So this morning we were good, ambitious children and got up bright and early to jump on a train to Potsdam, about 45 minutes outside of Berlin. So turns out that Potsdam was the place to have your summer retreat for the who's who of Germany back in the day. So without further au due, Potsdam.
Our first stop along the venture was to this gem, Nicholaikirche (not to be confused with the Nicholaikirche from Berlin) by who other than "the man"(see previous post). This church was much more of a treat as it was much more original to how it was built as its did not receive catastrophic damage in the war. Like most of "the man's" work, it is rooted deep in historical precedence gaining idiosyncrasy from ornamentation and detail.
Want to see what money could buy you in historic Germany? Well the pictures above will give you a pretty good idea. All the pictures above are examples of palaces located within Sanssouci Park & Gardens. The top palace is probably the most historically significant as it is the former summer home of Frederick the Great. Also, it was the site of the gathering to decide Germany's fate following WWII. However, it if you still aren't buying it there is still plenty of prime real estate in Potsdam to check out.
Like castles? Hate neighbors? Enjoy views of the river? If you said yes, yes and yes then Babelsburg Palace (above) is the place for you. Designed by "the man" you will enjoy private living quarters, a ball room, and hunting lodge once owned by the first German Emperor William I. Pictures of the interiors were strongly frowned upon and post cards were expensive so you will just use your imagination.
Still not satisfied? Well you might consider looking elsewhere because Potsdam is not the place for you.
Chris, Who is "the man"?
ReplyDeleteArchitect named Schinkel. He pretty much designed anything worth talking about in 19th German architecture so I gave him the nickname "the man."
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