Sanssouci Palace
Sanssouci Palace
4.5
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Friedrich the Great's amazing 18th-century palace, reminiscent of the grandeur of Versailles, is surrounded by a magnificent 600-acre park.
Duration: < 1 hour
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- Ed cartvalePrestwick, United Kingdom928 contributionsPowerSituated in a massive park, quite a small house, but worth the wonder. Not much in the way of furnishings inside but the chambers are beautifully decorated. Spend about fifteen minutes, then go out enjoy the garden walks and the working windmill the car park charges for parking, as usual u need change for the toilets adjacent to the car parkVisited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 22 April 2024
- Melissa P69 contributionsHistory, Beauty And nature in harmonyBeautiful experience A way to really connect with nature in history in a relaxed setting. Our tour guide was very rude on the new palace tour. A luscious and artistic gardens around the palace. Lots of places to get pictures with fountains and statues. See this attraction it brings out the happiness from withinVisited May 2024Travelled with familyWritten 17 May 2024
- Renee CEugene, Oregon181 contributionsMassive and needs better maps/signageBe very careful to know which location your ticket is for. We arrived on time but at the wrong place. It was a long walk to where we should have been and we arrived late; luckily the man at the door was nice enough to let us in for the tour. The site is massive and really deserves a whole day to visit. More signs on the paths and/or better maps would make this a much easier site to see.Visited June 2024Travelled with familyWritten 29 June 2024
- Helena BMarket Drayton, United Kingdom299 contributionsLovelyFor the palace tours, From the main station once you exit on the side that doesn’t have a Costa on and there’s a stand with various members of staff. Very helpful staff and nice covered vehicle. If you’re non-German you get a folder to have during the tour. There’s 3 palaces to stop at but the stops aren’t for long. 30 minutes a piece. You can leave the tour at any point. We decided to leave the group at sans souci, toured the lovely gardens. Didn’t go inside so not sure on price but it’s extra. Gift shop not great best things were the postcards. There’s the I believe 495 you can get to the main town. But there is more than bus stop so be careful if you’re doing this you go to the main road one.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 3 August 2024
- Tina DBirmingham, United Kingdom6 contributionsRecommend visiting but avoid Mondays and TuesdaysAmazing World Heritage Site. Beautiful gardens, statues and palaces. Although most Google websites say Palace is only closed Mondays, we went on a Tuesday and was disappointed. So avoid Mondays and Tuesdays as not everything is open. Some of the buildings are closed Mondays, others Tuesdays and the cafe is closed Tuesdays. Sanssouci Palace is not free and you need to purchase tickets from the cafe.Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 22 August 2024
- Radu PătruBucharest, Romania197 contributionsThis beautiful place is worth visiting!Potsdam is very different from Berlin, in that it is much quieter, there are many historical places to visit, parks and oases of peace and normalty compared to the tumultuous Berlin. Sanssouci Castle is worth visiting and admiring for the beautiful views it offers. I had beautiful moments of relaxation here and it is a place that I recommend.Visited June 2024Travelled soloWritten 4 September 2024
- RobertaToronto, Canada1,900 contributionsBeautiful PalaceBought the full ticket for 22 Euro and it was pretty good. It’s good to book in advance. I booked the day before and got the 12:40pm time for a Saturday. It was very beautiful and education. The rooms in the palace were beautiful. The garden is also lovely. I was going to Berlin but didn’t know the palace existed until I saw the Korean drama “Queen of Tears”. So that was fun to go to a place where I saw on a show. We walked the garden to the New Palace. It was a far walk! But it was quite nice. It was just nice to get outside of Berlin.Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 8 September 2024
- HsteinmillerYorktown, Virginia973 contributionsUnmissable !Amazingly beautiful "summer" palace - sumptuous décor, fabulous surroundings. I wasn't aware that Voltaire was a personal friend of Frederick the Great - seems Old Fritz was very progressive-thinking compared to his rather militant papa. Plus his flute compositions reminded me of Mozart - really talented. Stunningly beautiful interiors, remarkable kitchen facilities - absolutely unmissable.Visited September 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 September 2024
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Steven v
2 contributions
Aug 2019
Don't go to Sans Souci Palace and expect to see the interior without booking a place beforehand.
My wife and I were refused entrance because, we were so rudely told, 'the palace is too small, the computer couldn't handle another two visitors and we had no reservation.'
I told a staff member that we had travelled from France expressly to see the castle's interior, and asked if she could make an exception for two elderly visitors who had travelled from abroad. Her rude refusal was astonishing, but she did offer tickets for the following day, but as were due to leave Berlin soon afterwards, that was not an option for us.
I e-mailed two complaints; in German and in English, but the castle's management has not had the courtesy to reply.
We're not going back there. Be warned.
My wife and I were refused entrance because, we were so rudely told, 'the palace is too small, the computer couldn't handle another two visitors and we had no reservation.'
I told a staff member that we had travelled from France expressly to see the castle's interior, and asked if she could make an exception for two elderly visitors who had travelled from abroad. Her rude refusal was astonishing, but she did offer tickets for the following day, but as were due to leave Berlin soon afterwards, that was not an option for us.
I e-mailed two complaints; in German and in English, but the castle's management has not had the courtesy to reply.
We're not going back there. Be warned.
Written 24 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andreaz332018
Lake Macquarie, Australia36 contributions
July 2022
Considering you’re selling time-based entry tickets, the cue-line is incredibly badly organised. No electronic clock counting down like it does in so many other similar places, not even a sign, not even an employee calling out the relevant entry times. Instead, the employee in charge of scanning tickets at the time emerged every now and then, grumpily calling people to come forward, impatiently waving them away if they didn’t have tickets for the time slot she was expecting them to have, or if they were too slow to find their online tickets on their devices. She yelled at some American tourists in front of us for not understanding what she meant (we didn’t, even without the language barrier as we are Native Germans). Unfortunately, staff inside weren’t any more inviting. Neither the ones handing out the audio guides, nor the ones patrolling the rooms, nor the one opening the door on the way out graced us with a smile, a good morning, a thank you, or a goodbye. While the palace is nice enough, and the audio guide sure offered plenty to educate us while moving us smoothly through the small place, for us, Sanssouci has the dubious honour to hold first place for having the most unpleasant staff of any palace, castle, monument or museum we ever visited, anywhere in the world.
Written 9 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bernard W
Zeist, The Netherlands239 contributions
July 2020
There are only 11 rooms in the Palace open for visitors. Due to Corona circumstances only a few people are allowed to get in, so there was a lot of rime to explore each room, without being hindered by other visitors walking around. The nice thing is that the bedrooms were all different, which makes the visit different from others where all the rooms look the same after a while. People who like the rococo-style will be very enthusiastic about some of the rooms.
Written 5 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim W
Sindelfingen, Germany8,774 contributions
Jan 2020
Quite frankly, I have no clue as to how someone rated this place terrible. I am often amazed at how people can live in a tiny house as is becoming so popular in the US. However, I can assure you, that for a tiny palace, you could live very comfortably. This is Friedrich the Great's amazing 18th-century palace, which is reminiscent of the grandeur of Versailles, and is surrounded by a magnificent 600-acre park. Although it was winter, I can imagine how beautiful this place must be when the plant are blooming. The tour of the doesn't take that long since it is tiny, but the beauty of it is still breath-taking. I particular enjoyed the tidbit that Andy Warhol painted Friedrich and his artwork is now on display here. Trust me, this is not a terrible tour.
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alessandro P
Mignanego, Italy389 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Family visit to the palace complex of the residential city of Potsdam. The palaces are inserted within the huge Parks Sanssouci park, is the palace of Sanssouci is one of them. The visit will take you throughout the day, also because the distances between the palaces within the park are considerable, and the visits to the palaces are made in small groups and in the case of the Neue Palais there will also be a 'chaperone (if you have children, at the entrance of each building you will find stools available) but the most important thing is that the visits are scheduled and contingent. Try therefore to take time between buildings so that you can enjoy the garden which has remarkable palaces, views, interesting and distant architectural buildings. The cost is based on how many palaces you want to visit, if you are a family take the 22€ (all-inclusive) two adults and two children, it is the best option. Recommendation to start at the Neue Palais and then choose according to your preferences the other palaces, but try to get to the palace of Sanssouci from the park of the Great Fountain to have a more suggestive visit. Also of considerable beauty is the Bildeglerie, with a valuable painting, but equally valuable is the treasure chest or the palace. If you start your visit from Neue Palace and arrive from Berlin by public transport, use the train because it is convenient and fast, the stop will be Park Sanssouci, so you can also see the Kaiserbahnhof station for use by the imperial family. If you want to take as few steps as possible, just outside the station there is the BUS stop where you can take the 605 that goes around the park from the outside but makes stops near the various buildings, otherwise from the station are 7 m walk to the ticket office. On the contrary, if you want to leave from Sanssouci Palace you have to get off at Potsdam station and use the BUS X15/695/614 in the opposite direction and stop wherever you like. Anyway I leave photos of the seedlings to make you understand better. Inside there are no “restaurants” that offer hot dishes but only kiosks in the most popular places (check the map that I have the host) with sandwiches and drinks, so if you want to have lunch with hot dishes stay outside the building where you will find good restaurants. I therefore Recommendation comfortable shoes and to calculate a whole day because the park is very large and the buildings are far from each other, but it is worth visiting an iconic and historically interesting place like the Parks Sanssouci.
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Written 26 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joanna S
Bude Cornwall136 contributions
July 2022
Easy to get to from Berlin, we got a bus outside Potsdam main train station, and the price of €19 was reasonable as we spent 6 hours there and explored the Windmill, the main palace, the new chambers and the orangery. Sadly the Chinese house is closed and the Roman baths are waiting to be renovated. The grounds are vast so allow plenty of time to mooch. Take a packed lunch as there are lots of places to sit, we ate at the Windmill which was reasonably priced but limited in what was on offer.
Written 19 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan T
Province of Alicante, Spain43 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
I visited in December which was a very quiet time. After arrival at Potsdam station, there is a bus which takes you directly to the palace. There are two palaces to see but beware when buying tickets: the “new” palace is a considerable walk away and signage is not good, nor are staff directions helpful!
If you have a Berlin welcome card, they will only give you a discount if you buy a ticket to see both palaces.
It is probably a seasonal thing but, although both palaces are worth seeing, there was an air of desolation, particularly at the new palace.
However, I would recommend visiting both Sanssouci and Charlottenburg as they were the highlights, for me, of my visit to Berlin.
If you have a Berlin welcome card, they will only give you a discount if you buy a ticket to see both palaces.
It is probably a seasonal thing but, although both palaces are worth seeing, there was an air of desolation, particularly at the new palace.
However, I would recommend visiting both Sanssouci and Charlottenburg as they were the highlights, for me, of my visit to Berlin.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ealgian
New York City, NY191 contributions
Aug 2019
The exterior landscapes and architecture of this palace are so different from what can be found in nearby Berlin. You really do sense the age and history of the place, which has been restored post war.
If you show up early in the morning before the interior palace tours begin, you can walk around some of the gardens before most visitors have shown up, and try to get a sense for what life may have been like here in centuries past. Definitely book tickets online in advance so you don't need to wait in any long lines at the main palace building entrance. Bring picnic food and water with you to avoid the price gouging at nearby food stalls. The staff inside the various facilities are approachable and helpful.
Note in 2019, some of the palace buildings used different ticketing systems, which means you may need to walk to multiple locations to pick up different kinds of tickets, which is somewhat annoying. Wear good walking shoes because the entire site is large, if you intend to walk it.
If you show up early in the morning before the interior palace tours begin, you can walk around some of the gardens before most visitors have shown up, and try to get a sense for what life may have been like here in centuries past. Definitely book tickets online in advance so you don't need to wait in any long lines at the main palace building entrance. Bring picnic food and water with you to avoid the price gouging at nearby food stalls. The staff inside the various facilities are approachable and helpful.
Note in 2019, some of the palace buildings used different ticketing systems, which means you may need to walk to multiple locations to pick up different kinds of tickets, which is somewhat annoying. Wear good walking shoes because the entire site is large, if you intend to walk it.
Written 5 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
liverpool1023
London, UK1,250 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
Situated atop a landscaped terrace with vines this palace can easily be seen in an hour. The audio guide is well designed to progress you through this building at the optimal pace. The palace itself is a Rococo gem built at a human scale but also opulent The history behind it is fascinating and diverting.
Written 3 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pedro G
Havana, Cuba552 contributions
June 2024 • Family
It is my second visit to Berlin and this time we could go to Postdam and visit the Palace of Sans Souci, although it was a rainy day you could visit the Palace and its surroundings. Actually the Palace is a small gem, it is true that there are bigger and more luxurious but this has the seal of its creator, Frederick II or Frederick the Great, as they called him. When you walk through its interior you realize that it is a more livable, more earthly building, there are rooms to serve visitors, to house friends, the library to study and work etc.. but everything is enjoyed in a more human dimension. With a simple but very delicate decoration, in the French style, it preserves many pieces of its original furniture and allows us a more real idea of how the Prussian emperors lived at that time. In order to enjoy it and understand it they must hire an audio guide, they have several languages, including Spanish, with which you get to know in quite detail, everything that exists inside. The tour is about an hour or so and maybe it will last longer if you then rush through the surrounding gardens. It is certainly a must if you visit Germany.
Automatically translated
Written 10 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello. My family is planning to visit in March, 2023. I have a travel book from 2016 that says that the only way to visit Sanssouci in the winter is with a tour group, and that you have to wait around for a groupto form to go. From what I've read elsewhere, you just show up at your allotted time, pick up an audioguide, then tour the palace of your own. Can someone please clarify?
Thank you for your assistance.
-Corrina
Written 28 December 2022
There is a Palace, Park and New chambers...you have to ask about opening hours direct overthere at the ticket office (see web pages). Namely the New chambers must be announced for a given hour of entrance.
Written 1 November 2022
Hello, Has anyone taken public transportation from Sanssouci Palace to Cecilienhof or the Bridge of Spies? Thanks!
Written 15 September 2019
In my experience i would rather walk, i’ve waited the bus for more than 40 mins ( even though i checked the station, days and times ) and no bus came, not even one, i ended up walking.
Written 16 September 2019
In questo periodo che tempi d'attesa sono previsti per entrare a sanssouci? Esiste un biglietto salta coda?
Written 9 August 2019
Io sono andato i primi di luglio con un tour organizzato da Berlino che prevedeva visita di Sanssouci e di Potsdam. Non mi è sembrato di vedere coda, ma in agosto non saprei. Ho preferito comprare uno di questi tour a Berlino (la città è piena di queste agenzie che li organizzano) ed è stato molto comodo, in quanto prevede trasporto in pullman a/r, visita di Sanssouci e di Potsdam, durata 5 ore.
Written 10 August 2019
Is there a way to avoid climbing the stairs at Sanssouci palace, we have knee problems, thank you
Written 18 July 2019
There's a car park near the windmill and visitor centre which leads to a gentle uphill sloped path to the palace.
Written 21 July 2019
hola, viajare pronto a Berlin y queriamos visitar este palacio, como hay que reservar la hora del pase, y haremos un fee tour por Postdam, me gustaria saber cuanto se tarda en visitar este palacio y si visitaste alguno mas y el tiempo que se tarda en visitarlos, este free tour finaliza sobre las 15,30 h
gracias
Written 28 June 2019
Las he reservado en Get Your Guide, el palacio dura como 1 hora. Solo visite ese palacio y los demas hice tour en autobus.
Written 28 June 2019
hola, se pueden recorrer los jardines en bicicletas?
Written 12 April 2019
Hola, Check the Website for more Information. I think bike are not allowed.
Written 20 April 2019
Visiting Potsdam Sunday in mid-May, intending to buy tickets online for the Palace, to get the timed entrance we want. Also want to visit the New Palace, but it appears you have to be there to get a time to enter that day--no reservations in advance. Is that true, and if so, are the queues long for the New Palace?
Written 24 March 2019
We went at 14:00 in early Sept on a Saturday and the wait was only about 15 minutes.
Written 25 March 2019
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