By the time we reached Potsdam, the city which for over 350 years served as a dynastic seat, we realised we woudn't be able to see many of the things we had wanted to unless we took a guided tour ... and that's we did.
We first headed towards the 1763-1769 Neues Palais with its 488 sculptures on and around the whole façade. It was reserved for Friedrich the II's visiting relatives and foreign guests, once it has 300 bedrooms.
Different perspectives of the Neues Palais
Although the guide kept on telling us that Potsdam was a somewhat "fake city", it wasn't until she called our attention to one of the façades being a "fake" brick one that we realised how clever Friedrich II had been in having used painters to do the "brick" design on the walls ... The entire side wing, whose brick façade is not a fake, was turned into his personal residence.
The "fake" brick façade to be seen on the left.
Despite the regal appearance, the domed building across the lane from the Neues Palais served the very ordinary and that's where many of the palace's servants lived. The kitchen located in that same building used to be connected to the Neues Palais underground.
The weather seemed a bit unsettled as we headed towards Sanssouci Palace, but the guide made us forget about the "threatening" rain, we felt could pour down at any moment, with her amazing stories.
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