienhof Palace, for the Crown Prince and Princess Cecilie
The grounds of Cecilienhof




The tower of the Church of Peace on the edge of the Sans Souci park


The beautiful proportioned grounds around the church - built by the artistically gifted King Frederick William IV - no wonder, it's my favourite structure in the entire palace grounds




These lovely cloisters surround the church and end in a gorgeous tiered portal
The exquisite marble fountain in an arcade on the Church grounds
One of the less gaudy part of the Chinese Tea Garden


The lush gardens around Sans Souci - this was a great day trip!

Next post: the Berlin Wall







Posted by rarecat at 19:11
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2 comments:

  1. Tomatoes From Canada16 April 2012 at 20:08

    Great pictures! And as Bill and I are dedicated city cyclists we find your comments very inspiring! We'll be touching down in Berlin in exactly two weeks.

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    1. rarecat23 April 2012 at 17:51

      Yes, it's the best way to see Sans Souci. I tried, took a bike around the bike rental yard, and my daughter said, we'd better take the bus. You'll love Berlin with its curbed bike lanes! And even their subways are specially fitted so you can take your bikes on board, the seats fold up to give you lots of room. Have fun!

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