castle
Sanssouci Palace
Frederick the Great's Rococo summer palace in Potsdam, set amid terraced vineyards and expansive royal gardens.
2 km · about 5 min drive
EuropeGermanyBrandenburg
Potsdam
Brandenburg, Germany · Europe
About Potsdam
Potsdam works well as a base: 10 minutes from Wannsee, 2km from Sanssouci Palace.
Potsdam is in Brandenburg, Germany, with about 180,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Wannsee, about 6 km away.
Potsdam (German pronunciation: [ˈpɔtsdam] ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of Berlin, and lies embedded in a hilly morainic landscape dotted with manyRead more
lakes, around 20 of which are located within Potsdam's city limits. It lies some 25 kilometres (16 miles) southwest of Berlin's city centre. The name of the city and of many of its boroughs are of Slavic origin.
Potsdam was a residence of the Prussian kings and the German Emperor until 1918. Its planning embodied ideas of the Age of Enlightenment: through a careful balance of architecture and landscape, Potsdam was intended as "a picturesque, pastoral dream" which would remind its residents of their relationship with nature and reason.
The city, which is over 2,000 years old, is widely known for its palaces, its lakes, and its overall historical and cultural significance. Landmarks include the parks and palaces of Sanssouci, Germany's largest World Heritage Site, as well as other palaces such as the Orangery Palace, the New Palace, Cecilienhof Palace, and Charlottenhof Palace. Potsdam was also the location of the significant Potsdam Conference in 1945, the conference where the three heads of government of the USSR, the US, and the UK decided on the division of Germany following its surrender, a conference which defined Germany's history for the following 45 years.
Babelsberg, in the south-eastern part of Potsdam, was already by the 1930s the home of a major film production studio and it has enjoyed success as an important centre of European film production since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Filmstudio Babelsberg, founded in 1912, is the oldest large-scale film studio in the world. Potsdam was named a UNESCO City of Film in 2019, joining UNESCO's Creative Cities Network.
Potsdam developed into a centre of science in Germany in the 19th century. Today, there are three public colleges, the University of Potsdam, and more than 30 research institutes in the city.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Potsdam?
Within an hour or so of Potsdam: Sanssouci Palace (2 km), AVUS (18 km), Berlin Zoological Garden (22 km), Classic Remise Berlin (23 km).
Are there any good drives near Potsdam?
The nearest famous roads are AVUS.
Where is Potsdam?
Potsdam is in Brandenburg, Germany, about 6 km from Wannsee.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 184,754
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Region
- Brandenburg
- Timezone
- Europe/Berlin
- Coordinates
- 52.3989, 13.0657
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for GermanyTags
Worth the detour from Potsdam
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
historic highway
AVUS
The world's first limited-access motor road (1921), a Berlin autobahn stretch that doubled as a terrifyingly fast race circuit with a 43-degree brick banking until 1998.
18 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Berlin Zoological Garden
Germany's oldest zoo and one of the most species-rich in the world, located in the heart of Berlin.
22 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Classic Remise Berlin
A stunning classic car centre in a former tram depot housing specialist dealers, workshops, and a permanent exhibition of automotive art.
23 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin
Berlin's sprawling technology museum with outstanding automotive and motorcycle collections alongside aviation and rail exhibits.
24 km · about 30 min drive
museum
German Spy Museum Berlin
An interactive museum exploring the world of espionage from ancient times through the Cold War to modern cyber surveillance.
25 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Checkpoint Charlie
The most famous Cold War crossing point between East and West Berlin, now a museum and memorial site.
25 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Reichstag Building
Historic seat of the German parliament topped with Norman Foster's striking modern glass dome offering panoramic city views.
25 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Potsdam
- 18 kmAVUSThe world's first limited-access motor road (1921), a Berlin autobahn stretch that doubled as a terrifyingly fast race circuit with a 43-degree brick banking until 1998.
Driving in Germany
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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