Sanssouci Palace

Sanssouci Palace, Germany

Sanssouci Palace sitting atop its green terraced hill above a circular fountain pond at golden hour in Potsdam.

Sanssouci Palace is a small, sunny Rococo villa on a terraced hill, built by a king who wanted a home rather than a court.

The place

Sanssouci Palace stands on the brow of a terraced hill in the park at Potsdam, a short train ride from central Berlin, at about 40 metres above sea level. From the foot of the terraces it looks almost modest: a long, low, single-storey villa in pale yellow, with a rounded bay in the middle of the garden front. Work began in 1745. Frederick the Great of Prussia wanted a private house where he could step away from the ceremony of the royal court, and the French name, sans souci, translates roughly as 'without care'. The building suits the name. It has only ten principal rooms, so the scale is that of a country house rather than a seat of government. Comparisons with Versailles come up often, and they flatter neither side. Sanssouci is Rococo rather than Baroque, intimate rather than monumental, and its appeal lies in decorated interiors and in the way the villa sits on its slope. The king's own taste shaped every detail, to the point that art historians speak of a Frederician Rococo style. Around the palace the wider park is dotted with temples and follies, and there are other royal buildings within walking distance, so the palace is one stop in a long day rather than the whole outing. Most visitors come from Berlin for the day. Summer weekends bring crowds to the terraces and the entrance, while weekday mornings outside the holidays are far calmer.

Its story

Sanssouci Palace began as one king's private project and went on to survive several upheavals. Frederick the Great commissioned it in 1745 from his architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, who was dismissed before it was finished after the two fell out over where in the park the building should stand. The Dutch-born architect Jan Bouman took over and completed the work. Frederick treated the house as an extension of himself and imagined it would not outlast him; in practice it outlived the monarchy. In the nineteenth century Frederick William IV used it as a residence. After the First World War and the end of the German monarchy, the Hohenzollern family kept ownership, until the palace came under a state administration for Prussian palaces and gardens a few years later. In the Second World War the finest artworks from the royal palaces were sent away to Rheinsberg and Bernterode for safety. The palace itself came through the fighting around Potsdam without serious damage, though the old windmill that Frederick had kept in the park for its rustic look was destroyed. Much of what had been stored at Rheinsberg was taken to the Soviet Union as war booty, and only a small share came back later. The Bernterode pieces were found by American soldiers and ended up at Charlottenburg in West Berlin. Under East German rule, which lasted close to half a century, the palace was treated better than much of Potsdam, whose historic centre suffered neglect and some demolition.

What to see

Culture

Sanssouci Palace carries the personality of Frederick the Great more strongly than most royal houses carry their owners'. He was a soldier-king who also played the flute, wrote music and surrounded himself with French-speaking thinkers, and the villa was built as his refuge for exactly that other life. The painter Adolph von Menzel later imagined an evening there in his flute concert picture, with the king playing and his teacher Johann Joachim Quantz close by. That image, of an enlightened ruler at ease in a small room, is still how Germans tend to picture the place. The palace belongs to the Hohenzollern story as well, the dynasty that ruled Prussia and later Germany, and the surrounding park carries the layers of that history: the temples and follies, the rustic touches the king liked, and the later additions of his successors. Today the palace and park are looked after by a public foundation, and the site works as a museum, a public park and a local weekend walk all at once. Berliners and Potsdam residents jog, picnic and walk dogs on the same paths where tour groups queue, so the mood is relaxed rather than solemn. Inside the rooms, follow the staff's instructions about protective overshoes, bags and photography, and keep to the gravel paths and off the lawns and terraces.

What to wear

Sanssouci Palace belongs to a region where traditional dress is mostly a matter of history and festivals. In Frederick's day the court wore silk, brocade and powdered wigs, though the king himself was known for a plain, worn military coat. Closer to Potsdam, in the Spreewald, the Sorbian minority still keeps up a regional costume of wool skirts, embroidered blouses, lace and large, brightly coloured headscarves, worn at festivals and church occasions rather than every day. What people wear now is simple and practical. In Potsdam and Berlin that means dark jeans or trousers, plain tops, light jackets, trainers and a rucksack, with little fuss about dressing up. Visitors should plan for the weather and for walking. The park is large, with gravel paths, cobbled streets in town and some slopes, so comfortable, closed shoes matter more than anything. Summer can be warm, so bring a hat, sunscreen and water; spring and autumn call for layers and a light rain jacket, and winter needs a proper coat, gloves and a hat. There is no formal dress code for the palace, though modest, tidy clothes suit a historic interior. Protective overshoes may be provided over your shoes inside, so avoid very high heels, which can damage historic floors.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. May for fresh green gardens and mild days, and September–October for mellow light and autumn colour; June to August are the hottest months, July the wettest and busiest, while winter is cold and some park buildings and interiors may close, so check ahead.

How long. 1–2

Getting there. Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), then a regional or suburban train to Potsdam. For the palace, take the RE1 towards Brandenburg from Berlin and get off at Charlottenhof, the station after Potsdam Hbf; the palace and park are a short walk from there. A Berlin ticket valid for at least zones B and C also works for Potsdam.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

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