Oppulance of Past and Present - A Visual Tour of Potsdam

Every time I visit my sister in Potsdam, I can't get around a sightseeing tour. Not only because of her own enthusiasm for the town of her choice, but also because in Potsdam you literally can't take two steps without passing by some historical buildings, many of them famous ones.

The most distinguished palace is probably Sans Souci the residence of the famous Prussian King Frederic the Great, or der Alte Fritz, as he is known here. Since my sister lives practically next door to the park, this was the perfect starting point for our morning stroll.

The perfectly oriented building has a huge south-facing staircase, on whose sides grapes, and even figs make use of the micro climate the house's front yard offers.

Numerous statues statues from classical greco-roman mythology complete the site, along with the king's grave: Buried in an unassuming grave next to his hunting dogs, it has become a sort of pilgrimage site, where historically aware contemporary fans still come to offer potatoes to the king who introduced this food to these lands, where it became a favorite staple.

From here we took a longer walk through the northern part of Potsdam, passing the Russian quarter of Alexandrowka, along the shores of the Heiliger See and the Cecilienhof, the meeting site of Churchill, Stalin, and Truman after WWII.

However, the most spectacular images were provided by the city itself. So let me give you a taste without too many words. Here is a list of a few of the sights you may find yourself facing, just by looking into any direction in this incredibly photogenic German town.