Sanssouci Park

Sanssouci Park is a large landscaped park in Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany, surrounding the 18th-century Sanssouci Palace built for Frederick the Great. The park and its palaces are part of the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble ‘Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin.’

Key attractions include the single-storey Rococo Sanssouci Palace constructed in 1745-1747, the larger New Palace at the park’s western end, terraced vineyards on the palace hill, the Chinese House and various orangeries and follies spread across the grounds. The park contains formal gardens, tree-lined promenades and lakes across a broad landscape.

Many of the buildings are open to guided tours seasonally and the grounds are used for concerts and cultural events; walking routes connect the palace precinct with lakes and garden features. The ensemble illustrates the development of Prussian garden and palace design in the 18th century.

Sanssouci Park is located in the western suburbs of Potsdam, about 25 kilometres southwest of central Berlin and is accessible by regional rail and local transit followed by a short walk from the park entrances.

• Area: The park links multiple palaces, follies and formal gardens across roughly 290 hectares, forming a large designed landscape close to central Potsdam.
• Best vantage: The terraced vineyard and the steps directly in front of Sanssouci Palace provide the most recognised view lines for photographs and panoramas across the parterre.

What to See #

• Sanssouci Palace: A single-storey Rococo palace built for Frederick the Great between 1745 and 1747 that served as his summer residence and is noted for its intimate terraces and vineyard-facing facade.
• New Palace: A much larger Baroque palace at the western end of the park built in the mid-18th century that contains state rooms and grand reception halls reflecting Prussian court life.
• Chinese House: A garden pavilion in the Rococo taste used as a decorative tea-house and folly within the park's formal layout; it is a notable example of mid-18th century garden ornamentation.
• Orangery: A long building housing service rooms and sheltered plantings, located near the palace area and historically used to overwinter citrus and other tender plants.
• Terraced vineyard: The stepped vineyard terraces and access paths on the slope behind Sanssouci Palace provide the classic vista across the main parterre and palace facade.