5 Prussian Historical Landmarks to Visit

Brandenburg Gate (Berlin)
Constructed in 1791, Brandenburg Gate is still one of the most visited landmarks in Berlin and in all of Germany. The construction of the gate was first ordered by King Frederick William II in 1788 and it took 3 years to finish it. It was built in a neoclassical style by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans and the main gate was greatly inspired by the famous Acropolis in Athens. The gate saw many important events throughout history; the Napoleonic Wars, World War II and the Cold War era all made use of the gate as an icon of triumph over the city of Berlin.

Sanssouci Palace (Potsdam)
The famous palace of Frederick the Great was built between 1745 and 1747 by architects Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff and Jan Bouman. Frederick, an admirer of French literature and language, named his palace in French, literally meaning “without concerns.” Especially during Frederick’s reign, the palace was almost all the time full of guests from all over Europe, making it a cultural center of the Enlightenment Europe. The palace was less frequently used by the members of the dynasty after Frederick’s death. The palace is located in a large park named after the palace itself, Sanssouci Park, in the city of Potsdam with many other historic landmarks worth visiting.

King’s Gate (Königsberg – Kaliningrad)
The gate was originally built in 1765 at the far side of the city, in 1850 the architect Friedrich August Stüler redesigned it. The new design included three statues of important figures for the city; King Ottokar II of Bohemia, after whom the city was named, Frederick I of Prussia, the first King of Prussia and finally Albrecht, the first Duke and founder of the Duchy of Prussia. The gate got severely damaged during the World War II, and it wasn’t until 2005 that it was properly renovated by the Russian government.. The damaged statues were fully replaced by new ones as well.

Charlottenburg Palace (Berlin)
The construction of Charlottenburg Palace was first commissioned by Friedrich I in 1695, six years before the formation of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was inspired by contemporary buildings such as the Palace of Versailles. The palace was greatly expanded in 18th century. Even though Frederick II. chose to live in his palace in Potsdam, the Kings after him chose to reside in Charlottenburg. Today, it is located in Charlottenburg district and it is properly renovated. The palace contains tombs of many Kings and Queens of Prussia, such as Frederick Wilhelm III and his wife Queen Louise and the first Emperor of Germany, Wilhelm I.

Hohenzollern Castle
The glorious castle existing today was built between 1846 and 1867, at the exact spot of the castles existing before it. The construction was ordered by Frederick Wilhelm IV and the hired architect for the job was Friedrich August Stüler. The castle was never used by Prussian Kings but it was briefly settled by Prince Wilhelm, the son of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The castle today open to tourists and visitors to visit and is also one of the most visited castles in Germany. It belongs to the descendants of the Hohenzollern dynasty and members of the dynasty occasionally occupy the castle.