Potsdam: Day Trip from Berlin

Palaces, lakes, gardens, teahouses, and statues in Prussia's Wonderland

It's easy to see why the palaces and parks of Potsdam were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990. The city is incredibly picturesque with its many palaces, lakes, manicured gardens, statues and water fountains dotted over hundreds of green acres. Stroll around the Dutch Quarter, an ensemble of red-brick buildings that is unique in Europe. The infamous _Soldier King_, Frederick William I – renowned for the giant men he collected for his showcase military regiments – built the houses in the mid-18th century to accommodate Potsdam's community of Dutch artisans. After crossing the _Bridge of Spies_, visit Cecilienhof, a palace that was originally built as a residence for Germany's last crown prince but came to be used to host the Potsdam Conference in 1945. Your guide will describe the discussions that took place between Churchill (and later Attlee), Truman, and Stalin, which were to seal the fate of Cold War Europe for the next half century.