For our excursion this week, we went to Potsdam, which is located just outside the boundaries of Berlin, in the State of Brandenburg.
Our first stop was the summer residence of Friedrich der Große (King Frederick the Great). This is the grand entrance,
The palace was called "Sans Souci", which translates to "Without Cares". It was a small, rather unimpressive place at first glance. Only ten rooms and one story tall, compared to other castle we had seen, this one didn't seem like much-- but only until we went inside.
Set on the top of a hill covered with extensive gardens and vineyards, the interiors of Sans Souci were (mostly) decorated in ornate RoKoKo style. The whole building played with the concept of a barrier between inside and outside--resulting in a bewilderingly beautiful set of interior rooms.
Sans Souci was indeed a place for Friedrich to forget his cares and worries. He had a private library, filled with thousands of volumes, wrote music and played the flute, and surrounded himself with artists and thinkers. Voltaire spent three years here. And the gardens and exteriors were just as beautiful as the inside of the palace.
There was a windmill on the grounds, charmingly rustic, compared to the rest of the establishment.
This part of the garden was in the French style-- very geometric and symmetrical.
The shrubbery was manicured and immaculate, set against a backdrop of wild grapevines and plants, an interesting contrast.
The french garden was punctuated by various statues, pillars, and other works of art and decoration.
Friedrich der Große was actually the person who is credited to have discovered that potatoes could be eaten. Previously, potatoes (which have very beautiful blossoms and which were brought over from South America) were planted and used for decoration. Then, their blossoms and flowers were eaten and used also for various medicinal purposes. And then the powerful King figured out that the roots could be eaten. Hence, this memorial.
The grounds of Sans Souci were partially English gardens as well, with little grottos, crafted "ruins", and other surprises set along paths that wended their way through forests. In the 1700s, Europe was fascinated by Asian culture, and Friedrich was no exception. Here is the Chinesisches Haus, in the English garden of Sans Souci.
Sans Souci was not built to impress or demonstrate the power of Friedrich der Große. However, the Neue Palais was.
Although much larger than Sans Souci, the Neue Palais was not as intricately or exquisitely decorated as the small retreat. Still, decorated in ornate RoKoKo style, the palace was beautiful.
We went on a boat ride around Potsdam after the castles, and the weather turned gray and windy. I had to use my umbrella to shield myself from the wind, to the embaressment of the guys (the umbrella was hot pink).
We saw lots of little castles and estates along the shores of the lake.
This is Peacock Island, and the tiny Schloss (castle) is right on the tip of the small island, which one can access from Wannsee, a part of Berlin. We are planning to go explore the island.
Our first stop was the summer residence of Friedrich der Große (King Frederick the Great). This is the grand entrance,
The palace was called "Sans Souci", which translates to "Without Cares". It was a small, rather unimpressive place at first glance. Only ten rooms and one story tall, compared to other castle we had seen, this one didn't seem like much-- but only until we went inside.
Set on the top of a hill covered with extensive gardens and vineyards, the interiors of Sans Souci were (mostly) decorated in ornate RoKoKo style. The whole building played with the concept of a barrier between inside and outside--resulting in a bewilderingly beautiful set of interior rooms.
Sans Souci was indeed a place for Friedrich to forget his cares and worries. He had a private library, filled with thousands of volumes, wrote music and played the flute, and surrounded himself with artists and thinkers. Voltaire spent three years here. And the gardens and exteriors were just as beautiful as the inside of the palace.
There was a windmill on the grounds, charmingly rustic, compared to the rest of the establishment.
This part of the garden was in the French style-- very geometric and symmetrical.
The shrubbery was manicured and immaculate, set against a backdrop of wild grapevines and plants, an interesting contrast.
The french garden was punctuated by various statues, pillars, and other works of art and decoration.
Friedrich der Große was actually the person who is credited to have discovered that potatoes could be eaten. Previously, potatoes (which have very beautiful blossoms and which were brought over from South America) were planted and used for decoration. Then, their blossoms and flowers were eaten and used also for various medicinal purposes. And then the powerful King figured out that the roots could be eaten. Hence, this memorial.
The grounds of Sans Souci were partially English gardens as well, with little grottos, crafted "ruins", and other surprises set along paths that wended their way through forests. In the 1700s, Europe was fascinated by Asian culture, and Friedrich was no exception. Here is the Chinesisches Haus, in the English garden of Sans Souci.
Sans Souci was not built to impress or demonstrate the power of Friedrich der Große. However, the Neue Palais was.
Although much larger than Sans Souci, the Neue Palais was not as intricately or exquisitely decorated as the small retreat. Still, decorated in ornate RoKoKo style, the palace was beautiful.
We went on a boat ride around Potsdam after the castles, and the weather turned gray and windy. I had to use my umbrella to shield myself from the wind, to the embaressment of the guys (the umbrella was hot pink).
We saw lots of little castles and estates along the shores of the lake.
This is Peacock Island, and the tiny Schloss (castle) is right on the tip of the small island, which one can access from Wannsee, a part of Berlin. We are planning to go explore the island.
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