Site 5 of 20: Sanssouci zu Potsdam, Germany
The Meek Family
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The distance between our 4th and 5th site is 425km (264 miles); it meant driving all the way across the country from the west of Germany to the East, near Berlin. In the planning stage, we decided at this point that we would stop at a Stellplatz (equivalent of an Aire in France), in order to break up the journey. We looked at various recommendations and websites for a Stellplatz and chose one that was en-route. I had dreamed of romantic settings by a river or lake but we turned up in a car park beside a busy road. It was crunch point. We had to decide to drive around and look for somewhere else (romantic by a river or lake!) or head to the next site, since there was still plenty of time left in the day. We chose the latter, largely infuenced by the fact that the weather was miserable. Getting to the site early would give us more time at the site and two full days to explore Berlin and Potsdam.
So, having driven for about 6 hours all the way across the country, we arrived in the East of Germany not far from Berlin at site number 5: Sanssouci zu Potsdam in the late afternoon. This is once again a large but compact site. As you enter under the entrance archway, you have immediate access to the reception, shop and restaurant. The reception feels like a hotel. Staff greet you from behind a warm wooden counter, with stained glass lampshades hanging above and a large, majestic image of Sansoucci palace proudly displaying in the background. As I checked in, I was offered a glass of delicious, local sweet wine, which of course they sold in the shop next door. The reception is a key central point of the campsite and has a range of information about what is available in the area. You can purchase maps and tickets for the tram and train for nearby Potsdam and Berlin. Family tickets for up to five cost approximately €10 for Potsdam and approximately €17 for Berlin but for those staying longer there are cards that are valid for 2, 3 or 5 days and allow use of public transport in Berlin and Potsdam. The reception is also the place to get wifi tickets. Wifi is only available in the reception and restaurant / bar area; it is free but the code needed to log on is on the tickets printed out at reception.
The shop is quite small and sells a selection of food and drink as well as some Sanssouci themed souvenirs. Freshly baked bread and pastries can be purchased at the shop but need to be ordered up to 7pm, the day before; it can then be picked up between 8am and 12pm. Meals are served at the neighbouring restaurant. There is also a cash point on site since the site does not accept card payments.
Children are well catered for since there is a playground next to the restaurant with wooden sailing themed equipment in the sand. Beside it is the Animation centre where a timetable of activities are on offer during the high season, such as wood carving workshops, pottery and puppeteer workshops. There is also a slide beside the campsite beach; it is a small, sandy beach with access to the lake and a pontoon to swim out to. Children can also hire carts from reception and ride around the site at their leisure; the carts cost €5 a day.
The site offers fantastic views over the lake onto which it borders. Pitches are on flat and on sand with intermittent trees dispersed amongst them. It doesn't rain much in this part of the world so grassy pitches would be difficult to grow or maintain. The tourist pitches are aimed at visiting caravans, tents and motorhomes but there are some more permanent pitches at the lake side for regular customers. Alongside there are 'wine barrel' huts to rent out, that can accommodate 2 people for those that do not wish to camp or bring a caravan or motorhome.
There are two large toilet blocks, one only recently completed. Both are clean (they ask you to leave shoes by the door) and spacious but the newest one is more like a 5 star hotel. The large, wooden framed building with marble statues outside provides luxurious marble-floored facilities; there are spacious, unisex showers and separate toilets of a very high standard. The chemical toilet disposal is the poshest I've ever seen! The older block, also timber-framed with entrances to the toilets from all sides, houses more showers; washing machines, and a games room with a pool table, table football, and a selection of arcade games. Equipment is kept at reception.
Another building next door, also centrally located, is for washing dishes. Alongside it there is a kitchen with hobs, microwaves and a large fridge so that campers can store and cook food. Tables and chairs are also provided to eat at. In the same building there is a hair dresser and massage parlour and a small number of family bathrooms that can be hired. Each family bathroom contains a toilet, shower, two sinks (a higher and lower one), a bidet and hair-dryer.
Being located next to a lake, means that residents on the site have access to the lake and what it has to offer. Watersports equipment is available for hire and includes: SUPs, canoes, kayaks, catamarans, dinghies and windsurfers. On our last day, we saw many sailing boats out on the lake and noticed that some of the people staying at the site had brought their own boats. To explore the area further by water, there is a water taxi that leaves 100m from the site.
As the name suggested, the site is located in Potsdam, a historic part of Germany, where Prussian kings used to reside over 100 years ago. There are over 150 historic buildings in the area; these impressive buildings are surrounded by beautifully kept gardens. With a wealth of history on your doorstop, a trip into Potsdam is a must.
You can hire bikes from the site for €9 a day and cycle the 6km into Potsdam or even walk it. Once in Potsdam there are cycle tours - one every Saturday at 10.30am. There are also Potsdam tours from the site. Alternatively, the site offers a free transfer service; a nine-berth people carrier takes people to and from a nearby tram stop (Bahnhof Pirscheide) where you then catch the tram into Potsdam; these run every 20 mins. Alternatively there is the number 695 bus that runs during the week (Monday to Friday) every 20 minutes and its route goes through the Sanssouci park. The transfer can be arranged between 8 - 11am and 5.30 - 9pm. For the evening slot, you need to ring up the site and ask to be picked up. Be warned, the driver does not speak any English and we had some very entertaining phone calls trying to muddle our way through with pigeon German. He was always there though! If you do miss the transfer slot, it's only a 20 minute walk away.
The tram into Potsdam takes approximately 10 -15 minutes depending where you get off. A popular stop is the Hauptbahnhof Potsdam which is the main train station; from here you can get trains into Berlin. In order to see Potsdam, get off a couple of stops before and wander around the streets, admiring the historical buildings. It has a much more luxurious feel than other surrounding towns and even Berlin. The Platz der Einheit West final stop is a central stop, not far from the main historical centre and shops. From this stop you swap onto the number 695 bus and travel into Sanssouci park where there are various stops to get on and off at - the bus also returns back to first tram depot (Pirscheide) to get the transfer. The Sanssouci park is one of the largest parks in the area and contains over 10 historical buildings to visit, including the famous Sanssouci Palace, the summer residence of Frederick the Great. There is a working historic windmill near the palace and visitor centre which was reconstructed in 1993 after a fire destroyed the original in 1945. At the visitor centre you can collect a map of the park, identifying all the palaces and gardens, including the Orangery, New Palace, Charlottenhof palace, Chinese House and Roman Baths. Tickets to and tours of all the palaces can be purchased at the visitor centre and in high season the tours quickly fill up. An adult ticket to see all the palaces in Potsdam that are open costs €19 (€14 for a child). Bus tours of the park also leave from the visitor centre at regular intervals.
Another day out (or more) from the site is the capital, Berlin. It takes about an hour to get into the centre from the site, taking the tram into Potsdam station and from there catching the train (RE1 or S7) to Berlin. We only had a day to take in as much of Berlin as possible. Our ticket did allow us to use the underground, trams and buses but the best way to see as much as possible is by foot so we wandered from the Victory monument to Brandenburg Gate, followed by the Parliament building. We were keen to get a better understanding of the history linked to the Berlin wall and spent a long time reading the information provided at the last remaining section of the wall, near Checkpoint Charlie and Wall Museum. Our last port of call was the Holocaust memorial. There is so much to see in Berlin and a day is not enough. We were impressed with calmness of the city and surprised by the lack of crowds.
We were very impressed with the Sanssouci zu Potsdam site. It is a fabulous site to stay at; it offers a wealth of activities not only on site but in nearby Potsdam and Berlin. Highly recommended!
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