What to see inside Sanssouci Palace
Before the first room: the Ehrenhof and the felt overshoes
Your timed ticket names a slot, and the slot is for the Ehrenhof, the courtyard on the north side of the palace. If you came up the 132 steps from the Great Fountain you walk round the building to reach it; if you came along the upper Maulbeerallee you are already there. Large backpacks stay in the free lockers at the Historic Windmill visitor centre, prams stay in the pram park at the entrance, and at the door you are handed felt overshoes to protect the floors. They slide. I have watched a great many people discover this on the first parquet, so take the first few steps slowly.
The vestibule and the Marble Hall
The vestibule is the entrance room, and most people walk through it without stopping, which is a pity but understandable, because the Marble Hall is visible through the doorway. The Marble Hall is the centre of the building: oval, domed, and the one room where every group bunches up. This is where the semi-oval pavilion you saw from the terraces turns into an interior, and the windows on the south side look straight down the vineyard to the fountain. If you want the hall to yourself, take the 10:00 slot; more on that on the best time to visit.
East: the king’s apartment
From the hall the route turns east into the rooms Frederick actually used. The reception or ante room comes first, then the audience room, then the concert room, which is the room the Rococo decoration was really made for. Frederick played the flute here in the evenings, and the app tells that story better than a wall panel could. After it comes the study-and-bedroom, one room doing two jobs, and then the library: circular, panelled in cedar, and small. The library is the room I would send a hurried visitor to if they had five minutes and no more. Beyond the king’s rooms runs the long gallery on the north side of the building, which is the return leg westwards.
West: the guest rooms and the Voltaire Room
The five guest rooms on the western side were for the people Frederick invited to stay, and the one everybody wants is the Voltaire Room. Voltaire was Frederick’s guest at court from 1750 to 1753, and the decoration in his room is as playful as the friendship reputedly was. After the guest rooms you are at the exit. There is no doubling back through the enfilade, so if you skipped the library you have skipped it.
Download the SANSSOUCI app before you arrive and bring headphones. It is free, it runs in 12 languages with a children’s version for ages 6 to 13, and it is the only guide you get inside. Reception in the rooms is not something I would plan around.
Photographs, and what you cannot bring in
Personal non-flash photography is allowed in most rooms; tripods, selfie sticks and flash are not, and the rules are posted at each room entrance. Whether a photo permit is still required at the counter is something to ask on the day. The details are on the photography page. If you are using a wheelchair or pushing a pram, read the accessibility notes first, because the exhibition rooms have their own rules.
After the exit: the terrace and the grave
The interior is 40 minutes, but the visit does not end at the exit. Walk to the east end of the top terrace and you are at Frederick’s grave, a plain stone slab that needs no ticket and usually has potatoes on it. Next door is the Picture Gallery, the oldest purpose-built museum building in Germany, which the sanssouci+ day ticket opens in season. How to fit those into a morning or a day is on how long to visit.
What works
- The enfilade is short enough that nobody gets tired of it
- The library and the concert room are worth the ticket by themselves
- The app is free and better than most rented handsets
- The terraces and the grave outside need no ticket at all
Worth knowing
- Timed slots sell out by midday in July and August
- The palace is closed every Monday; the park is not
- One direction only, so decide what to linger on before the Marble Hall
- Felt overshoes on parquet are not for people in a hurry
Get the slot before you plan the rooms
The day ticket sold through GetYourGuide carries a fixed Sanssouci slot and opens every other SPSG palace in Potsdam that day. Live slots below.
Frequently asked questions
How many rooms can you see in Sanssouci Palace?
Ten principal rooms, walked in one direction: vestibule, Marble Hall, the king’s apartment to the east (ante room, audience room, concert room, study-and-bedroom, library), the north gallery, and five guest rooms to the west including the Voltaire Room. It takes about 40 minutes; see how long to visit.
Is there a guided tour inside Sanssouci Palace?
Not for individuals. The interior is self-guided with the free SANSSOUCI app. The guided tours from Berlin bring a live guide for the city and the park and then use the audio tour inside, which is how the Berlin departures work.
Which room is the best in Sanssouci?
The Marble Hall is the famous one and the one that fills up. My own vote goes to the circular cedar library, and the concert room runs it close. Take the 10:00 slot if you want any of them quiet; the reasoning is on the best time to visit.
Can I go back to a room I missed?
No. The enfilade runs one way from the Ehrenhof to the exit and there is no return route through the rooms. Decide before the Marble Hall what you want to linger on.
Do I need a ticket to see the inside?
Yes, a timed one, and the palace is closed every Monday. The terraces, the park and Frederick’s grave are free. The ticket types are explained on the tickets page.