Potsdam
Table of Contents: Travel to Potsdam, visa requirements By train / Stay safe / Get around / Potsdam attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Shopping, Potsdam souvenirs / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Potsdam nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / cheap / Waldstadt and surround / Babelsberg / Holl.C3.A4nderviertel / Potsdam-North / City Centre east .22Zentrum-Ost.22 .28near main station.29 / Stern .28suburban.29 / mediate / exellent / Get out More from Brandenburg: Frankfurt an der Oder, Potsdam, Spreewald More from Germany: Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen (state), Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Romantic Road, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia, World Cup 2006 More from Central Europe: Austria, Carpathian Mountains, Czech Republic, Germany, Giant Mountains, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Silesia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sudetes, Switzerland, Tatra Mountains More from Europe: Alps, Central Europe, Danube, Eastern Europe, European Union, Mediterranean Europe, Rhine, Western Europe |
Potsdam is the capital of Brandenburg and borders Berlin. The town has population of approx. 146.500. It is widely known for its castles and landscape as a World Heritage Site. Potsdam is more than 1000 years old. Many historic buildings are under re-construction after World War Two and the period of the GDR.
Travel to Potsdam, visa requirements
By train
From Berlin: Regional Train "R1" direction "Magdeburg" or "Brandenburg", 20 min from Zoo-Station. Inner-city train "S7"/"S1" direction Potsdam, about 45 min from Zoo-Station. You must have a ticket for the zones A,B and C because the zone C covers from BVG the public transport in Potsdam
Stay safe
Potsdam is a safe city for tourists. During daylight the city is full of tourists that visit the amazing castles and gardens.
Get around
The tram and bus system in Potsdam is very modern and pretty much excellent, but confusing. Potsdam is, together with Berlin and parts of Brandenburg, part of the VBB transportation network. That enables you to change trams and busses 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, the hinterland is Zone C. Beware though, as Potsdam itself lies in Berlin's Zone C, Berlin's outer parts are Berlin Zone B and so on. 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, and furthermore they only accept coins and rechargeable "Geldkarten", but no bills. It's best to get detailed information about prices and zones at Potsdam's central station or on the VBB website.
Potsdam attractions and sightseeing
- Park Sanssouci - This immense park outside Berlin in the city of Potsdam is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, along with all its outbuildings. Get there early: there is a 2000 person/day entry limit at Schloss (Castle) Sanssouci, a fabulous rococo palace with amazing interiors. One of the most noteworthy rooms in the palace is the Konzertsaal (concert hall) - dripping in rococo glory.
- The New Garden hosts the Marmorpalais and the Palace Cecilienhof.
- Gedenk- und Begegnungsstätte Ehemaliges KGB-Gefängnis Potsdam, Leistikowstr. 1 - Literally the Memorial and Meeting-place Former KGB Prison Potsdam. From August 1945 it was occupied by soviet forces und has been reconstructed as a prison for the counterintelligence. Today it's been left standing to remind of the depressing reality of dictatorships. Open from May to October, every Saturday and Sunday 11-17h.
- Holländisches Viertel - Right in the middle of Potsdam are the "Dutch Quarters", build in the 18th century by Dutch master builder Johann Boumann to attract other Dutch artisans. The quarters consist of 134 red brick houses, divided into four blocks. The history of the Dutch Quarters can be seen in the house in Mittelstraße 8.
- Alter Markt, the old market is the historic city center, the Stadtschloss (city castle) is under re-construction. You can visit the Nikolaikirche there.
- New Market, the new market is an original preserved barque market square from the 18th century.
- Park Babelberg is a beautiful park with an gothic-style castle, it is also part of the World heritage site. One part of the university is placed here, so expect some students.
- The Pfauninsel (Peacockisland) is a small island with free living peacocks.
- The Russian Colony - Alexandrowska
- Korngut Bornstet - an archtitectonical complex in Italian style with a palace and a garden
City tours
Shopping, Potsdam souvenirs
Good restaurants and cheap meals
Potsdam nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
cheap
- realtive good overview (German): [Zentrale Zimmervermietung Potsdam]
Waldstadt and surround
- dedicated to workers: Monteurzimmer / Wohnen auf Zeit, Heidereiterweg 59, 14478 Potsdam, ☎ (49) (0331) 87 86 80 (smihan@tnp-online.de, fax: (49) (0331) 87 12 66 2).
Babelsberg
- Potsdam-Pension, Karl - Liebknecht - Str. 92, (Attention use the postcode, because the street ist twice in Potsdam) 14482 Potsdam, [1]. single room form 30 €.
- direct at station "S-Bahnhof Babelsberg": Youth Hostel Potsdam - Haus der Jugend, [2]. single room from 21 €.
- Pension Scheffler, Grenzstr. 11, 14482 Potsdam, ☎ 0331 / 705284, [3]. from 15 €.
Holländerviertel
- Gästehaus Urban, [4]. single room from 30 €.
Potsdam-North
- Pension Stropp, ☎ 0331-7308090. dubble room from 17 € / person (two weeks).
City Centre east "Zentrum-Ost" (near main station)
- Youth Hostel: Jugendgästehaus „Siebenschläfer“ Potsdam, Lotte-Pulewka-Straße 43, 14473 Potsdam, ☎ (49)0331 / 741125. from 17 €.
Stern (suburban)
- Haus Katharina, Katharinastr. 23, 14480 Potsdam, ☎ (49) 0331 / 712993, [5]. singleroom from 20 €.
mediate
- relative good overview (German): [at Tourisline]
exellent
Get out
More from Brandenburg: Frankfurt an der Oder, Potsdam, Spreewald More from Germany: Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen (state), Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Romantic Road, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia, World Cup 2006 More from Central Europe: Austria, Carpathian Mountains, Czech Republic, Germany, Giant Mountains, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Silesia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sudetes, Switzerland, Tatra Mountains More from Europe: Alps, Central Europe, Danube, Eastern Europe, European Union, Mediterranean Europe, Rhine, Western Europe |
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