Potsdam has a reputation as a city of palaces, and palaces sound expensive. But look at what this twelve-stop walking route actually visits: an obelisk on a market square, a city gate, vineyard terraces, a mill, a fountain and a Chinese pavilion. Most of that is open air.
What you see from the outside
Seven of the twelve stops are outdoors, or are monuments you take in from the street or the path. The Obelisk on Alter Markt is one: Egyptian in form, commissioned by Frederick the Great, carrying hieroglyphs that in fact spell out the names of the royal family. Potsdam's Brandenburg Gate is a twin to its more famous namesake in Berlin, built to mark the victory in the Seven Years' War — note the difference between the inside and the outside face, that is the sight itself. And the Great Fountain stands in the middle of the terraces, ringed by statues of gods and mythological creatures.
What does cost admission
The other five stops are buildings, and for their interiors you should expect a ticket. That goes for the Sanssouci Picture Gallery with its Baroque and Rococo paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Caravaggio, for the New Chambers — once an orangery, later a guest residence full of marble and gilding — and for the Naturkundemuseum Potsdam, with its fossils and the biodiversity of Brandenburg. We deliberately quote no prices; check those on the spot.
Two things the route itself gives away
First: the Great Fountain was Frederick's dream of a spectacular water display, yet the technology of his own day never quite did what he expected of it. That is a detail you can stand and look at for nothing, and most visitors do not know it. Second, something you only see in the distances: the first four legs together are roughly as long as the seven legs that follow, combined. The free, green half of Potsdam is therefore remarkably tightly packed — you cross the town first, and then it becomes compact.
And the walk itself?
It is free to play. The route opens straight in your browser, no download and no account. At each stop you hear the story and answer a question; a correct answer earns points and badges and unlocks the next location. Twelve stops, about 4.6 km, roughly one and a half to two and a half hours, with a fixed starting point and a fixed order. The whole route can be walked without going inside once.
Ready to discover Potsdam for free? Start the route in the CityWalkGems app.
