I've been to Berlin and Potsdam for several days the past five years. This year we will be arriving in Potsdam this coming Saturday (Oct. 26) and have all of Sunday to play tourist before my conference starts. We've seen all the local sights in Potsdam - which we love - but we want to see something new. We're going to Berlin later in the week so we don't want a day trip to Berlin. We don't want to go as far as Liepzig or Dresden. Any ideas for an easy trip by train to someplace interesting? Or, a local walking tour (we've done a basic walking tour of Potsdam but maybe there's a more specialized one?)
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi, For a short train trip from Berlin Hbf, I would recommend Lutherstadt Wittenberg or Jena. In Potsdam the tours generally cover Neues Palais. I recommend that if you're interested in Prussian-German history. Inside Neues Palais you can take a specialised tour. It is only by tour anyway. Two other museums in Potsdam I suggest are the Film Museum and the Museum on Brandenburg-Prussia, both near to each other and walkable from Potsdam Hbf. If you want to do an excursion out of Potsdam, there's Babelsberg, next to it. Any particular interest in the Potsdam area? It's a city and area I never tire of...amazing, fascinating, and captivating, all the more so with the reconstruction going on.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
I'm not sure how far away it is, but perhaps Schwerin? I haven't visited, but at a minimum, they have a beautiful castle (OK, Russ, if you're lurking, "palace"). Have you visited Wallensee yet? Would be better to visit in the summer, but if you have any interest in Third Reich history, there's a museum located here similar to the one in Nürnberg. Other towns that I have not yet visited, but have heard recommendations... Halle, Oranienburg.
Posted by
Germany
868 posts
>"We've seen all the local sights in Potsdam." You have seen the New Garden, Babelsberg palace and park, Glienicke palace, Peacock Island, the Belvedere on Pfingstberg, Bornstedt Crown Estate or the Church of the Redeemer in Sacrow? You could see Brandenburg, a mostly preserved, typical Prussian town with some nice churches for example, or Lehnin abbey, a beautiful medieval monastery built in Brick Gothic.
Posted by
OP
Castle Rock, CO, USA
7 posts
We totally love Potsdam, this is our third year visiting, plus we took a walking tour of it on our first visit to Berlin in 2009. "You have seen the New Garden, Babelsberg palace and park, Glienicke palace, Peacock Island, the Belvedere on Pfingstberg, Bornstedt Crown Estate or the Church of the Redeemer in Sacrow? You could see Brandenburg, a mostly preserved, typical Prussian town with some nice churches for example, or Lehnin abbey, a beautiful medieval monastery built in Brick Gothic." I actually have not seen the Neues Palais because it is usually closed when we are there in the fall. We've been to Babelsberg but have not seen the schloss, so that's something we could do. Also not seen the Glienicke Palace, Bornstedt Crown Estate or the Church of the Redeemer, so that is now on the list. And Brandenberg and Lehnin Abbey - how does one get there from Potsdam? Thank you, we have plenty to see right in Potsdam that we missed before, apparently!
-- Lisa
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi, Schloss Babelsberg is interesting, nice view from the the Schloss. To get to the town of Brandenburg take the train from Potsdam Hbf. For a town, as opposed to big city, Potsdam's train station I found interesting and large. If you do get a rental car and are interested in seeing a museum on history, go to Wustrau, in the direction of Neuruppin, to see the Prussian Museum, relatively new. Compare it with the one in Potsdam. I totally agree with your opinions on Potsdam, saw it first on a tour from (West) Berlin in '87. The place has gone through dramatic changes in the last twenty years, it's always worth the time for return visits.
Posted by
Germany
868 posts
> I actually have not seen the Neues Palais because it > is usually closed when we are there in the fall. We've > been to Babelsberg but have not seen the schloss, so > that's something we could do. Also not seen the Glienicke > Palace, Bornstedt Crown Estate or the Church of the > Redeemer, so that is now on the list. And Brandenberg > and Lehnin Abbey - how does one get there from Potsdam? Don't confuse the New Palace with the New Garden. The New Palace is part of Sanssouci, the New Garden is a different park, whith Cecilienhof and the Marble Palace. The Belvedere is on a hill to the west of the park. From the New Garden you can walk to Glienicke bridge (the spy bridge). Glienicke palace and park are on the left side after you crossed the bridge, Babelsberg palace and park on the right side, although you have to walk a few metres through a residential area with Swiss cottages and past another small castle to get there. If you follow the lakeside path from Glienicke park to the north you reach Peacock Island, which is served by a ferry.
Most people simply don't know that Potsdam is much more than just Sanssouci. You can read more about it here: http://www.spsg.de/Palaces_and_Gardens.html Brandenburg can be reached by train in 20 minutes, Lehnin abbey is a 1h bus ride; both from Potsdams main station.