Potsdam is the capital ofBrandenburg and bordersBerlin. The town has a population of about 180,000 (2019). It is widely known for its palaces and landscape as aWorld Heritage Site. Potsdam is more than 1000 years old. Many historic buildings are under re-construction after World War II and the period of the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or "East Germany").
Located about 30 km southwest of the capital, Potsdam was used as a residence for the kings ofPrussia when they wanted to get away from the big-city trouble (and potential rabble-rousers) in Berlin, and in a way it still has a similar function, as many well-to-do people from Berlin have either moved here or have bought a second residence here since reunification in 1990. Potsdam also serves as the capital of theBundesland of Brandenburg, after an attempt to reunite Berlin and Brandenburg in a single Bundesland failed in the early 1990s.
During the last days of World War II, following the surrender of the Nazis, the Potsdam Conference was held at Schloss Cecilienhof from 17 July to 2 August 1945, whereBritish prime minister Clement Attlee,American president Harry Truman andSoviet leader Joseph Stalin met to discuss the administration of occupied Germany. Potsdam was chosen due to being close to Berlin, but still offering a relatively undestroyed representative building that could host major world leaders for a conference.
Until reunification, Potsdam was isolated from the former West Berlin. The last train station before the former GDR was Wannsee. Many of the buildings that are visible today have been reconstructed after the bombings of the Second World War and after the lax care of the East German Government. After the Great Elector declared that "The whole island must become a paradise", the city was built according to the plans of five architects: Peter Joseph Lenné, Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, Carl Phillipp Christian von Gontard, Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Friedrich Ludwig Persius, and under the direction of King Frederick the Great and Emperor Wilhelm II.
Most attractions in the city areUNESCO World Heritage sites: Sanssouci Park and the Crown estate of Bornstedt, the New Garden (including the Pfingstberg and the Russian colony of Alxandrowka), Babelsberg Park and Sacrow Park.
The suburb Babelsberg is home to theMedia City Babelsberg (Medienstadt Babelsberg), an area joining movie and media people together. The film studio Babelsberg, the Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg and other schools, radio and TV stations, a museum and an archive, an amusement park and much more is located there. Babelsberg was one of the first large scale studio complexes in the world and movies produced here enjoyed an excellent reputation until the Nazi era and World War II destroyed much of Germany's cultural output and potential. Today the Berlin area is competing with the Cologne region for the top spot in the German media landscape.
Potsdam is in the Berlin metropolitan area and served by both inner and outer suburban trains, respectively called the S-Bahn and RegionalExpress (RE) trains. Several lines serve Potsdam,but not the same parts. Almost all trains that go from Berlin to Potsdam can be used with an ABC or BC zone ticket for Berlin.
For central Potsdam, you should travel to52.391713.06671Potsdam Hauptbahnhof.
, which is the terminus for S-Bahn S7 and also served by Regionalexpress RE1 towards Brandenburg or Magdeburg. From the most centrally located Berlin station, Berlin Friedrichstraße, it takes 47 min to Potsdam Hbf by S1 (40 min: S7+S1) and 28 min by RE1, the latter making limited stops in inner areas.
For Schloss Sanssouci, Park Sanssouci and Krongut Bornstedt, you should take an RE1 train direction Brandenburg (not Magdeburg) and get off at52.3928113.036622Charlottenhof, the station following Potsdam Hbf. From there the mentioned attractions are 10 minutes away on foot.
For Babelsberg, you should take the S-Bahn S7 to Babelsberg, the station preceding Potsdam Hbf.
For the Medienstadt (film studios), you should take an RE7 train direction Bad Belzig or Dessau and get off at Medienstadt Babelsberg.
Your ticket must be valid for at least Berlin zones BC in order to travel to Potsdam; however, tickets and travelcards valid for the entire metropolitan area are of course also valid. For more information on this, visit thelocal transport website of the Berlin metropolitan area.
While Berlin has had intercity bus service even before the deregulation ofthe market the fact that buses can't sell tickets for trips shorter than 50 km makes Potsdam somewhat underserved. There are several stops in Berlin however and ZOB (the central bus station) is served by the S-Bahn.
FromBerlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER IATA), suburban train lineRB22 provides hourly service to Potsdam Hbf (48 min, €3.60 - Nov 2020), and also stops at Potsdam Charlottenhof. If you're going to Babelsberg, you should change to S-Bahn S7 at Potsdam Hbf. Alternatively, the express bus service BER2 travels from the airport to the main station, with stops made in Teltow and Stahnsdorf before reaching the Potsdam Stern Center stop and terminating at the Potsdam Hbf. The express nature of this service incurs anextra charge, which can be paid with cash or card to the driver.
The tram and bus system in Potsdam is very modern and overall excellent though confusing. Potsdam is (together with Berlin and the rest of Brandenburg) part of theVBB transportation network. That enables you to change trams and buses pretty much at will, as long as your ticket is valid for the zone you're in. The inner city of Potsdam is in Zone A, the outer parts are in Zone B, and the hinterland is Zone C.
Potsdam lies in Berlin's Zone C, so if you have a ticket for Berlin ABC or Berlin BC, you can use public transport in Potsdam with it as well. Don't confuse Potsdam's zones with Berlin's zones.
Tickets can be bought at ticket machines in every tram and bus. Unfortunately they're of no big help when it comes to choosing the right ticket. It's best to get detailed information about prices and zones at Potsdam's central station or on theVBB website.
The transport, although confusing at first, is pretty logically laid out: each tourist attraction has its own bus or tram stop (with the appropriate name) and the staff of the VBB are extremely helpful, although language barriers can exist.
For tourists there are five main lines in and around Potsdam:
Nextbike operates in Potsdam. Another operator isDonkey Bike, which has stations in nearby Wannsee, around 6 km away.
Cycling in allowed in the Neuer Garten, but only on some paths in Park Sanssouci such as the Ökonomieweg which traverses the park from west to east.
Uber and Free Now cover the city.
Most palaces are managed by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg,SPSG. They offer a combined ticket (sanssouci+ Ticket) giving you access to most of their palaces in Potsdam on one day. The price for adults is €19 and for concessions €14.
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Potsdam has several interesting museums to offer.
(updated Mar 2018)(updated Nov 2020)All these are in the city centre:
Potsdam's nightlife is a bit dominated by the near Berlin, but there are some good clubs and pubs worth visiting. Interesting pubs you find in the Holländer Viertel around Mittelstraße or in the city.
Many visitors come to Potsdam on a day trip fromBerlin, where the extensive accommodation base caters to every taste and budget, and staying there is a commendable option. There are also ample choices for travellers in Potsdam.
Potsdam is a safe city for tourists. During daylight the city is full of tourists that visit the amazing palaces and gardens.
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