How To Spend 48 Hours In Potsdam

The former seat of the Prussian royal family, Potsdam is the crown jewel of Brandenburg. The 1000-year-old city is packed with lavish palaces, lush gardens, and historical sights that survived 40 years under Communist rule. Just a short trip from Berlin, it’s the perfect day trip or weekend getaway from the city. Here’s how to spend 48 hours in Potsdam.

Day One

Morning: Check in and head to the park

Upon arrival, head towards Park Sanssouci to Hotel Villa Monte Vino. This renovated villa is the perfect hotel for a weekend in Potsdam, located on the hill above the vineyard of Sanssouci Palace, and this tranquil area puts guests close to many of the city’s sights.

Afternoon: Lunch and window-shopping

After a morning of walking, it’s time to rest your feet and enjoy some traditional German food at Café & Flambée Potsdam. The café has a cosy atmosphere, where guests can delight in traditional Flammkuchen, a pizza-like dish popular in Germany.

From here, it’s a short walk to Potsdam’s shopping district on Brandenburgerstraße. Affectionately named “the boulevard” by Postdamers, here, as in the Dutch Quarter, visitors can find many small and larger shops, cosy cafés and restaurants. The Karstadt Stadtpalais is the perfect place to spend an afternoon window shopping.

Evening: Dinner by the Gate

Located close to Brandenburg Gate, Assaggi serves up amazing, homemade Italian food. The menu has a wide selection of antipasti, pasta, meat and fish dishes, and a range of wines to suit any budget. With a modern interior and great ambience, it’s the cosy dinner spot in the heart of Potsdam.

Potsdam has a number of amazing, cosy cocktail bars to enjoy after a day of sightseeing. A short walk from Assaggi is Bar Fritz’n – this sleek and stylish cocktail bar has a large selection of drinks and is the perfect place to for a lavish drink or two in Potsdam.

Day Two

Morning: Brunch and a hike

Start the morning with brunch at Wiener. Located just outside Park Sanssouci, this beautiful restaurant has a Viennese-style décor, fitted with dark wood and classic interior. Its brunch menu is diverse, offering à la carte options, a traditional Viennese brunch and delicious coffee to help guests start off their day right.

After brunch, it’s time for am afternoon hike to see more of the city’s sights. Starting out at Gedenkstätte Lindenstraße, visitors can explore this former political prison and memorial in the heart of Potsdam. Used as a prison by the Nazis, the Soviets and the East German Stasi police, the building is rich with history, and the memorial stands to commemorate the victory of democracy in the peaceful revolution in 1989-1990.

From here, it’s a short walk to the city’s Dutch Quarter. Built in the 18th century by King Frederick William, the 134 red brick houses were built to welcome the Dutchmen who settled in Potsdam, mostly as qualified craftsmen. The unique area stretches over four city blocks and is home to the largest number of Dutch-style houses outside of the Netherlands. Filled with architectural delights, boutique shops and quaint cafés and bars, it’s the perfect place to stretch your legs and explore.

Afternoon: Rest your feet

Café Guam, located in the Dutch Quarter, is the perfect place to enjoy a beloved German pastime of coffee and cake. This cosy café has been in the area for over 12 years and is famed for its huge selection of cheesecake. Offering 30 different flavours to choose from, it’s a great location to rest your feet and people-watch in Potsdam’s Dutch Quarter.

Close by is Nauener Tor, one of the city’s many historical gates. A central meeting point in the city, Nauener Tor is considered the earliest example of English neo-Gothic style architecture in Europe. Surrounding the gate is a large square that is frequently used for markets offering fresh produce and regional delicacies twice a week.

Evening: Dinner and drinks

Located in the historic centre of Potsdam is Lewy Wein-Bistro. Housed in a Baroque-style building, the restaurant’s name ‘Lewy’ pays homage to a Jewish family who owned the building in the mid-19th century. Serving up a range of pasta and wine-paired treats, Lewy Wein-Bistro has a weekly changing menu filled with high-quality and unique dishes. After dinner, head to Bar-O-Meter to finish your final evening in Potsdam with some delicious cocktails in an amazing atmosphere.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.