Sanssouci Palace and Gardens

Sanssouci is the name of the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, near the city center of Potsdam. It resembles Versailles in France and is has numerous temples and follies in the park. The gardens belonging to the palace are occupying a large area of Potsdam and take a lot of time to walk through.

The palace was designed by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill King Frederick's need for a private residence. Sansssouci is a French name and means"without worries" or "carefree". Because of King Frederick's influence in the design it is characterised as Frederician Rococo. He considered it a place that "would die with hime". Especially significant are the terraced gardens in front of the palace. There are also many other impressive palaces and other structures in the garden, many of them in baroque style, and an obelisque at the entrance. You can also find an impressive orangery with its own palace in Italian Renaissance style. There is a nearly 2km long alley that goes from the main entrance on the east side, passes Schloss Sanssouci and ends at the Neues Palais in the west.