Car Hire Potsdam
Mini guide to Potsdam
Potsdam is most often seen as a daytrip from Berlin and is known for the palaces and royal parks built around the edge of the city. Additionally, Potsdam's beautiful lakes and slower pace make it a worthwhile destination.
Schlosspark Sanssouci is Potsdam's most famous attraction. Schloss Sanssouci was the summer palace of Frederick the Great. Just east of Potsdam, Schlosspark Neuer Garten is situated next to two lakes; you can visit the Marmorpalais (Marble Palace) and Schloss Cecilienhof. Schosspark Babelsberg, the site of a 19th-century castle built for the future Kaiser Wilhelm I, is also in a beautiful setting.
Sights worth viewing in the old town centre include Nikolaikirche (a domed church designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel) and the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall). The Hollandisches Viertel (Dutch-style gabled houses) and Siedlung Alexandrowka (Russian-style houses) make up neighbourhoods well worth exploring on foot.
Other attractions include: the Babelsberg Filmpark; the Biosphäre nature experience exhibition; the BUGA park, built for the National Horticulture Show in 2001; and the Krongut Bornstedt. For a little relaxation, enjoy the comfort a cruise boat while taking an atmospheric tour along the river Havel and across its many lakes.
Berlin is just 30 minutes away from Potsdam. The city's most famous landmark is the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburger Gate). Prior to the reunification, the Brandenburger Tor marked the boundary between East and West Berlin. The gate was built in 1791, to symbolise peace. On top of the gate is the Quadriga, a chariot with the winged Victory goddess, pulled by four rearing horses. Today, the Brandenburger Tor symbolises freedom and unity.
By car, access is via the E30 autobahn east and west or the E53 north and south. It takes about 30 minutes to drive here from Berlin. You can get to Potsdam from either the Tegel or Tempelhof airports in Berlin, or from Schönefeld Airport, east of Potsdam.
Potsdam Hauptbahnhof is on the major Deutsche Bundesbahn rail lines, with 29 daily connections to the rail stations in Berlin. There are 14 trains daily to and from Hannover (3 hours, 30 minutes), and 15 daily trains to and from Nürnberg (6 hours, 30 minutes). Verkehrsverbund Potsdam provides regional bus service with frequent connections between Berlin and Potsdam at Wannsee station (bus 133) in Berlin.
