Things to Do in Potsdam

The Neues Palais (New Palace) is the largest 18th-century structure in Potsdam’s Sanssouci Park. Situated on the western side of the park, the building was completed under Prussian King Friedrich II in 1769. It is the last palace that Frederick the Great built in the Potsdam park grounds — no further baroque palaces were built in Germany after this one. Once the royal residence during the German Empire (1871-1918), the New Palace is made up of opulent main reception rooms, beautiful galleries, and luxurious royal apartments.

Today, the New Palace is home to the University of Potsdam’s philosophy department, and various other institutes. Out of the 200 palatial rooms, some 60 can be viewed by visitors. Among these are the Grottensaal (Grotto Hall), the Marmorgalerie (Marble Gallery), and the guest apartments. The Visitor’s Hall is located in the historic Südtorgebäude (South Tower), and is a reception point for groups of visitors as well as a multimedia information center for adults and for children. A bronze model located here allows blind and visually impaired visitors to literally get a feel for the park. The New Palace also has an on-site restaurant (Fredersdorf), which combines the fresh, modern kitchen with a royal backdrop.

Step inside the world of cinema and TV at the Babelsberg Film Park, and discover what goes on behind the scenes at one of Europe’s most prolific film studios. With 4D movies, stunt shows, and real movie sets to explore, the theme park is action-packed and suitable for the whole family.