Located in Potsdam, just south of Berlin, the royal rococo palace and park Sanssouci await.
Dreamed up by Frederick the Great (1712-86), Sansoucci -"without cares" - was his favorite summer retreat.
Ceiling frescoes, gilded stucco ornamentation, ornately carved wainscoting and fanciful wall covering alongside paintings and richly crafted furniture are throughout.
Frederick added a pile of very convincing, fake classical 'ruins' looming in the distance.
This is a little pergola near the Sansoucci Palace. I am thinking of having one built in my own backyard.
In the Orangery Palace there is an enormous hall filled with copies of Raphael's paintings, the Raphaelsaal.
Nearby are palaces built later by his great nephew shown here surveying the grounds.
The glorious park and palace ensemble is what happens when a king has good taste, plenty of cash and access to the finest architects and artists of the day.
Neues Palais is huge; it looks like a movie set with a central dome and lavish exterior and a parade of statues.
Only the last German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, used it as a residence until 1918.
This creation was meant to demonstrate the undiminished power of the Prussian state following the Seven Years War (1756-63).
Love those tulips.
The garden is reflected inside the rococo-style palace. This is a design on a Sansoucci door.
We rode bikes between Potsdam and the palaces on a lovely spring day.
Never been to Potsdam before. There is so much rich history there. I love those bikes! Looks like a really great time of year to be there.
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