"Plums! I want to grow plums, figs and wine," thought Frederick the Great in 1744. And because he was so great, that’s what he did - at Sanssouci Palace, his summer retreat and refuge. You’ll get to explore this wonderland on a guided day tour to Potsdam, a short trip from Berlin. Take a comfortable roundtrip coach journey and see where Prussian rulers worked and played (well, mostly played).
During a sightseeing tour of pretty Potsdam, your guide will show you the wonders of this Prussian playground, including the Dutch Quarter, the recently rebuilt City Palace and the Russian colony Alexandrovka, and the ornate UNESCO-protected green spaces.
After your city tour, you'll head to the Sanssouci Palace, a villa set among pleasure gardens, just above a vineyard. You'll be guided through the opulent rooms of the Prussian Versailles including the opulent Konzertsaal (Concert Room) and the Bibliothek (library) where Frederick kept over 2,000 books in French - the lingo of the royals back then.
Make sure you set aside some time to explore the villa's picturesque park, which were used to grow plums, figs and vines.
Frederick's tomb overlooks it all, and as great he was, he did get one thing wrong: he declared Sanssouci as "a place that would die with him." Luckily for us, it didn't.
