24km (15 miles) SW of Berlin

The best day trip from Berlin is to the baroque town of Potsdam on the Havel River, site of Frederick the Great’s Schloss Sanssouci (Sanssouci Palace), often called Germany’s Versailles and the architectural signature of one of Germany’s most dominating personalities. Allow yourself at least half a day to visit this remarkable palace and its beautiful grounds. Potsdam, a former garrison town and now the capital of the state of Brandenburg, celebrated its 1,000th anniversary in 1993 and has historic sites of its own, but be sure to make Sanssouci your top priority.

Either before or after your tour, spend some time wandering through Sanssouci Park, the palace’s magnificent landscaped gardens, with their bevy of historic buildings. All of the buildings on the grounds charge a separate admission, but the only one truly worth your time is the Bildergalerie (Picture Gallery). All of these places are signposted within Park Sanssouci and share the same information number and website as the palace.