Summer in Berlin

Berlin has been at the center of world history for so many years that just being there made the journey worth the effort, which is fortunate as some of the famous sights we wanted to see were closed for restoration. Special highlights were the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, the Bundestag, Brandenburg Gate, the newly restored areas of Unter den Linden, Museum Island and Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam.

Apart from rain on the first day the rest of the week had glorious sunshine and the Berliners love open-air cafes. Drinking coffee or beer (OK mostly beer) and people watching - whether on the stylish Unter den Linden Boulevard, the commercial but beautiful Kurfürstendamm or next to the Opera House - was a pleasure and a good way to remind you that Berlin is closer to East Europe than to the West.

Potsdam just outside Berlin itself is a pleasant day trip with the beautiful Sanssouci Palace located inside a huge park. Berlin itself is surprisingly green with many places for picnics should you prefer that to the comfort (and prices) of street side cafes.

Quick Tips:

We were struck be the sheer geographical size of Berlin – distances can be long and even for avid walkers some other form of transportation is needed to get from, say, the Zoo Station / Kurfürstendamm area to Unter den Linden and Museum Island. We were also surprised by how green the city is – not only the enormous parks like Tiergarten but also the many tree-lined streets. Going to Potsdam you positively travel through a dense forest almost inside the city.

Berlin’s museums may not be that famous but there are number of good ones and several are located on the Museum Island. National Museums are fairly affordable and many options exist such as day tickets to bring prices down. The Pergamon and Jewish Museums are probably the best known.

Berlin has been famous for its wild nightlife especially during the years between the world wars. By all counts the good times have returned but with a small child we were limited to dining out. Berlin is the only German city without official closing hours so parties go on 24h in many areas, not only during the famous Love Parade which is held annually in mid-July.

Best Way To Get Around:

Distances between some of the sights are surprisingly long. Fortunately Berlin has a very modern and well-developed public transportation system. Tickets are valid for two hours after purchase. Buy a day ticket if you plan on taking more than two journeys.

The double-decker buses are a pleasant way to see the city and somehow never seem to get stuck in traffic. Of special note are Routes 100 and 200 – both run from Zoo station and pass by some of the better-known sights. Route 100 runs from Zoo past the Kaiser Wilhem Gedaechtniskirche, Tiergarden, Bundestag, Brandenburg Gate, down Unter den Linden, across Museum Island and ends just past Alexanderplatz, the heart of the former East Berlin. Route 200 passes the Philharmonie and Potsdamer Platz, also known as the biggest building site in Europe.

Many of the S-Bahn lines are under reconstruction – a list of stations and lines that are closed is available from most stations. However, temporary signs are only posted in German and are confusing even to the locals. During our visit stations near Unter den Linden were mostly closed and the journey to Potsdam took 90 minutes both ways rather than the normal 35.

The Crowne Plaza would not normally be my first choice to stay in in Berlin but the Adlon was fully booked. As we expected that circumstances might force us to spend more time in the hotel than usual we opted for a hotel where we would be sure to have a decent size room and full facilities.

The Crowne Plaza is conveniently located off Kurfuerstendamm near the Kaiser Wilhem Gedaechtniskirche and Zoo Station. Inside the nondescript building in a very nondescript street awaited a warm welcome from very friendly and competent staff. Check-in was very fast and although we traveled fairly light a friendly bellhop insisted on helping with the luggage. He also refused the tip and seemed almost embarrassed that it was offered. Two persons from housekeeping stormed in and out with a baby bed at such speed there was no time to even consider tipping. Similarly the room maids never took any tip – it was like being back in Japan.

The room was fairly standard with a slightly dated look style wise but furniture and fittings were in very good condition. The bed was surprisingly comfortable despite the mattress being very soft, as the Germans seem to prefer it. The bathroom was all white, completely tiled with modern furnishings and sufficient space to fully unpack all toiletries. There were never any complaints that we unpacked the bar fridge and filled it up with milk and baby food. Each room also has hairdryers, coffee/tea making facilities and an iron – a rarity in German hotels.

I was very satisfied with the housekeeping and if I ever need a maid in Berlin I would pouch one from the Crowne Plaza. Whether they picked up each item individually and replaced them at the exact same spot, cleaned around things or didn’t clean at all, I wouldn’t know but the maids never felt that inborn urge of all maids world wide to rearrange stuff and make neat piles. We could always find our things exactly where we left them. The only complaint is the speed at which service personnel entered the room – the gap between ringing the bell and barging in is equal to the time it takes to move a hand form the bell button to the door knob – we noticed similar urges in other German hotels as well so it may be the local thing.

Our room rate booked via the Internet was Euro 100 per night including all taxes and a full buffet breakfast. We were pleasantly surprised by the size and selection available for breakfast. It had the full range from fresh fruit to hot sausages, eggs, cereals, yogurts and even a do-it-yourself waffle maker.

The hotel has a fairly large indoor pool and a pretty good gymnasium – both seemed underused. Although notices for tour groups were constantly being plastered in a disorderly fashion next to the elevators, we never had the impression that the hotel was unduly full or swamped by tour groups.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (Emperor Wilhelm Memorial Church) is not much older than a century but it has a significant importance for the people of Berlin. It commemorates the life of Kaiser Wilhelm I (not the Second of World War One fame), but was severely damaged by bombing during the Second World War. After the war it was decided not to repair the church but to let its' damaged appearance serve as a reminder of the devastation that war brings. It was located at the heart of West Berlin and a poignant symbol in a city that rebuilt as fast as possible to show off the wealth and progress of the capitalist West compared to the Communist controlled East.

All that is left of the church is the central part with the tower knocked off – it has the appearance and thus the nickname of "hollow tooth". Seeing the inside proved to be more of a challenge than it should have been – it was often closed despite signs proclaiming it to be open and we only managed to enter it on our fifth attempt!

Once inside it is pretty small. Of interest are the wall decorations and several mosaics depicting scenes from the life of Kaiser Wilhelm. Amazingly some of the mosaics escaped the bombing almost undamaged. There is also a cross made of two iron nails that were found in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral and presented to the German people as a sign of peace.

If you're interested in German history, especially the very interesting latter part of the nineteenth century, you can take in the church in a few minutes. However, guided tours in German take more than half an hour and go into great detail about the lives and events depicted in the scenes.

Next to the old church are two modern constructions consisting mainly of blue glass blocks – the glass came from Chartres as a symbol of peace. These buildings are locally known as the powder box and lipstick. The powder box being a hexagon building used as a church assembly hall and the lipstick being a bell tower. In the bell tower is a Third World Shop and rather disappointing none of the blue glass is reflected inside. This must be the most visited and least bought from shop in Berlin, as disappointed tourists making a 30 second walk around trying to figure out how do you go up! The reflection of the blue glass can fully be appreciated in the "powder box" assembly hall. Here 12 minute church services including song, sermon, and prayers are held each afternoon in German with longer sermons, also in English, on Sundays.

The large square between the church and the now very much out of date and out of fashion Europe Shopping Center brims with life all day with street performers and mainly people just hanging out.

The Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie must have the most convenient opening hours of all museums in Berlin if not the whole of Europe – open daily from 09:00 to 22:00 it is a good place to visit after dinner or on Monday's when many other sites are closed. Checkpoint Charlie, or what is left of it, is of course nowadays open round the clock.

This museum is often referred to as the Cold War museum and is mainly dedicated to the people who tried to escape from the former East Germany to the West. Newer, and equally interesting, exhibition areas also focus on repression and resistance worldwide.

Approaching the museum we had our doubts – it was hard to find the real entrance of the museum itself as opposed to the many souvenir shops. The lessons of commerce and free market are clearly understood, although the unfriendly cashier and an equally morose cloakroom attendant were straight from the Soviet era.

A large part of the exhibition consists mainly of black and white poster size photos and explanations in German and English of escape attempts. Although interesting you could equally well and easier read that in a book. Of more interest is a number of vehicles and equipment used in actual successful escapes. These ranged from incredibly small secret spaces inside cars to hang gliders. Visitors are encouraged to search a car near the exit to try and find the secret hideaway. An intrepid teenage girl hid inside a big radio of a neighbor, who had permission to emigrate. Once in the West she emerged to the surprise of the unwitting owner who instantly forgave the destruction of his radio and the risk she had put him into.

The original "You are now leaving the American sector" signal board is also in the museum – the much-photographed one outside is a copy. Several video displays of relevant famous moments in history are scattered throughout the museum including JFK’s proclamation to be a jam donut – although everyone except perhaps the Communist accepted that he meant to have claimed to be a free citizen of Berlin.

The Museum is interesting and well worth a visit. However, the entry fee is a rather hefty Euro 7 and I was left wondering whether they couldn’t do slightly better given the enormous number of paying visitors to the museum.

Berlin has a number of excellent museums although none are as well known as say the Louvre or the British Museum. However, what they lack in international fame they do make up for by being mostly conveniently located within close proximity on Museum Island in the heart of Berlin. Museum Island was the location of the first settlements in Berlin during the 13th century and has been at the center of action ever since.

Approaching the island from Unter den Linden Boulevard, you cross the magnificent Schlossbrücke (Castle Bridge), which is lined with classical statues. Directly across from the bridge is the copper colored Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic), the former parliament of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) (See more in East Berlin journal entry).

On your right is the Schlossplatz (Castle Square), formerly known as the Marx-Engels Square. The Hohenzollern-family, which first ruled Prussia and then a united Germany, had their seat of power here for about 500 years. The Stadtschloss (City Castle) was not severely damaged during the Second World War but was torn down by the East Government in the early 1950s when such symbols of noble class excesses were out of favor with the egalitarian aims of the Soviet-style GDR.

To the left is the Berliner Dom – this Protestant Cathedral was constructed in 1750 in a more simple Baroque style but altered several times since. It went through a Neo-Classical style, then Neo-Baroque and then refashioned by the East German authorities shortly before the fall of the Wall. Reconstruction is continuing. With a little bit of luck you can enjoy a free organ recital while studying the rich Neo-Baroque interior – program notices are posted at the door. Unless you are family or really interested, a visit to the recently opened Hohenzollern mausoleum in the basement is a waste of time and instantly forgettable.

Next to the Dom is the beautiful Neo-Classical Altes Museum which houses Greek and Roman antiquities. The Neues Museum houses Egyptian Antiquities but maybe closed at times due to restoration work. Some of the pillars of the veranda between these two museums seem to have bullet marks from the War – could also be dry rot, so don’t quote me on it.

You actually have to leave the island and reenter it to visit the magnificent Pergamon Museum, which houses reconstructed parts of ancient towns. (See separate Pergamon journal entry.) The last two buildings on the northern end of the island, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Bodenmuseum, were both undergoing renovation during our visit but should reopen soon. Art treasures, which were also split up during the Cold War, will be regrouped and housed in the various museums and galleries.

Just off Museum Island towards Unter den Linden will be the new German History Museum. Meanwhile part of the collection can be seen nearby at the Kronprinzenpalast.

Combination tickets are available to include visits to all state run museums at surprisingly low fares.

However, my attempts to see the Gate were thwarted. To add to the disappointment of the nearby Bundestag being closed for maintenance for the whole of the week we were in Berlin, the Brandburger Tor was fully draped in construction gauge bearing an enormous advertising for Bild newspaper and Deutsche Telekom. The Gate reopened with fanfare on October 3, 2002, although seeing the event live on German television does not compare to seeing the real thing.

From the former East German side the four-horse Quadriga sculpture could be seen and it is a pretty sight even at a distance. Originally a symbol of peace, it was carted of to Paris by an all-conquering Napoleon Bonaparte just to return in 1814 as a symbol of victory. The sculpture was damaged during the Second World War but in a rare moment of East-West cooperation, a new one was produced from the original castings, which were in West Berlin.

Of The Wall there is no sight near the Brandenburg Gate. In fact it is pretty hard to find The Wall nowadays. A large part is left at the Topographie des Terrors near Checkpoint Charlie. This site was the original headquarters of the SS, Gestapo, and other Nazi institutions. The buildings were destroyed during and after the war. A museum is planned for this site, but in the mean time an open air exhibitions of photos and German text explain some of the crimes committed by these Nazi institutions (English audio-guides are apparently available from the information desk). The northern edge of the site has a long piece of the wall still intact. This piece of the Wall will be preserved and presumably be incorporated into the planned museum.

Across the road is part of the Finance Ministry - apparently this is the only building remaining from the Nazi era still in use. It used to house the Luftwaffe (Air Force).

Strolling down from the Brandenburg Gate you pass the newly reconstructed Adlon Hotel, the vacant lot of the US Embassy, the French and Russian Embassies, several banks, and very flashy stylish car show rooms. The Russian Embassy was the first significant new building in East Berlin and constructed in the stark and imposing soviet style fancied by Josef Stalin.

The area of Unter den Linden towards the Museum Island is a particularly attractive area. Bebelsplatz (Bebel’s Square) is surrounded by the Staatoper (State Opera), St Hedwig’s Cathedral, and the Alte Bibliothek (Old Library). Across the road is Humboldt University, which was established in 1810. Famous scholars who taught here include Albert Einstein, Hegel, Robert Koch, and Max Planck. Heinrich Heine, Friedrich Engels, and Karl Marx graduated here. An equestrian statue of Frederick the Great with statues of famous battles is in front of the university. Frederick the Great was out of favor with the East German authorities and during the communist years this statue was long banished to Potsdam.

In the center of Bebelsplatz is a window looking down to a cellar room with empty bookshelves. An American tourist got it in one and observed, "It’s empty!" and walked away. The window to the empty room is to remind of the book burning by the Nazis which started here on May 10, 1933, when some 25,000 books were burned. Plaques with a quotation in German by Heinrich Heine written in 1820 read: "That was only a prelude – where books are burned in the end people will also be burned". Heine, one of Germany’s most loved poets and author of The Loreley, was Jewish (but converted to Christianity under duress) and his works were also banned during the Nazi era.

Further down Unter den Linden is the Zeughaus, which will house the German National History Museum once reconstruction is finished. The Neue Wache, a fine Neo-Classical building from 1816, was originally used as a guardhouse by the nearby royal palace. However, it became a memorial to the war dead in 1931. In 1960 it was restored and rededicated as a memorial to the victims of fascism and militarism and in 1993 again rededicated as a memorial to all victims of war and dictatorship worldwide.

Unter den Linden is well on its way to reclaiming its' position as the chic area of town. However, for the time being Kurfuerstendamm still remains the commercial heart of Berlin.

Probably the busiest building area is the Potsdamer Platz, where famous buildings such as the Sony Center, Deutsche Bahn, and the headquarters of Daimler-Chrysler are constructed. Many more are following. Close by many countries also constructed magnificent new embassies on land that belonged to the respective countries prior to the Second World War. Bus routes 100 or 200 pass by several including the huge joined building used by Nordic countries and the modern Mexican Embassy just outside Tiergarten. The British Embassy is just off Unter den Linden while the French reconstructed on Unter den Linden and the Russians still use the stark building erected by Stalin shortly after the war. The American Embassy is lacking due to disputes over security and aesthetics.

Bearing all this activity in mind, Alexanderplatz is one of the saddest areas of Berlin. The buildings on Unter den Linden were not generally restored by the East German government. The former heart of Berlin, especially the area around Paris Square where the Brandenburg Gate is, was simply too close to the Wall for comfort. As a result the center of activity was moved to the east of Museum Island centering on Alexanderplatz.

Bus 100 terminates just past Alexanderplatz and it is interesting to walk back towards Museum Island – a gentle stroll of about 15 minutes. Some of East Germany’s show-off buildings were on this stretch but currently the area is fairly quiet. On an early Saturday afternoon it was a depressing sight and eerily quiet at times

Here the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) was built in 1969. At 365 meter it is the second tallest structure in Europe and was meant to show off the prowess of the German Democratic Republic. Although the view from the top must still be magnificent the area didn’t seem to attract many visitors nowadays. The base of the tower houses a huge fitness center where souvenir shops and restaurants properly belong (on sunny days the metal sphere of the tower reflexes a cross, the highest in Europe – an irony probably lost on the atheistic former East German authorities!)

Museum Island from this angle is dominated by the copper colored Palace of the Republic, the parliament of the former German Democratic Republic. Although formally the parliament, it was always open to the public and also had theatres, a disco, and sport facilities. It has been closed for the past ten years or so to clean up asbestos pollution inside the facility, but debate still rages on whether the building should be demolished or preserved.

Included in the entry fee of Euro 4 is an audio set available in several languages. The audio guide is very good and leads you through the exhibitions providing sufficient general information without becoming overbearing. More detailed information can be requested for most displays should they really tickle your interest.

The star exhibition is the Pergamon Altar, a Greek construction with beautiful freezes that dates from the second century BC. The remains of this ancient building were shipped to Germany at the end of the nineteenth century during a period which German archeologists were very active. In contrast to the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum, some of the pillars came with and the display is build up so you can climb the decidedly modern stairs and see how it was presented originally.

In an adjacent room towers the Market Gate from Miletus. It is the façade of a market from a Roman town in Asia Minor and is more than 16 m high. Original date of construction is estimated to be about a century BC.

Passing through this gate you enter what is if not the most beautiful definitely the most colorful of the major displays – the Ishtar Gate. This gate from Babylon dates from the sixth century BC and gives the Pergamon Altar strong competition for star of the show. The glazed tiles, mostly in blue, are in astonishingly good condition given the age. Large pieces from the Processional Way leading up to the Ishtar Gate decorate both sides of the passage.

The displays of Islamic art on the second floor are smaller but no less interesting. The façade of the Mshatta Palace in Jordan, eight century BC, fills a room while another displays the inside of a seventeenth century paneled room of a rich merchant in Syria. Also of interest is a large world map from India – the audio guide is necessary to make much sense of it from a modern viewpoint.

On the ground floor are several more rooms with statues and mosaics, mainly from Greek and Roman times, but they have a hard time competing with the splendor of the larger exhibitions.

The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday 10 am to 6 pm (Thursdays until 10 pm).

The Jewish Museum was designed by Daniel Libeskind and is a very modern and complicated construction. The passages zig-zag and represent a torn Star of David. The layout is full of symbolism and represents complicated philosophical ideas related to the loss of Jewish culture though the holocaust. Frankly speaking this worked better in a video program on this very interesting building that I saw prior to visiting the museum. In reality I found the layout at first a bit complicated and confusing, although very friendly and abundant multilingual staff are willing to point you in the right direction.

The museum surprisingly doesn’t focus on the holocaust but rather on the history of Jews in Germany. The first exhibition area is on Jewish life in medieval Germany, especially in the city of Worms with interesting multimedia displays. From there displays are progressively more recent and trace the role of German Jews in public life as well as major contributions to arts, literature, music, science, commerce, and law.

A large section focuses on various Jewish customs and their development from ancient times into modern practices. I found this section particularly interesting in explaining some of the finer details of concepts that a non-Jew is only vaguely familiar with from films and television programs.

The section on the Nazi era was somewhat smaller than I expected but still comprehensive. Unfortunately circumstances forced us to spend less time here than we were planning to, but still had time to see some interesting displays of the harrowing times.

Visiting the Jewish Museum can in no way be described as an enjoyable experience – the subject matter is simply too disturbing. However, I’m very happy that I did go. Beforehand I had my doubts, but in the end I found the presentation excellent and the information well balanced as far as I could see. I didn’t see anything that looked like propaganda, denial, or blame.

It is wise to travel light when visiting this museum, as you have to go through airport style security. Bags and coats must be checked in. In addition it is a fair walk from the subway station but well worth it.

Zoo Station of course got its' name from the adjacent zoological gardens, which can still be entered from Lion’s Gate directly across the road from the station. However, the main entrance is via the Asian style Elephant Gate.

Originally established in 1844, Berlin zoo is one of the oldest in Germany and still one of Berlin’s most popular attractions. We went on a sunny Sunday when all the shops on nearby Kurfürstendamm were closed and it was literally packed with locals and tourists alike.

The zoo has some interesting displays methods including special glass panels allowing visitors to see miniature hippopotami and penguins swim. The hippos were enjoying the sun as much as the human visitors so we never saw them in action, but the penguins were pretty active. The aviaries are also well presented and it is possible to enter many of the cages.

The zoo also has a large section of nocturnal animals going about their business in dimly lit rooms. Expect to be bumped many times while shuffling in the dark from window to window. In all honesty, this section was less spectacular than I anticipated but I guess you can’t blame the zoo that these animals are not running around wild all the time.

The aquarium adjacent to the zoo, additional entrance charge, is apparently one of the largest in Europe. We didn’t visit it though as we found it hard to imagine that an aquarium so far from the sea could be worth the effort.

Berlin zoo makes a nice break from all the historic sites and is well worth an hour or two, especially on a sunny Sunday afternoon when much of the rest of the city is pretty much dead.

The Konzerthaus is a neo-classical building dating from the early nineteenth century. Although extensively damaged during the Second World War, the exterior was restored to its former glory while the interior was updated. It's the home of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra – not to be confused with the Berlin Philharmonic, which is housed in the former Western sector in the ultra modern Philharmonie.

In front of the Concert Hall is a sculpture of Friedrich Schiller, one of Germany’s most famous literary figures. Many of his works were set to music, the most famous probably Beethoven’s arrangement of Ode to Joy in the Ninth Symphony. While lunching across the road, an amateur choir did an impromptu performance of Schiller songs on the steps of the Concert Hall. Unfortunately the acoustics of the square are not the best, but the performance was still enjoyed by the numerous bystanders.

The French Cathedral was constructed in the eighteenth century to serve the French Hugonots who fled to Protestant Berlin following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The Cathedral still functions as a church.

At the opposite of the square is the similarly looking German Cathedral. This cathedral was completely destroyed during the war and only rebuilt in the 1990s. The exterior was painstakingly reconstructed to resemble the original. The interior, however, is thoroughly modern and used as an exhibition space by the German parliament. During our visit the exhibition was on the development of Parliamentary democracy in Germany, tracing developments from the first parliament in Frankfurt in 1848 to reunification and changes in the 1990s. Descriptions were only in German. Entrance was free which somewhat made up for the rather unfriendly and thoroughly unhelpful staff.

In the streets around the Gendarmenmarkt are several interesting buildings and shops. These include the Galleries Lafayette and the Art Deco-ish Quartier 206.

Potsdam is nowadays probably more famous for hosting the post-World War II conference of the victors than for being a former royal residence. However, it is for the Park Sanssouci and its royal residences that the tourists flock to this town just outside Berlin.

Entry to the massive 287-hectare (700 acres) Park Sanssouci is free, but entry is charged to enter all buildings (more than ten). Many can only be seen on a guided tour. Combination tickets are available and can be stretched over two days - about the time needed to see them all.

The first palace built here and the most visited is Sanssouci, constructed as a summer residence by King Frederick the Great in 1745. Construction was an enormous financial burden to the King but it had to be done to show that Prussia still had what it took following expensive wars with France. Sanssouci is French for "without a care" and some historians are of the opinion that Frederick actually intended to call it "sans, souci" meaning "with and without care". Be as it may, the palace is a lovely place and was always Frederick’s favorite residence. His wish to be buried here was however delayed until the end of the twentieth century.

The interior can only be seen on a 40 minutes guided tour, conducted in German. Information sheets are available in other languages but you need to ask right at the beginning. Inside the building you need to use enormous slippers that fit over your normal shoes – this is to protect the floors and probably helps to keep the floor polished for free too. The interior is richly decorated and the guide did a great job of explaining the more interesting features. Of special interest is the Marble Hall where Frederick liked to debate and discuss with his guests. The lovely library with more than 2000 volumes – all in French – can only be admired from the doorway. During Frederick’s time, the only guests were men as was the custom, and as a result the bedrooms don’t have doors. Voltaire was a frequent visitor and one of the richly decorated – kitsch if it wasn’t in a palace – rooms is named after him. Some of the servant quarters are also seen on the way out.

Continue to Potsdam 2

Continued from Potsdam 1

While waiting for your tour you can stroll the beautiful gardens. The classical view of Schloss Sanssouci is from the fountain at the bottom of the hill. The park is rich in sculptures, grottos, and other decorations and worth strolling in. Picnicking is allowed. From the colonnade at the back of the palace, you can see some Roman ruins on the opposing hill. The Romans of course never made it this far, but the ruins were built to add classical flavor and to obstruct the view of water works.

On summer weekends you can also visit the kitchen and the Ladies’ Wing, which was added about a century after the original to accommodate female guests as well. Both costs Euro 1 each and frankly speaking if you visit both consider it as Euro 2 contributed to the upkeep rather than for personal enjoyment or education. The kitchen visit really shows you only a rather bare kitchen – you may leave wondering if you probably missed a turn-off or a locked door. I asked, no the kitchen visit really is just a kitchen visit. The Ladies’ Wing takes you through a couple of rooms with period furniture and paintings. Information sheets are available but only in German and don’t explain much except naming the artists and subjects. Really not worth the time or effort.

Not far from Schloss Sanssouci, but requiring climbing several long flights of stairs, is the Orangerie. The Orangerie was built to house more guests but also has a limited number of plants on wheels in the infamous Versailles-style. Construction was completed in 1860 in an Italian Renaissance-style. The interior can only be visited on a guided tour. Climbing the stairs to the viewing platform for a grand view of the park and surrounding countryside is worth the effort (even if you have a combination ticket you must first obtain a token ticket at the ticket office before proceeding to the stairs).

The equestrian statue of Frederick the Great in the garden of the Orangerie is a copy of the statue now in Unter den Linden in Berlin. During the communist era, the statue of Frederick was banished to Potsdam but the original returned to Berlin following reunification.

Continue to Potsdam 3

Continue from Potsdam 2

The other major building in the Park is the huge Baroque style Neues Palais (New Palace). Walking through the park from Schloss Sanssouce to the Neues Palais will require at least half an hour, and it may be better to take the bus running along the back of the park. A lack of time prevented us from visiting this palace but it is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Germany.

Between Schloss Sanssouci and the Orangerie the Historical Mill can be seen. The current mill is a recent copy but the original became famous, as Frederick wanted to have it destroyed as its noisy creaking cracked him up. However, a court ruled in favor of the miller leaving even an absolute monarch stumped. However, some historians claim the story to be fictitious.

Potsdam was part of East Germany and the lack of commercial sense and free enterprise still shows. Nowhere in the park is it actually possible to buy any refreshments, so it would be wise to bring your own picnic. The shops at the train station have a better and more appetizing looking selection than the stalls doing a booming trade at the parking lot in between the Orangerie and Schloss Sanssouci. Also please tip the flute player in period costume at the gate between the parking lot and the Schloss – he needs lessons badly!

Potsdam is usually a 40-minute journey from Berlin-Zoo station on S-Bahn 7. On the day we visited, railway maintenance works prolonged the journey to 90 minutes each way so it's worth checking at the station on which days (usually weekends) maintenance work will take place. From Potsdam station take bus 695 – you’ll do enough walking in the park so it may be best to rest your legs another twenty minutes or so.