a visit to Potsdam

Tags

Berlin, dutch quaters, Germany, old town hall, photography, photos, potsdam, sanssouci, travel, world heritage site

Yesterday I took the train the to Potsdam. It lies just 26km outside of Berlin and is the capital of the federal state Brandenburg (former east Germany). And even though it is so close to Germany’s largest city and capital it has a whole treasure trove of sights to lure tourists to come and visit.  The biggest pull is the palaces of Sansouci (without worries) and it’s surrounding park, Germany’s largest World Heritage Site.

But since Potsdam has many a claim to international nobility and even was the main residence of the German Kaiser until 1918 the city itself is filled with impressive architecture and stunning quarters.

So since there was so much to see and much more to take photos of I have decided to dedicate two posts to Potsdam, one on the old city center, mainly around the gorgeous Dutch Quater,  and tomorrow I will show you what I found in Sanssouci.

my first view of Potsdam

The Fortuna Portal to the Senate

on a fountain in the old Market Square

the old university

I think you have something on your hat

St Nikolas Church

inside the church

this angel reminded me of my sister as a teenager

Atlas on the Old Town Hall

building decor

some fancy iron work

a stunning door

an old post-box

closeup

in the Dutch Quarters … I spent ages here, wandering around and enjoying the atmosphere, it was absolutely stunning

all of the houses have green doors and shutters

an old letter-box

a whole street was lines with restaurants

on a balcony

I want one

reminding me to “live”

a grassy bench

this one needs a lick of paint

both sides of the streets looked like this

and just outside the quarter a house I wouldn’t mind living in

on the Nauener Tor, one of three remaining gates into old Postdam

marking bicycle paths in old cobble stones

detour

one of many beautiful old turrets and houses lining the streets

like sugar icing

another town house

an old peeping “Fritz”

just across the road from the beginning of Sanssouci