Potsdam is an island in the midst of the chain of lakes of the River Havel and a symbol of an elegantly designed cultural landscape. Extensive visual axes over idyllic lake and river courses, to palaces and gardens combined with a lively city centre make Potsdam a special experience. Large parts of this unique work of art have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The attractive location of the city in relation to the metropolis of Berlin is best discovered on a cruise of the Havel lakes. Picturesque views of lovely palace grounds and gardens make it easy to understand why princes, kings and emperors made Potsdam their residence.

The enchanting palace of Sanssouci was developed in a vineyard. Frederick the Great supplied his architect Knobelsdorff with sketches which he had done himself. The work of art was finished in just two years (1745-1747). Over more than a hundred years, a park came into being with ever more new views and impressions.

The scenic location, excellent transport connections, Berlin right next door and the unique palaces and parks there – there is hardly an alternative to Potsdam. Theatre, concerts, cabaret, galleries and exhibitions offer a multitude of events. International guest performances and home productions make the Potsdam-Sanssouci Music Festival and the Potsdam Court Concerts the highlights of the season. Baroque opera in the Schlosstheater or against historic backdrops are musical treasures with a special atmosphere.

The Bundesgartenschau 2001, the Federal Garden Show, brought with it a powerful phase of development for Potsdam. The former Bundesgartenschau Park, now Potsdam People's Park (Volkspark Potsdam) with attractive opportunities for sport, play, nature and relaxation, was created from the former military training grounds. The fascinating tropical nature experience “Biosphäre” – a trip to the wonders of nature – awaits visitors to the Potsdam People's Park.

Babelsberg has been the synonym for film in Germany since 1912. Where once names like Asta Nielsen, Hans Albers, Heinz Rühmann and Marlene Dietrich illuminated the sky of stars, high-tech centres of the media industry are now working. Film, television and radio are perfectly integrated with information technology, multimedia and entertainment. Today for exam­ple, Studio Babelsberg and the Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) are located in the Media City.

In Potsdam science and education are boom­ing. Researchers in the fields of geography climate studies and oceanography are just as much at home here as are biotechnologists and scientists who study our nutritional habits.
Sport has a tradition in Potsdam. The Luft­schiffhafen sport and recreation park has been a central point for competitive and popular sport since 1925. Potsdam is not only the gladly chosen host of numerous sporting events, but has also garnered world fame through the achieve­ments of the city's sportsmen and women.

After a visit to Sanssouci Park, it's worthwhile doing a little shopping in Potsdam's baroque Old Town. Discover the city centre around Brandenburger Straße with its many shops and modern arcades in old inner courtyards. From here you can also comfortably visit the Dutch Quarter with its galleries, stylish bou­tiques, restaurants and lively pubs - or try your luck in the evening in the new casino near the Lustgarten.