Brandenburg · Germany
Where to stay in Potsdam
Potsdam is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, home to about 185,000 people. This guide covers 1 aparthotel and 1 hotel in Potsdam, with about 28 rooms between them.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 2
- Best months
- May to September
- Nearest airport
- BER30 km · Berlin Brandenburg Airport
- Currency
- EUReuro
- Time zone
- Europe/Berlin
- Language
- German
About
About Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital and largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region.
Located about 30 km southwest of the capital, Potsdam was used as a residence for the kings of Prussia when they wanted to get away from the big-city trouble (and potential rabble-rousers) in Berlin, and in a way it still has a similar function, as many well-to-do people from Berlin have either moved here or have bought a second residence here since reunification in 1990. Potsdam also serves as the capital of the Bundesland of Brandenburg, after an attempt to reunite Berlin and Brandenburg in a single Bundesland failed in the early 1990s.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Potsdam
See
Most palaces are managed by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg, SPSG. They offer a combined ticket (sanssouci+ Ticket) giving you access to most of their palaces in Potsdam on one day. The price for adults is €22 and for concessions €17.
- Holländisches Viertel (Dutch Quarter)
- Alter Markt
- New Market
- Garrison Church
- Park Babelsberg
- Krongut Bornstedt
- Park Sanssouci
- Sanssouci Palace
- Gemäldegaleria
- New Palace
- The New Garden
- Cecilienhof Palace
Do
- Cycling
- Babelsberg
- Dutch quarter
- Russian Colony
- Weberviertel
- Nikolskoe
- Lake Griebnitz and Neubabelsberg
- Filmpark Babelsberg
- Studio Babelsberg
- Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg
- Potsdam Royals
- Potsdam Palace Night
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Potsdam
2 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay | Rooms |
|---|---|
| Holiday Inn - the niu, Amity Potsdam hotel | |
| Potsdam Annemarie-Wolff-Platz aparthotel | 28 |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
Where to stay
Which part of Potsdam to stay in
Many visitors come to Potsdam on a day trip from Berlin, where the extensive accommodation base caters to every taste and budget, and staying there is a commendable option. There are also ample choices for travellers in Potsdam.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
More hotels in Potsdam
28 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Villa Adlon | 4.6 km | |
| Hotel Mercure, Potsdam | 0.8 km | |
| Bayrisches Haus | 6.0 km | |
| Gasthof | 15.9 km | |
| Hotel am Jägertor | 0.5 km | |
| Hotel Brandenburger Tor Potsdam | 1785 | 0.7 km |
| Kongresshotel Potsdam | 4.3 km | |
| Seminaris SeeHotel Potsdam | 5.2 km | |
| Dorint Sanssouci Berlin/Potsdam Dorint | 1.0 km | |
| Hampton by Hilton Potsdam Babelsberg | 2025 | 4.4 km |
| Hotel am Großen Waisenhaus | 0.7 km | |
| Hotel am Katharinenholz | 3.2 km | |
| Hotel am Luisenplatz | 0.9 km | |
| Hotel Ascot Bristol | 6.5 km | |
| Hotel Fliegerheim | 23.5 km | |
| Hotel Stadt Beelitz | 19.4 km | |
| Hotel Villa Monte Vino | 1.0 km | |
| Hotel Zur Linde Self Check In | 13.0 km | |
| Inselhotel Potsdam | 3.0 km | |
| Landhaus Haveltreff | 7.8 km | |
| Landhotel Potsdam | 6.3 km | |
| Maxx by Steigenberger Sanssouci Potsdam | 0.9 km | |
| Mercure Hotel Potsdam City | 0.8 km | |
| NH Potsdam | 0.2 km | |
| Precise Resort Schwielowsee | 8.5 km | |
| Schloss Kartzow | 11.5 km | |
| Waveboard | 1.1 km | |
| Zum Rittmeister | 13.0 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Potsdam
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Potsdam are May to September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 26 °C; July is the wettest, with about 77 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Potsdam: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), about 30 km from the city centre in a straight line; Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ, 123 km) and Dresden Airport (DRS, 149 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Potsdam is in the Berlin metropolitan area and served by both inner and outer suburban trains, respectively called the S-Bahn and RegionalExpress (RE) trains. Several lines serve Potsdam, but not the same parts. Almost all trains that go from Berlin to Potsdam can be used with an ABC or BC zone ticket for Berlin. For central Potsdam, you should travel to Potsdam Main Station, which is the terminus for S-Bahn S7 and also served by Regionalexpress RE1 towards Brandenburg or Magdeburg.
Getting around
The tram and bus system in Potsdam is very modern and overall excellent though confusing. Potsdam is (together with Berlin and the rest of Brandenburg) part of the VBB transportation network. That enables you to change trams and buses pretty much at will, as long as your ticket is valid for the zone you're in. Potsdam lies in Berlin's Zone C, so if you have a ticket for Berlin ABC or Berlin BC, you can use public transport in Potsdam with it as well. Don't confuse Potsdam's zones with Berlin's zones. Tickets can be bought at ticket machines in every tram and bus.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BER · Berlin Brandenburg Airport
LEJ · Leipzig/Halle Airport
DRS · Dresden Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Potsdam
Drink
Potsdam's nightlife is a bit dominated by the near Berlin, but there are some good clubs and pubs worth visiting. Interesting pubs you find in the Holländer Viertel around Mittelstraße or in the city.
Stay safe
Potsdam is a safe city for tourists. During daylight the city is full of tourists that visit the amazing palaces and gardens.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Good to know
Accessibility, parking and families in Potsdam
How many places to stay in this guide offer each, in their operators' own words.
of 2 places
of 2 places
Questions
Potsdam: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Potsdam?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Potsdam are May to September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 26 °C; July is the wettest, with about 77 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Potsdam?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), about 30 km from the city centre in a straight line; Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ, 123 km) and Dresden Airport (DRS, 149 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Potsdam?
euro (EUR).
Nearby
Destinations near Potsdam
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.