Potsdam Things to Do

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St. Nikolai has always been a show-piece in Potsdam. It's gone through a number of remarkably different looks, all of them grand, from the showy Baroque facade of 1771 to the efficient but imposing neo-classical building of 1838. The modern Classical building is cube topped with a towering drum dome reminiscent of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

The modern church was badly damaged by Soviet artillery at the end of World War 2. The East German government made efforts to renovate it, but it took until the 1980s before it was ready for visiting by tourists. Today, after reunification, it has recovered from another renovation effort and sits in what will be, when it is complete, one of the finest squares in Germany.

Despite being overlooked by the gabled homes of the Dutch Quarter, St. Peter and Paul's was Potsdam's first Catholic church. It was built in the 19th century, in red brick, with an Italianate bell tower and Byzantine and Romanesque architecture. It's modeled after the St. Zeno Church in Verona.

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One of the most striking elements of Potsdam are the homes built by its many immigrant communities. Rather than just settling into existing German homes, some of the immigrants coming to Potsdam built their own houses, even their own communities.

One of the best examples of this is the Dutch Quarter. It's unique in Europe. They were built in the 18th century by a community of master Dutch craftsmen who came to Potsdam at the invitation of King Frederick Wilhelm I.

Here you will find around 150 buildings, all in a similar style: exposed red bricks, shuttered windows and high gabled facades.

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At the far end of the popular Friedrich-Ebert Strasse, is the Nauener Tor. It is one of three surviving gates of the former city walls. Now it is isolated from the others - the city wall long having been replaced by a boulevard. The gate is now used for cars and trams, not merchants, and the square in front has become popular with cafes and restaurants.

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The main Christmas Market in Potsdam stretches for about a kilometer down Brandenburger Strasse right in the centre of the old town. It's open from the 27th November until the day after Christmas. Another market of note takes place at the Sanssouci Palace. There are also a couple of markets that reflect Potsdams multicultural history, like the Dutch Market (Sinterklaas) on the 11th and 12th November in the Dutch Quarter.

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We made it there during Christmas, and there for joined the guided exposition all for us alone. No visitors at all except for us. That was strange but very interesting too, amazing atmosphere. Like being at Kingdom of Prussia. Amazing guide who really spent an amazing amount of time to show us around. Haus der Brandenburgisch Preußischen Geschichte with its permanent exposition offers the opportunity to explore the history - very detailed and beyond - the union between the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1618.

Opening hours:
Tue-Fri: 10:00 to17:00
Sat & Sun: 10:00 to 18:00
Mondays closed

Unfortunately no permission to take photos. Link below provids great read on exposition & Prussian history yet again not in English but German only.

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The Finance Ministers Meeting of the G8 in Petzow near Potsdam. The finance ministers from the leading industrialized countries discussed issues of financial market stability and the developing bond market in emerging countries. Good governance in African fiscal policy was also on the agenda. Following the conclusion of the meeting, Deputy Secretary Kimmitt held a press conference.

Read also about U.S.-EU Summit in Washington. President George W. Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on
April 30, 2007. We, the leaders of the United States of America and the European Union, met today..to deepen our strategic partnership. This partnership is based on common values, in particular on the deeply shared conviction that peace, prosperity and human development depend upon the protection of individual liberty, human rights, the rule of law, economic freedom, energy security, environmental protection and the growth of strong, democratic societies. Our partnership has achieved much over the years, and today we have reviewed our work over the past year. Yet we continue to face major challenges, at home and abroad.

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Palace and church in Petzow were constructed after plans by the famous master builder Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1842 and are situated in a landscaped park, which in turn was designed by Peter Joseph Lenné. From the church tower one has a splendid panorama over the village of Petzow and the surrounding Havel landscape with its lakes. Concerts, exhibitions and theatre take place regularly. A walk through the park with its great viewing points is well worth in any season.