Potsdam is Berlin's closest neighbor, a city of gardens and palaces, which as a whole complex of buildings have been inscribed on the UNESCO list. He is best known for the magnificent royal residence of Sanssouci consisting of 7 palaces and 300 hectares of parks and gardens.
Little Potsdam until the second half of the 17th century did not play a significant role in the region or in German states. The breakthrough came in 1660, when the Great Elector Frederick William decided to build his seat here. In the next century Frederick II the Great built his residence "free from worries" or Sanssouci. This caused that Potsdam became fashionable among the elite, and in the first half of the 20th century it was here that many key events for the fate of Europe and the world took place.
Today, Potsdam is one of the trendiest and best addresses in eastern Germany. Despite the war damage, the city has a nice old town, with several Baroque and Classicist churches and small houses. The prototype of the Berlin Brandenburg Gate is also standing here, less impressive and more squat.
However, what attracts the most tourists to Potsdam are parks and palaces. The most important is the already mentioned Sanssouci complex. In addition to it, there are 20 other palaces, located over a fairly large area. The most famous are the Neues Palais, Cecilienhof, in which the Potsdam conference sealed the post-war division of Europe in 1945, the Marble Palace and the Sacrow Palace. Outside the administrative borders of Potsdam, you can also see the UNESCO-listed fairy-tale palace Pfaueninsel.
