The Best Day Trips From Potsdam Germany

If you’re headed to the Brandenburg capital, plan for an extra day or two to explore the surrounding region. From the electrifying buzz of Berlin to the serene landscape of the Spree Forest, Brandenburg has a whole range of places just waiting to be discovered. Here’s our pick of the best historical sights, tranquil landscapes and cultural places which make for great day trips around Potsdam.

Berlin

From Potsdam it’s only a 45-minute drive or 20-minute train ride to the Germany capital, making Berlin the obvious choice for a day trip. The trendy metropolis offers myriad things to do: you can trace the historical remnants of the Berlin Wall and other sites of post-war Berlin and the GDR, uncover the archaeological and artisan treasures in the museums along the Museumsmeile, go bar-hopping in Kreuzberg, rummage through the bric-a-brac and handmade items of the Mauerpark flea market in Prenzlauer Berg, or dance the night away in Berghain and Watergate.

Babelsberg Studios

Lutherstadt Wittenberg

The birthplace of Reformation leader Martin Luther is situated approximately 90 kilometres (56 miles) south of Potsdam and lures with several monuments dedicated to the historical figure, such as the Lutherhaus museum. Other must-see sights are Cranach House, the castle church and the picturesque market square with its gables townhouses and the 16th-century town hall which, as an ensemble, gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1996.

Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz

If you don’t mind taking an hour-long drive south, you can roam one of Germany’s most beautiful parks and another UNESCO site. The sprawling lands of the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz encompass a whopping 142 sq kilometres (55 sq miles) and were the first English-style landscape garden when they opened in the late 18th century. The vast meadows are studded with several chalets and palaces, decorated with beautifully-arranged flower beds and feature a lake and several ponds which are connected by canals and wooden bridges.

Spree Forest

Halfway between Berlin and Dresden, the Spree River has carved a mesmerising labyrinth of waterways, moorlands and pastures into the countryside popular with loved-up couples and honeymooners who hide out in the lovely riverside cottages. That’s not to say that other travellers won’t enjoy their time here. Lübben is a good hour’s drive from Potsdam, but once you get there you can embark on a boating trip aboard a wooden barge or paddle boat and sail down the purling stream.

A day at the lake

The stretch between Potsdam and Berlin is known for its many lakes which make for the perfect spot if you want to cool down on one of those hot summer days and escape the city centre buzz. Direct trains connect you to the popular Wannsee and Schlachtensee lake, where sandy beaches and lush forested take turns along the shoreline. Both lakes have boat rental stations and a restaurant with outdoor seating if you grow hungry from all the watersports fun.

Beelitz Heilstätten

For years on, the abandoned complex of the Beelitz Heilstätten hospital half an hour south of Potsdam attracted so-called ‘lost places’ photographers and daring travellers, but the city eventually shut down the nightly visits after several vandalising incidents. Instead, tourists now get to explore the former military hospital perfectly legally by following a canopy walk along a wooden boardwalk or by joining a guided photography tour.

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.