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With the weather being quite splendid, we decided rather spontaneously to head to Potsdam on Saturday, the capital city of Brandenburg, which is only about 20-30 minutes to the west of Berlin. We decided to mention this on the Fureigners group chat and piqued the interest of Hunter Husky, who was initially reticent to join us, saying he didn't want to impose. After some conjoling, and reassurance that we had no real plan for the day, he decided to come after all and we met up in the heart of the city following a rather crowded train ride over there. We had to walk down to Charlottenburg station and, despite the mid-afternoon heat, we thought we would avoid getting the U-Bahn down there. In hindsight this may have been something of a mistake considering that in the end, we walked nearly 28,500 steps and 21km that day. Still, it was just great being in the sun, although I'll admit that the regional train that we took was a little too busy for my liking and I was rather glad to be off there.
Upon arrival, we had a walk through a rather long shopping centre where to my delight, we saw a Heisse Wolf currywurst concession, with their cute mascot of a red wolf seemingly being cooked to death behind some flames. We also got to see a Nordsee, Wolfie's favourite fast food eatery and a source of great ribbing through the rest of the day. The shoping mall gave way to a bridge over the canal and Havel River, beyond which we could see the old buildings of the Alter Markt. With Hunter being about half an hour behind us and not wanting to stray too far beyond the station, we thought we would have a look around this charming square, upon which is situated a few museums, St. Nicholas' Church and the Markt itself, which now houses the parliament of Brandenburg. The Neoclassical Church was built in 1837 and dominates the square with its huge green dome sat upon a milky sandstone base. It was a rather imposing building and although there seemed to be a substantial TV crew setting up for the broadcast of something, we were allowed to go inside and look around the slightly orange-coloured interior with its modern religious icons. We donated €2 for the privilege.
Back outside, we noted the huge obelisk right in front of the church, as well as the Old City Hall with Atlas bearing the world in gold. This was quite similar to the Guildhall back in Leeds and was befitting of the square that was the historical centre of the city. The real highlight though was the pink City Palace (Stadtschloß), which was built as the winter residence of the Prussian kings in 1662. Destroyed by Allied bombings in World War II and ripped down by the Communists in 1961, it was rebuilt to house the Brandenburg Landtag and was reopened in 2014. You certainly don't get the sense of it being a newly built building as you walk among the open courtyard, which offers excellent views of the Church opposite. There are some weird metal constructed buildings in the middle, while the rest of it is basically offices, although around the front on the main road there was a collective of golden cherubs currently being restored, with their nakedness blinding in the afternoon sun.
Hunter met up with us shortly afterwards and having visited Potsdam on a number of occasions, acted as our de facto guide. It was great catching up with him, having not seen him for the best part of four years, so it was grand to reacquaint ourselves. He walked us through the built-up centre of the city, noting the ferry tours that were plying their way down the Havel and the not inconsiderable amount of ongoing construction work. We then headed over to the main shopping street of the city, Brandenburger Straße, at one end of which is a rather imposingly tall brown church and the other stands the Brandenburg Gate, a replica of the Berlin original that has clearly been done on the cheap. It has a browny-orange hue and was built by Frederick the Great following his victory in the Seven Years' War, which is why it looks like a Roman triumphant arch. Built in 1770-71, the two sides were built by different architects, which is why they look quite different, with the whole structure once forming part of the now demolished city wall. It does dominate Luisenplatz, where it sits, and while we were there we enjoyed the dulcet tones of an accordian player. Just inside the gate there is a tiled pattern of the Potsdam coat of arms, while there is a nice little clock - a golden orb - tucked in one corner of the square. The main street itself is a charming mix of restaurants and shops, while some of the other streets leading off from it look charming too. There was quite a life here, and it was refreshing to see considering we have just come out of six months of lockdown, which made this, our first real trip of the post-pandemic, even more special.
Moving on and we headed up to Sanssouci Park, which is where the majority of the UNESCO awarded royal palaces are cited. In 1744 King Frederick the Great ordered that a residence should be constructed here and there are a number of wonderous buildings to see. The park is significantly large, and it took us a while to walk from one end to the other, down beautifully manacured paths which were punctuated by large fountains. We started off at the open-plan Orangerieschloss, used to house visiting foreign guests. Built in the Italian Renaissance style, this had quite a religious and churchy feel. As we left its modest grounds, we pressed on through the park heading west. To the right, we got to spy a number of interesting buildings including a windmill and the squat yellow Sanssouci Palace, with its green guilded roof prominent. In front of this there were terraces, perhaps an orangery, which fit with the theme of 'Sans Soucci' meaning 'Without Worry'. The day was really hot though and we had to stop regularly for a break, with the architecture and grounds reminding me somewhat of Charlottenburg Castle, near where I live. However, the piece de la resistence came at the end as we headed to the New Palace (Neues Palais), a grand red-bricked structure with ornate green roof that dominates its surroundings. This was very similar in style to the castle at Charlottenburg, and we were disappointed to discover we couldn't go inside. Around the front, there sits two symmetrical staircases sweeping up to two smaller buildings, proudly guarding the palace. These are The Communs which used to house the kitchens, utilities, gardeners’ shops, palace guards and servants, but are now part of the University of Potsdam, with the city having a long and rather famed history as a seat of learning.
After our two-hour jaunt in the park, we decided we didn't fancy the return leg and hopped on a bus just outside the entrance to the palace. Fortunately, you can use the BVG app to get tickets in Brandenburg too, so it was all quite easy (although we did note there was an automated ticket machine inside the bus too). We had to wait a short while at the bus stop, but it was good to sit there in the sun, while I was more shocked at seeing a bus painted in green and white, having gotten used to the all-yellow livery of the capital city. Anyway, when it arrived, the bus picked its way through some rather attractive suburbs before entering Potsdam proper, depositing us conveniently outside a beer garden opposite the Brandenburg Gate. Fancying a drink and considering it would be rude not to, we decided to pop into the garden for a refreshing pint of Gosser, which went down incredibly well. Hunter largely did most of the German speaking, but I gave it a crack too, remembering I must not fall into the complacency of speaking English simply because everyone else can here.
It was a pleasant hour sat in the shade of the beer garden, but I wanted to do some more exploring before grabbing a bite to eat. This saw us walk down the main drag again, Brandenburger Strasse, before checking out the aforementioned big tall brown church. We then took a left and a left again, discovering the Holländisches Viertel or Dutch Quarter, with its tall red buildings which wouldn't look out of place in Amsterdam. These 150 or so red bricked houses were built under the direction of Jan Bouman between 1734 and 1742 - the aim was to house Dutch artisans who had been invited here by King Frederick Wilhelm I. Near here, we also got to see another of the old city gates, the Nauener Tor, a rather imposing grey brick structure that wouldn't look out of place in a fairy tale. It was next to this that we grabbed some food at the admittedly expensive and quite touristy Redo XXL. Hunter explained that Potsdam is quite an expensive city anyway, but €31 for a beer and some schnitzel was quite expensive, regardless of how good schnizel it was. Still, at least we got some cranberry jam and a lemon wrapped in muzzelin to prevent the fingers from getting sticky. It was weird sitting outside eating again, but it was welcome, as was the accordian player who was playing tunes as we ate.
After this, we headed back to the station, calling off at the main square, the Platz der Einheit. In one corner, there stands a brick memorial dedicated to the victims of fascism - Mahnmal für die Opfer des Faschismus. Built in 1975 and very much of its time in terms of design, a corner has been built out of brick, with the anti-fascist message carved into it. The wall sweeps around a grey flame-like structure at its centre, not dissimilar to the ones that house the eternal flame at some war memorials. It was a poignant sight and our final one of Potsdam before we headed back to the train station. The journey back was slightly longer than the way there as we picked up the S-Bahn rather than the regional service, and we had to get off at Wannsee and change trains for some reason. Still, it just gave us more time to speak to Hunter, who stayed on the train as we departed at Charlottenburg as he lives further east in the city than we do. In the end, it was a really great day and as we grabbed the U7 back to Richard Wagner Platz (and then went for a cheeky drink at Lemke to decompress after a busy day), we reflected at just how good a day it had been. I am also starting to feel a lot more comfortable here too, which I am hoping will continue in the weeks to come.
Upon arrival, we had a walk through a rather long shopping centre where to my delight, we saw a Heisse Wolf currywurst concession, with their cute mascot of a red wolf seemingly being cooked to death behind some flames. We also got to see a Nordsee, Wolfie's favourite fast food eatery and a source of great ribbing through the rest of the day. The shoping mall gave way to a bridge over the canal and Havel River, beyond which we could see the old buildings of the Alter Markt. With Hunter being about half an hour behind us and not wanting to stray too far beyond the station, we thought we would have a look around this charming square, upon which is situated a few museums, St. Nicholas' Church and the Markt itself, which now houses the parliament of Brandenburg. The Neoclassical Church was built in 1837 and dominates the square with its huge green dome sat upon a milky sandstone base. It was a rather imposing building and although there seemed to be a substantial TV crew setting up for the broadcast of something, we were allowed to go inside and look around the slightly orange-coloured interior with its modern religious icons. We donated €2 for the privilege.
Back outside, we noted the huge obelisk right in front of the church, as well as the Old City Hall with Atlas bearing the world in gold. This was quite similar to the Guildhall back in Leeds and was befitting of the square that was the historical centre of the city. The real highlight though was the pink City Palace (Stadtschloß), which was built as the winter residence of the Prussian kings in 1662. Destroyed by Allied bombings in World War II and ripped down by the Communists in 1961, it was rebuilt to house the Brandenburg Landtag and was reopened in 2014. You certainly don't get the sense of it being a newly built building as you walk among the open courtyard, which offers excellent views of the Church opposite. There are some weird metal constructed buildings in the middle, while the rest of it is basically offices, although around the front on the main road there was a collective of golden cherubs currently being restored, with their nakedness blinding in the afternoon sun.
Hunter met up with us shortly afterwards and having visited Potsdam on a number of occasions, acted as our de facto guide. It was great catching up with him, having not seen him for the best part of four years, so it was grand to reacquaint ourselves. He walked us through the built-up centre of the city, noting the ferry tours that were plying their way down the Havel and the not inconsiderable amount of ongoing construction work. We then headed over to the main shopping street of the city, Brandenburger Straße, at one end of which is a rather imposingly tall brown church and the other stands the Brandenburg Gate, a replica of the Berlin original that has clearly been done on the cheap. It has a browny-orange hue and was built by Frederick the Great following his victory in the Seven Years' War, which is why it looks like a Roman triumphant arch. Built in 1770-71, the two sides were built by different architects, which is why they look quite different, with the whole structure once forming part of the now demolished city wall. It does dominate Luisenplatz, where it sits, and while we were there we enjoyed the dulcet tones of an accordian player. Just inside the gate there is a tiled pattern of the Potsdam coat of arms, while there is a nice little clock - a golden orb - tucked in one corner of the square. The main street itself is a charming mix of restaurants and shops, while some of the other streets leading off from it look charming too. There was quite a life here, and it was refreshing to see considering we have just come out of six months of lockdown, which made this, our first real trip of the post-pandemic, even more special.
Moving on and we headed up to Sanssouci Park, which is where the majority of the UNESCO awarded royal palaces are cited. In 1744 King Frederick the Great ordered that a residence should be constructed here and there are a number of wonderous buildings to see. The park is significantly large, and it took us a while to walk from one end to the other, down beautifully manacured paths which were punctuated by large fountains. We started off at the open-plan Orangerieschloss, used to house visiting foreign guests. Built in the Italian Renaissance style, this had quite a religious and churchy feel. As we left its modest grounds, we pressed on through the park heading west. To the right, we got to spy a number of interesting buildings including a windmill and the squat yellow Sanssouci Palace, with its green guilded roof prominent. In front of this there were terraces, perhaps an orangery, which fit with the theme of 'Sans Soucci' meaning 'Without Worry'. The day was really hot though and we had to stop regularly for a break, with the architecture and grounds reminding me somewhat of Charlottenburg Castle, near where I live. However, the piece de la resistence came at the end as we headed to the New Palace (Neues Palais), a grand red-bricked structure with ornate green roof that dominates its surroundings. This was very similar in style to the castle at Charlottenburg, and we were disappointed to discover we couldn't go inside. Around the front, there sits two symmetrical staircases sweeping up to two smaller buildings, proudly guarding the palace. These are The Communs which used to house the kitchens, utilities, gardeners’ shops, palace guards and servants, but are now part of the University of Potsdam, with the city having a long and rather famed history as a seat of learning.
After our two-hour jaunt in the park, we decided we didn't fancy the return leg and hopped on a bus just outside the entrance to the palace. Fortunately, you can use the BVG app to get tickets in Brandenburg too, so it was all quite easy (although we did note there was an automated ticket machine inside the bus too). We had to wait a short while at the bus stop, but it was good to sit there in the sun, while I was more shocked at seeing a bus painted in green and white, having gotten used to the all-yellow livery of the capital city. Anyway, when it arrived, the bus picked its way through some rather attractive suburbs before entering Potsdam proper, depositing us conveniently outside a beer garden opposite the Brandenburg Gate. Fancying a drink and considering it would be rude not to, we decided to pop into the garden for a refreshing pint of Gosser, which went down incredibly well. Hunter largely did most of the German speaking, but I gave it a crack too, remembering I must not fall into the complacency of speaking English simply because everyone else can here.
It was a pleasant hour sat in the shade of the beer garden, but I wanted to do some more exploring before grabbing a bite to eat. This saw us walk down the main drag again, Brandenburger Strasse, before checking out the aforementioned big tall brown church. We then took a left and a left again, discovering the Holländisches Viertel or Dutch Quarter, with its tall red buildings which wouldn't look out of place in Amsterdam. These 150 or so red bricked houses were built under the direction of Jan Bouman between 1734 and 1742 - the aim was to house Dutch artisans who had been invited here by King Frederick Wilhelm I. Near here, we also got to see another of the old city gates, the Nauener Tor, a rather imposing grey brick structure that wouldn't look out of place in a fairy tale. It was next to this that we grabbed some food at the admittedly expensive and quite touristy Redo XXL. Hunter explained that Potsdam is quite an expensive city anyway, but €31 for a beer and some schnitzel was quite expensive, regardless of how good schnizel it was. Still, at least we got some cranberry jam and a lemon wrapped in muzzelin to prevent the fingers from getting sticky. It was weird sitting outside eating again, but it was welcome, as was the accordian player who was playing tunes as we ate.
After this, we headed back to the station, calling off at the main square, the Platz der Einheit. In one corner, there stands a brick memorial dedicated to the victims of fascism - Mahnmal für die Opfer des Faschismus. Built in 1975 and very much of its time in terms of design, a corner has been built out of brick, with the anti-fascist message carved into it. The wall sweeps around a grey flame-like structure at its centre, not dissimilar to the ones that house the eternal flame at some war memorials. It was a poignant sight and our final one of Potsdam before we headed back to the train station. The journey back was slightly longer than the way there as we picked up the S-Bahn rather than the regional service, and we had to get off at Wannsee and change trains for some reason. Still, it just gave us more time to speak to Hunter, who stayed on the train as we departed at Charlottenburg as he lives further east in the city than we do. In the end, it was a really great day and as we grabbed the U7 back to Richard Wagner Platz (and then went for a cheeky drink at Lemke to decompress after a busy day), we reflected at just how good a day it had been. I am also starting to feel a lot more comfortable here too, which I am hoping will continue in the weeks to come.
