Author Description

Potsdam has, in Germany, a similar status that Windsor has in the United Kingdom or Versailles in France: it was the residence of the Prussian kings and the German Kaiser, until 1918. Interconnected lakes and cultural landmarks, in particular the parks and palaces of Sanssouci, create unique landscapes. The Potsdam Conference, the major post-World War II conference between the victorious Allies, was held at another palace in the area, the Cecilienhof. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1991, Potsdam is a magnificent synthesis of dream and reality.