Schloss Charlottenhof
Neoclassical summer palace by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the southwest of Park Sanssouci, with original rooms – guided tours only, May to October.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Charlottenhof estate south of Park Sanssouci was given by King Frederick William III as a Christmas present in 1825 to his son, the crown prince and later King Frederick William IV. He commissioned Karl Friedrich Schinkel and the garden designer Peter Joseph Lenné to remodel the baroque manor house. Between 1826 and 1829, with the support of Ludwig Persius, a small pleasure palace modeled on Roman villas was built which, together with the surrounding garden, forms a total work of art combining architecture and landscape.
Schinkel drew inspiration from the excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The interiors are plainly Biedermeier in style, and he designed most of the furniture himself; each room follows its own material and color concept. The blue-and-white striped Tent Room, modeled on an ancient general's tent, is particularly famous. Alexander von Humboldt stayed here as a guest of the crown prince for periods between 1835 and 1840. A water channel runs through the house, while porticos, pergolas and terraces connect the interior and exterior spaces.
The palace and park of Charlottenhof are regarded as the heart of the "Prussian Arcadia". The palace can today only be visited with a guided tour and is closed in the winter months.
Highlights
- Blue-and-white striped Tent Room, modeled on Roman general's tents
- Original furniture designed by Schinkel
- Water channel through the house, pergolas, terrace and exedra
- Rose garden, Poets' Grove and hippodrome in Lenné's park
- Guest room of Alexander von Humboldt, 1835–1840
Permanent exhibition
- Schinkels Sommerschloss für den Kronprinzen – Guided tour through ten largely original rooms furnished in the style of Roman villas, including the blue-and-white Tent Room.
- Operated by
- Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6Pupils, students, trainees, participants in the BFD/FSJ, people with a disability of GdB 50 or higher, and recipients of unemployment benefit I (ALG I) (in each case with proof) |
| Children & teens | €6free up to age 6 · Children under 7 free (no ticket needed); older children pay the reduced student rate. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €6companion free · Reduced from GdB 50, free admission from GdB 100. Companion with marker B or H admitted free. |
| Students & apprentices | €6Reduced for pupils, students and trainees. |
| Groups | –Groups only after booking with the SPSG group service (May–October): personal guided tour (30 min., in German or English, max. 15 people) flat fee €100 including admission; €70 for pupils and students. |
| Families | €30Potsdam family ticket for 2 adults and up to 4 children (under 18): valid for one day in all open Potsdam palaces except Sanssouci. Ticket sanssouci+ family including Sanssouci Palace: €49. |
| Ticket sanssouci+ (all open Potsdam palaces, one day) | €22Reduced €17. |
| Palace annual pass | €80Reduced €60. |
Free admission for, among others, recipients of social benefits and their children under 18, refugees with a residence permit (Aufenthaltsgestattung) or toleration (Duldung), holders of a press card, and holders of the palace annual pass (€80, reduced €60).
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Classified by the SPSG as "not wheelchair-accessible": the exhibition rooms are not accessible to wheelchair users. Assistance dogs welcome. For conservation reasons, strollers may not enter the exhibition rooms.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €30 · Potsdam family ticket for 2 adults and up to 4 children (under 18): valid for one day in all open Potsdam palaces except Sanssouci. Ticket sanssouci+ family including Sanssouci Palace: €49. |
- Stroller-friendly: not available
The Potsdam family ticket (€30) and the ticket sanssouci+ family (€49) are valid for up to 2 adults and 4 children. For conservation reasons, strollers may not enter the exhibition rooms.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Potsdam, Schloss Charlottenhof
Stop "Potsdam, Schloss Charlottenhof".
Information and tickets: visitor center Historische Mühle, An der Orangerie 1, and visitor center Neues Palais, Am Neuen Palais 3.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Lockers
Lockers for small luggage up to 35 × 35 × 50 cm in limited numbers; luggage may not be left in the entrance area. Food nearby: Lottenhof / Bill's Kitchen.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 30 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming as part of the visit are permitted without additional equipment or staff. |
| Good to know | The palace can only be visited with a guided tour (in German; information available in other languages). The stated duration applies to group tours. |
