Schloss Sanssouci

About the museum

From 1745, Frederick II had a small summer palace built on a height above a terraced vineyard. Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff translated the king's sketches into the Rococo style; the single-storey building was dedicated in May 1747. The king did not want a representative building but a private retreat, where he lived, except in wartime, from late April to early October. The name “Sanssouci” – French for “without worry” – captures this way of life.

Under Friedrich Wilhelm IV, the two side wings were expanded in 1841–42; Ludwig Persius worked out the designs from the king's sketches. The ensemble today also includes the Picture Gallery and the Neue Kammern palace. Frederick the Great had wished to be buried on the top terrace; this wish was only fulfilled in 1991. In 1990, UNESCO added the palace, together with the palaces and parks of Potsdam and Berlin, to the World Heritage List.

Today visitors experience the largely original 18th-century rooms, including the Marble Hall, the Concert Room and the library. Visits are tied to fixed admission times, and the number of tickets per day is limited.

Highlights

• Vineyard terraces with the palace as the centerpiece of Sanssouci Park
• Marble Hall, Concert Room and palace library in Frederician Rococo
• Grave of Frederick the Great on the top terrace
• Original 18th-century room decorations preserved
• Free multimedia app in twelve languages plus children's versions

Permanent exhibition

• Historische Wohnräume Friedrichs des Großen – Tour through the largely original rooms of the Rococo palace, including the Marble Hall, Concert Room and library.

Operated by

Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG)

Admission & discounts

When buying a single ticket, a fixed entry time is booked at the same time. Free admission applies, among others, to recipients of welfare benefits and their children under 18, asylum seekers with a residence permit (Aufenthaltsgestattung) or toleration (Duldung), holders of press credentials, and holders of the Jahreskarte Schlösser palace annual pass (€80, reduced €60).

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• 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 “conditionally wheelchair-accessible”: access via a currently temporary ramp (1 m wide, approx. 15% gradient); suitable for accompanied people with disabilities. Assistance dogs are welcome. For conservation reasons, strollers may not be taken into the exhibition rooms.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available

The “SANSSOUCI” app includes children's versions of the tour for 6- to 9-year-olds (German) and 10- to 13-year-olds (German, English). The ticket sanssouci+ Family covers up to 2 adults and 4 children. For conservation reasons, strollers may not be taken into the exhibition rooms.

Getting there & parking

From April to October, a free shuttle runs daily from 11:00 to 17:30 between Grünes Gitter and the New Palace (run by volunteers; not available in heavy rain). Tickets and information: Historische Mühle visitor center, An der Orangerie 1.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available
• Lockers: not available

Museum shop in the palace (bookshop Buchhandlung Walther König). No luggage storage in the historic rooms; luggage may not be left in the entrance area. Nearby food and drink: Café Caroline (New Palace visitor center), Café Repin, Theaterklause, Drachenhaus Restaurant & Café, and the JOHO Broiler Bar “Zur Historischen Mühle”.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit