When the days get shorter again, the warming autumn sun sets the scene for Potsdam's UNESCO World Heritage and lets the palace landscape shine. Long walks on the banks of the Havel or through the parks refuel your depots for the winter. A trip to Potsdam's cultural scene and a foray through the museums are also an essential part of an autumn break.
Imagine yourself sitting on the terrace of Babelsberg Palace, with a warm cup of tea in your hands, joggers and cyclists passing by, the low sun making you blink but you can see the remarkable roof of the Hans Otto Theatre on the other side of the river Havel and you hear the horn of the old steam boat “Gustav” just before its passing through Glienicke Bridge. You travel companion sitting in front of you is telling you about the new exhibition at Museum Barberini while you just read that the Picture Gallery of Sanssouci is showing paintings of your favourite artist Caravaggio and Rubens. That’s what an autumn afternoon in Potsdam could be like. A great combination of calming strolls through the lesser visited parks and palaces as well as interesting exhibition at the cities museums.
A visit of the Russian Colony Alexandrovka is also to be recommended. The dark wooden block-houses look even more like out of a fairy tale with common morning fog surrounding it. Several apple orchards sometimes offer their fresh harvest at little stalls with self-service along the street. On the Kapellenberg in the north of the colony you'll find the Alexander-Newski-Church which the was especially constructed for the Russian colonists.
If the wind is blowing too strong for a walk through the Parks, check-out the small backyards around Brandenburger Strasse. Regional shops and boutiques invite you to linger. Maybe you will find just the right souvenir for your loved ones at home. The palaces will also offer you their royal shelter, if the weather isn’t as promising as on our pictures. Sanssouci Palace, Cecilienhof Country House and the New Palace are open all year.
Besides the palaces there are a few other options to stay warm and dry in Potsdam:
- The exhibition “The Dream Factory – 100 Years of Film in Babelsberg” in the Filmmuseum Potsdam tells you not onlythe history of the studios in Babelsberg but also makes you interactively discover the process of filmmaking throughout the decades. Ever dreamed of being an actor/actress or a director? Here you get your chance.
- The Biosphere Potsdam: This giant 5.000m² greenhouse packed with 20.000 plants, 130 animal species and even a waterfall is just a 10-minute tram ride away from the city centre. And the best: with around 20°C/68°F it promises 365 days of summer.
- The House of the Brandenburg-Prussian History provides a living forum for history and culture thanks to its standing exhibition on 900 years of Brandenburg-Prussia. Special art-historical exhibits are presented next to seemingly trivial, yet lively, documents of everyday culture — ranging from the smallest object, a rat flea, discovered only through a magnifying glass, to the largest object, an antique vehicle from the 1920s. Alternating special exhibitions, guided tours, and a variety of events in the Kutschstall and courtyard turn the house into a meeting place, a centre for dialogue, recreation, and entertainment.