Indian Chief Travel Guides

Sightseeing in Potsdam

Sanssouci Park and Schloss Sanssouci

The main sights in Potsdam are concentrated in Park Sanssouci – a huge 740-acre park originally laid out by Frederick the Great, with several palaces and other buildings of note. Most of the park and palaces are UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites.

The most important construction in the park is the small, but magnificent, Rococo summer residence erected by Frederick the Great in 1747. He called it Schloss Sanssouci – French, which was his preferred language, for “without a care.” Here, Frederick hoped to leave the problems of state behind and pursue his own personal interests, especially in music and philosophy. Although the business of state soon followed him here, he increasingly preferred Potsdam to Berlin. He spent time here entertaining enlightened thinkers such as Voltaire and he lured musicians, including Johann Sebastian Bach’s son Carl Emmanuel, to his court. During Frederick’s time only men stayed at the court during summer; a Ladies’ Wing was added about a century later.