How does this sound: A picturesque little castle palace surrounded by wine terraces and a romantic park – and you right in the middle of it all! Join DW reporter Hannah Hummel for a relaxing day in Potsdam. She visits Sanssouci, the pleasure palace of King Frederick the Great. Hannah immerses herself in the atmosphere of the place, very much in the spirit of the Prussian king, who indulged in the good life here, far away from his court. Here he could indulge in nature, music and philosophy without worry – sans souci.

Potsdam, city, capital of Brandenburg Land (state), eastern Germany. Lying on the southwest border of Berlin, it is sited where the Nuthe River flows into the Havel River, the confluence becoming a series of lakes.

First mentioned in 993 as a Slavic settlement known as Poztupimi, it received its charter in 1317. It became Brandenburg’s electoral residence in 1640 under Frederick William (the Great Elector) and the Prussian royal residence under Frederick II (the Great), during whose reign (1740–86) it was an intellectual and military centre and virtual capital of Prussia. In the 18th century a colony of Dutch immigrants gave their quarter of the city, and some other parts as well, a distinctly Dutch flavour. Potsdam suffered severe damage in World War II, but many monuments survived and others have been restored. The Cecilienhof Palace was the scene (July 17–August 2, 1945) of the Potsdam Conference of the Allied leaders; it now houses a museum and a memorial, as well as a hotel. From 1952 to 1990 the city was capital of the Potsdam Bezirk (district) of East Germany.