Germany from A to Z: Potsdam

"Sans souci," or without care, is what Prussian King Fredrick the Great wished to be when he had his summer residence built in 1747. It was intended to be a small affair, only 12 rooms, located on a vineyard. But the place is anything but tranquil these days - Frederick's favorite palace has become the main tourist attraction in Potsdam.

Frederick the Great ignited a building boom in Potsdam that resulted in 17 palaces and castles. These are usually surrounded by wonderful parks and garden. Most of these palaces and parks have been awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO.

Modern art in a baroque palace. The Museum Barberini, located in Barberini Palace, featuring artworks from East Germany, post-1989 German art, and major impressionist works. The palace that houses the museum is modeled on the Palazzo Barberini in Rome. The original Potsdam version was heavily damaged during World War II, and has now been restored to its former glory.

Potsdam is located on a peninsular and surrounded by seven lakes. The best way to explore these is by boat. Many tourist attractions can be visited by water taxi - for instance the futuristic building of the Hans-Otto-Theater.

Located in the center of town, this palace has no park. Badly damaged during the Second World War, its ruins were demolished by the communist former East German government. From 2010 to 2014 it was reconstructed - with historical facades and modern interior. Today the building houses the Brandenburg state parliament.

This impressive domed building for a change is not a palace but a church. St. Nicolas Church was constructed from 1830 to 1850 according to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the Prussian star architect of the neoclassical era. With a height of 77 meters the domed-church distinctly defines Potsdam's city center.

During the 18th century building boom, there was a lack of skilled workers. Some 134 houses were built in the Dutch style in order to tempt builders from Holland to move to Potsdam. The scheme failed to attract the specialist construction workers, but it did create a charming quarter with small cafés and shops that is very popular with tourists.

The idyllic country house residence was originally built for the Prussian crown prince. In 1945, it came into the world's focus as Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill and Harry Truman held the Potsdam Conference. It's where the leaders of the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States took important decisions affecting the shape of post-war Europe. The Cold War began shortly after.

One shore in Berlin, the other in Potsdam – the Glienicker Bridge is the quickest connection between the two cities. But from 1961 until 1989 the Berlin Wall ran right across the center of the bridge, making it an ideal point of exchange for captured secret agents of both political systems. Most recently Steven Spielberg used it as the original setting for his 2015 film "Bridge of Spies".

And other big names have stood in front and behind the camera in Potsdam: Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Bratt Pitt to name but a few. The Babelsberg film studios were founded in 1912 and still rank among the biggest in Europe. The new setting "Berlin Road" (pictured) cost 16 million euro to build and is intended to attract big productions to Potsdam.