Germany's Medieval Heartland

Proud cathedrals and small country churches, defiant castles and peaceful monasteries – they all bear witness to the deep-rooted fear of God, yet also to the most mysterious eras in history: the medieval …

Passion Play 2010: Tickets for Sale

A play of life and death, promised in a moment of mortal threat - so began the history of the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1633. In the middle of the Thirty Years War, after months of suffering and death …

High Speed Mobility with ICE Trains

Germany certainly has not become smaller but distances between cities are shrinking fast – at least if you take the train. Due to extensive investments in railroads and tracks, new ICEs connect German Cities with a travel speed of up to 160 mph. With the German Rail Pass, the ICE offers high speed mobility at a very competitive price …

Historic Lodging

Muenster. Tipped off by a European Union investment scheme, 14 castles, monasteries and manor houses in North Rhine Westphalia have started to run Bed & Breakfast services – providing both, remarkable historical authenticity and a high grade accommodation.
Hotel-turned-castles include, amongst others, Schloss Diersfordt (built 1432), 14th century country house Hertefeld or Schloss Ossenberg with its unique Rococo style architecture. Vacancies can be checked by online booking requests…

Potsdam. – Situated on an island in the midst of a chain of idyllic lakes, Potsdam pretty soon became the most fashionable place for 17th and 18th centuries’ Prussian princes, kings and emperors. Dotted with lovely palace grounds, magnificent parks and gardens along its surrounding lake shores, Potsdam today offers a uniquely rich heritage of these centuries‘ architecture and landscape design.

A garden turned palace

Though originally designed by king Frederick the Great to grow plums, figs and wine on Potsdam’s doorsteps, the terraced garden of Sanssouci turned out to establish the very foundation of today’s UNESCO World Heritage Site: While enjoying the exceptionally beautiful view over his newly designed garden, the idea crossed the king’s mind of a large summer residence above the terraces.
Being king of Prussia, Frederick the Great didn’t spend to much time with financial considerations, and started the construction of its new summer residence one year later in 1745. In addition, the New Palace and the picture gallery were constructed in subsequent years, while the slopes of the castle were used as flower and vegetable gardens.
In addition, on the pile of ruins to the north of the castle, artificial sections of ruins were grouped into a staffage of the art of the ancient world. Concealing a water basin to supply the park’s fountains, this ensemble was crucial for the lavish waterworks Frederick the Great loved so much. Today, visitors will also find Frederick II’s tomb on the castle hill.

Perfect backdrop for …

Having become outfashioned in the meantime, the baroque garden was redesigned in the style of a landscape park under Frederick the Great’s successors. Later on, Frederick Wil-liam IV added structures like Charlottenhof Castle, the orangery and the Roman Baths. They were to bring part of Italy to his native country for him. Today the castles in Sanssouci Park are not only a breathtaking sightseeing destination but also a perfect backdrop to enjoy the Potsdam court concerts and many other musical festivals scheduled this and the forthcoming season.

… Potsdam Court Concerts

For 17 years now, the “Potsdamer Hofkonzerte Sanssouci” (Potsdam court concerts) have attracted visitors from all over the world with a continuous appeal for baroque concerts, performances of ballet and dancing theatre and also scenic readings in the royal residences of the Prussian kings.