Royal splendour and Dutch solidity
Potsdam is the ideal introduction to Germany's rich royal past and easy to reach from Berlin. Potsdam was once one of the most impressive cities in Europe. Kings and emperors spent their summers in majestic palaces that are now open to visitors. In 1945, the Cecilienhof Palace made world history at the Potsdam Conference with Churchill, Truman and Stalin. Here, world leaders discussed the division of Germany.
Dutch architecture can be admired in the Hollands Kwartier, a district with one hundred and fifty houses built in Dutch style with red bricks and typical windows with shutters. The nearly three hundred years old houses were built by Dutch workers commissioned by the then King Frederick Wilhelm I. A museum tells the story of these special houses, which now houses exclusive shops, cosy coffee houses and top restaurants.