26/7/24 Schloss Sansouci

 

     Today , another palace - Schloss Sansouci . This one is further out than yesterday , usually you need an extra pass to go into the C zone of the transport area , but our Berlin Pass covers this . So it's off to Potsdam by train , then a bus around to the palace . It's a short walk up a hill to the palace entrance , the walls of the outer building were interesting with seemingly loose rocks used for the lower wall .

     Further up , through the gates is an information map . The green area on the map marks out the palace grounds - one huge area .We are at the entrance , where the 2 areas of white are - people have worn the paint off .

    This is to the side fo the palace , looking at one end .

    There are 2 of these gazebo's , one each end .

     The palace in our opinion , is not very pretty , this side looks out over the vinyards & ponds & fountains below . The roof and walls are decorated with statues - not something that grabs us at all .

     At the front entrance there are 2 covered walkways , very grand with tall roman columns .

    Between the 2 covered walkways is a viewpoint over a fountain ( one of about 80 here ) up toward more ruins .

    This is the side looking down over the vineyard , with some of the forementioned statues on the walls - looks like they need a lot of TLC on the palace .

    Here's the view down to the main pond and fountain , grape vines line the edge of each level .

     Below the grapes are glass doors covering up fig trees , grape vines in between .

     Just one of the many marble statues with fountain .

     The grounds have their own windmill as well , used to mill produce .

     More walkways with views to the new palace .

     This is looking back up to the palace , the grounds definitely better to look at .

      Gardens are very well looked after with flowering plants lining the pathways .

    This is definitely the easy way to trim hedges , especially when there's kilometres of them .

    There's a church on the palace grounds , when you've got this much money you can do this . The inside is plain compared with others we've seen , but still interesting .

     From the church , we wandered down to Luisen Platz and to Brandenburg Gate - there is more than one Brandenburg Gate in Berlin , there have been 18 of them . This one in Potsdam is 18 years older than the one in Berlin .

     It lines up perfectly with a church spire in the distance .

     Back into a bus before the rain took hold , we made it back to the apartment without getting wet - bonus !! Day done , here's a map link :- https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1OdA-NdV3qGEOk2VGcLQasK3DwX86JEg&usp=sharing