Roman Baths in Sanssouci Park
Italy in Potsdam
closed due to restoration work
The Roman Baths are closed due to restoration work performed as part of the "Prussian Palaces and Gardens Master Plan". Thank you for your understanding.
The Romantic ensemble of the Roman Baths forms a picturesque counterpart to the severity of Charlottenhof Villa. It transports us to the estate of an Italian villa, where herms of Dionysus, Pompeiian column fragments, an ancient Centaur Sarcophagus and plots of southern vegetables and lush decorative plants awaken associations of an ideal Italy.
The crown prince, later King Frederick William IV, who was quite talented as a draftsman, delivered countless sketches laying out his ideas for this ensemble. Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Ludwig Persius turned the royal visions into reality, and as of 1829, a series of structures was erected: the Court Gardener’s House, the adjacent pavilion in the design of a Roman podium temple with a pillared portico, the Gardener’s Assistant’s House, the Large Arbor, the Arcade Hall and ultimately the Roman Baths.
However, the Roman Baths are neither intended as the imitation of Roman thermal springs, nor as an ancient villa. Instead, the crown prince had a new architectural creation erected that drew on an Italian country house in a 15th century style. Even the newly acquired knowledge about building construction in antiquity won through excavations in Herculaneum and Pompeii at the time was playfully and colorfully put into practice, in the informal series of the Atrium, Impluvium, Caldarium, Apodyterium, Viridarium and Billiard Room.
Flat, saddleback roofs, a tower, asymmetrically connected architectural components, pergolas entwined with vine leaves, a terrace with a view across a pond to Charlottenhof Palace, and the landscaped park created by Peter Joseph Lenné, all help to shape the unmistakable character of Frederick William (IV)’s retreat. Alexander von Humboldt resided here during his stays in Potsdam.
Address
Roman Baths in Sanssouci Park
Park Sanssouci
14471 Potsdam
How to get there
Public Transportation
Stop "Potsdam, Schloss Charlottenhof" + about 1000m walk
vbb-online | Timetable information »
Parking
Only public parking at the Lennéstraße, Geschwister-Scholl-Straße
Contact
Visitor Centre Historic Windmill in Sanssouci Park
An der Orangerie 1
14469 Potsdam
Closed Mondays
Visitor Centre New Palace in Sanssouci Park
Am Neuen Palais 3
14469 Potsdam
Closed Tuedays
info@spsg.de
Phone: +49 (0) 331.96 94-200
SPSG | Gruppenservice
contact form for booking requests
gruppenservice@spsg.de
Phone: 0331.96 94-222
Fax: 0331.96 94-107
Accessibility
- not wheelchair accessible
Unfortunately, exhibition spaces are not wheelchair accessible.
Unfortunately, for conservation reasons the use of baby carriages and strollers is not permitted in exhibition spaces.
Luggage storage
Please note: No luggage or baggage may be left in the entrance area of the palace for security and safety reasons.
Unfortunately, there are no facilities for storing larger pieces of luggage or similar baggage on the premises of this historical site. We appreciate your understanding.
Dining
In the surroundings you will find the following dining options:
Café Caroline
at the Visitor Centre at the New Palace (South Gate Building / "Südtorgebäude")
Augustiner im Bürgerbahnhof
next to the station "Park Sanssouci"
Café Repin
near Picture Gallery and Sanssouci Palace
Drachenhaus Restaurant & Cafe im Park Sanssouci
between "Paradiesgarten" and Belvedere Klausberg
Lottenhof / Bill's Kitchen
near Charlottenhof Villa
Mövenpick Zur Historischen Mühle
near Sanssouci Palace
Shuttle service
The SPSG offers a free shuttle service between the Grünes Gitter (Green Grille) and the New Palace on the so-called “Ökonomieweg” in Sanssouci Park from April to October, daily from 11 am to 3 pm.
As the shuttle service is only made possible by the voluntary work of the drivers, we ask for your understanding if the service is not always available. Unfortunately, the shuttle service is also not available during heavy rain.