Cecilienhof Country House

The Historic Site of the Potsdam Conference

Closed due to restoration work from 1 November 2024

Cecilienhof Country House will be closed from 1 November 2024 until further notice for restoration work performed as part of the "Prussian Palaces and Gardens Master Plan". Thank you for your understanding.

Cecilienhof Country House, built from 1913–17 according to plans by Paul Schultze in the style of a country manor, was the last palace erected by the Hohenzollerns. Emperor William II had the residence constructed for his oldest son, Crown Prince William. Until 1945 it was the home of the crown prince and princess, William and Cecilie of Prussia, who had previously resided in the Marble House.
The country house’s appearance was adapted to the natural surroundings through the use of traditional materials such as brick and wood. It fits beautifully into the northern part of the New Garden, which was created at the end of the 18th century in style of an English landscape garden.

To play down the true dimensions of the 176-room structure, the architect cleverly grouped its individual building components around several courtyards. The middle point of the country house is its large living room, which is entered through a vestibule and leads to the royal couple’s adjacent ceremonial rooms. Its massive, carved wooden staircase provides access to the upper story. The coutry house’s grand interiors include an area for the crown prince with a smoking lounge, library and breakfast room, as well as a personal realm for Cecilie with a music salon, writing room and parlor.

From July 17 to August 2, 1945, the summit meeting of World War II’s victorious powers took place here, attended by the “Big Three” – the American president Harry S. Truman, the British prime minister Winston Churchill (followed by his successor Clement Attlee), and the Soviet head of state Joseph Stalin.

The Potsdam Conference was one the most important historical events of the 20th century. It is seen around the world as a symbol of the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, which led to the division of Europe and the erection of the Berlin Wall. The Potsdam Agreement adopted at Cecilienhof laid the groundwork for a new order in Germany, Europe, and the world after World War II. The border installations that stood not far from the building from 1961 to 1989 were an indirect result of the Potsdam Conference and thus also a part of the house’s history.

In the course of the Potsdam Conference, the house’s main rooms were refurnished and the red star installed in its court of honor.

To the info page of the venue

The Seal of European Cultural Heritage

In 2011, Cecilienhof Country House was awarded the European Cultural Heritage Seal. The palace is a member of the Network of Places and Sites of the “Iron Curtain.”

Address

Cecilienhof Country House
Im Neuen Garten 11
14469 Potsdam

How to get there

Public Transportation

Stop "Potsdam, Schloss Cecilienhof"

vbb-online | Timetable information »

Parking

Paid parking spaces for cars and buses near the palace.

Opening Hours

November to March
Valid: 02.11.2023 - 31.03.2024
Monday closed
Tuesday  - Sunday: 10:00 - 16:30
April to October
Valid: 01.04.2024 - 31.10.2024
Monday closed
Tuesday  - Sunday: 10:00 - 17:30
Works meeting (10.04.2024) closed
Works meeting (16.10.2024) closed

Last admission 30 minutes before closing.

Private Apartments of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to be visited separately with a guided tour

On public holidays, weekend opening hours apply unless otherwise stated.

Overview of opening hours and holidays »

Admission Prices

Single Ticket

Historic site of the Potsdam Conference

Price : 12.00 reduced : 8.00

Private Apartments of the crown prince

Price : 8.00 reduced : 6.00

Cecilienhof Country House / Private Apartments of the crown prince Combined Ticket

Valid for one day

Price : 14.00 reduced : 10.00

Cecilienhof Country House / Marble House Combined Ticket

Valid for one day, May to October

Price : 14.00 reduced : 10.00

Cecilienhof Country House / Belvedere Pfingstberg Combined Ticket

Valid for one day, April to October

Price : 18.00 reduced : 13.00

sanssouci+ Ticket

Valid for a single visit to all the SPSG palaces in Potsdam open to the public on one day (not valid for Sacrow House and Stern Hunting Lodge; not valid for special exhibitions; in the Belvedere Pfingstberg, ticket owners are granted the reduced rate).

Sold at all palace registers, in the visitor centres and online. A fixed admission time slot at Sanssouci Palace is included with purchase, and a guided tour time must be booked for the New Palace. Guided tours for the New Palace can only be booked on a daily basis at the visitor centres.

Further information

Price : 22.00 reduced : 17.00

sanssouci+ Family Ticket

Valid for up to 2 adults and up to 4 children.

Valid for a single visit to all the SPSG palaces in Potsdam open to the public on one day (not valid for Sacrow House and Stern Hunting Lodge, not valid for special exhibitions), in the Belvedere Pfingstberg ticket owners are granted the reduced rate.

Sold at all palace registers, in the visitor centres and online. A fixed admission time slot at Sanssouci Palace is included with purchase, and a guided tour time must be booked for the New Palace. Guided tours for the New Palace can only be booked on a daily basis at the visitor centres.

Further information

Price : 49.00

Free admission
for annual ticket holders

Price : 0.00

Information on free admission and concessions

Contact

SPSG | Visitor Information
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

    The exhibition rooms depicting the "Potsdam Conference" are wheelchair accessible. The Crown Prince's Apartment on the first floor is unfortunately not accessible for wheelchair users.

    For conservation reasons, it is unfortunately not possible to use prams / baby strollers in the exhibition rooms.

    App

    The "SANSSOUCI" app is your portal and digital guide through the palaces and parks and is available free of charge from the App Store and Google Play.

    The following language versions are available for Cecilienhof Country House:

    • German
    • German sign language
    • English
    • Spanish
    • French
    • Italian
    • Dutch
    • Polish
    • Russian
    • Hebrew
    • Chinese
    • Korean
    • Japanese

    We recommend downloading the app from home before your visit.

    Publication

    Dining

    In the surroundings you will find the following dining options

    Café Cecilie
    in the Palace courtyard

    Meierei im Neuen Garten
    Brewery & Inn directly on the shores of Jungfernsee

    Café Midi
    in the 'Treffpunkt Freizeit'

    Coffee-Bike
    in the Orangery in theNew Garden

    Impressions

    360 degree panorama

    Video