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Schloss Sanssouci
The Prussian King Frederick
the Great wished to live “sans
souci”, in a palace outside the
boundaries of the hated city –
the French phrase means
“without worries”. In 1745,
Frederick commissioned his
favourite architect Georg
Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff
to plan and
construct this magnificent
Rococo palace according to
his own designs.
The main building with its
yellow façade rises proudly
above the former terraced
vineyards, leading up to
the domed building and its
elegant marble hall at the
centre of the palace complex. In
both its design and shape, the
marble hall pays homage to the
Pantheon in Rome. To its left and
right are some very attractive
rooms designed by von
Knobelsdorff and Johann August
Nahl; these include the famous
concert room, adorned with
paintings by Antoine Pesne, and
Frederick’s library. In this wing,
the monarch liked to play the
flute or to philosophize with
Voltaire. Valuable paintings by
Frederick the Great’s favourite
painter, the French artist Antoine
Watteau, adorn the palace walls.
d Zur historischen Mühle • Apr–Oct:
9am–5pm daily; Nov–Mar: 9am–4pm
daily; guided tour obligatory • (0331) 969
41 90 • Admission charge
Vase in
Park Sanssouci
Left Neues Palais Right Concert Hall in Schloss Sanssouci
S-Bahn S7 goes to Potsdam from Berlin.
The journey takes about 45 minutes.
Neues Palais
To the north of Sanssouci
palace park rises the Baroque
Neues Palais. One of Germany’s
most beautiful palaces, it was
built in 1763–9 for Frederick the
Great according to designs by
Johann Gottfried Büring,
Jean Laurent Le Geay and
Carl von Gontard. The
vast two-storey structure
comprises 200 rooms,
including the Marmorsaal
(marble hall), a lavishly
furnished ballroom, and the
Schlosstheater, where plays
are once more performed
today. Frederick’s private
chambers are equally
splendid, especially his
study furnished in Rococo style,
the upper gallery with valuable
parquet flooring and the Oberes
Vestibül, a room clad entirely in
marble. d Am Neuen Palais
• Apr–Oct: 9am–5pm Sat–Mon;
Nov–Mar: 9am–4pm Sat–Mon • (0331)
969 43 61 • Admission charge
Schlosspark Sanssouci
It is easy to while away an
entire day in the extensive
palace park, which covers 287
hectares (709 acres) of land. Of
the many charming buildings
hidden in the lavishly designed
landscape garden, the Rococostyle
Chinesisches Teehaus, built
in 1754–6 by Johann Gottfried
Büring, is especially worth
seeking out.
Around Town – Potsdam & Sanssouci
153