Sanssouci Palace

Sanssouci was Frederick the Great's answer to grandeur by way of modesty - a single-storey Rococo palace of just ten principal rooms, built in 1745-47 atop a staircase of glassed vineyard terraces so the king could live 'without cares' among his vines and his flute music. Voltaire argued philosophy here; the Marble Hall and the gilded music room survive with their conversation almost audible; and Frederick himself lies where he asked to be, on the top terrace beside his greyhounds, his plain slab kept supplied with potatoes by visitors saluting the king who championed the crop. Around the palace spreads Potsdam's great park - the vast New Palace at the far axis, the gilded Chinese House among the lawns, the Orangery on its ridge - the ensemble inscribed as World Heritage in 1990 with Potsdam's wider palace landscape.

What you actually see

• The vineyard terraces - the glassed vine staircase rising to the palace front.
• The Rococo rooms - the Marble Hall and music room, gilding at full whisper.
• The Chinese House - the gilded teahouse folly among the lawns.
• Frederick's grave - the plain slab on the terrace, potatoes left in tribute.

When to go

April to October for fountains, blooms and the vine terraces in leaf; timed palace tickets sell out on summer weekends, so book ahead. The park in golden October is the quiet triumph.

Honest expectations

The palace interior is small and the timed slots strict - the park is the larger half of the day, and it is genuinely vast, so expect kilometres. Each palace tickets separately unless you buy the combination ticket. Potsdam is an easy Berlin day trip but deserves better than two rushed hours.

Nearby

The New Palace, Potsdam's Dutch Quarter, Babelsberg Park and central Berlin half an hour away.