New Palace

The New Palace (Neues Palais) in Potsdam is the largest palace in Sanssouci Park and one of the last great Baroque palaces built in Prussia. Frederick the Great commissioned it right after the Seven Years' War to prove his kingdom was anything but broke. Behind its long red facade you will find a shell-encrusted grotto hall, a marble ballroom and an 18th-century court theater. Together with Sanssouci Palace, it is a highlight of the UNESCO-listed palaces and parks of Potsdam and Berlin.

A palace built to show off

When the Seven Years' War ended in 1763, Prussia was exhausted, yet Frederick II immediately started a new palace. Built between 1763 and 1769 by Johann Gottfried Büring, Heinrich Ludwig Manger and Carl von Gontard, it stretches about 220 meters (720 feet) and is crowned by a 55-meter dome on which three Graces hold up a crown. Frederick himself called it a "fanfaronade", a piece of bragging. The palace was mainly for guests and festivities, with some 200 rooms, four grand halls and a theater. Across the courtyard stand the Communs, two lavish service buildings now used by the University of Potsdam. Germany's last emperor, Wilhelm II, made the New Palace his favorite residence from 1888 to 1918.

What to see inside

• Grotto Hall: walls and columns covered in shells, glass and minerals from around the world, recently restored and reopened.
• Marble Hall: a vast ballroom with marble walls and floor, twelve statues and a ceiling painting of about 240 square meters.
• Upper Gallery: home to the Baroque painting exhibition "Die Rückkehr der Bilder".
• Lower Princes' Quarters: newly restored guest apartments.
• Prince Henry's Apartment: visited with a separate ticket.

The King's Apartment is closed for renovation work (as of October 2026).

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, according to the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation (SPSG):

• April–October: Monday and Wednesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., closed Tuesday.
• November–December: Monday and Wednesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., closed Tuesday.
• January–March: Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., closed Monday.
• Last entry 30 minutes before closing; closed December 24 and 25.

The Grand Tour costs €14 (reduced €10). The sanssouci+ ticket at €22 covers all Potsdam palaces of the foundation for one day and is good value if you also visit Sanssouci Palace. Entry is by timed ticket with limited daily capacity, so book online in advance. From November to March, visits are by guided tour only, and those tours are in German.

For English speakers, the free SANSSOUCI app offers a multimedia Grand Tour in eight languages plus content for kids. Download it before you arrive, because Wi-Fi on site is unreliable, and bring your own headphones.

How to get to the New Palace

Potsdam is about 25–40 minutes from central Berlin by regional train, which makes it an easy day trip from Berlin. The RE1 regional train stops at Potsdam Park Sanssouci station, a walk of just under a kilometer from the palace. From Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, buses 605 and X5 run to the "Neues Palais" stop. The Deutschlandticket and Berlin ABC tickets are valid. Drivers can use the paid P3 lot at the palace. Between April and October, a free volunteer-run shuttle connects the Grünes Gitter park gate with the New Palace daily from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially if Sanssouci Palace feels too small or too crowded. The New Palace shows Prussian court life at a much grander scale, and you can walk the main avenue through the park to Sanssouci Palace in about half an hour. Plan around 1.5 hours inside. The ground floor is partly wheelchair accessible via a ramp; strollers are not allowed in the exhibition rooms. Nearby, don't miss the Chinese House, the Orangery Palace and Charlottenhof Palace.