Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [122]
Mercure Hotel Potsdam City ( 2722; www.mercure.com; Lange Brücke; r €61-93; ) Never mind the bland exterior. Rooms in this high-rise are smartly dressed in blues and greys and feature flat screens and beds with chic wooden headboards. It’s in a busy but central location near the Hauptbahnhof and right next to the tour-boat landing docks.
art’otel potsdam ( 981 50; www.parkplaza.com/artotel_potsdam; Zeppelinstrasse 136; r from €75; ) This jazzy lifestyle hotel sits in an enviable location on the Havel River and has 123 rooms and a superb top-floor gym and spa area with five saunas, aromatic baths and treatments. Canvasses by German artist Katharina Sieverding decorate rooms and public areas.
Pension Remise Blumberg ( 280 3231; www.pension-blumberg.de; Weinbergstrasse 26; s €70-75, d €85-92; ) Close to Park Sanssouci, this backyard pension may be petite but the rooms, all with kitchenette, are not. Bike hire is available, and the leafy courtyard is perfect for sipping your morning coffee.
Das Kleine Apartmenthotel im Holländerhaus ( 279 110; www.hollaenderhaus.potsdam.de; Kurfürsten-strasse 15; apt €90-170, breakfast €9.50-15; ) This gem combines the charm of a historic Dutch Quarter building with an edgy, creative design scheme. Wood, steel and lots of colour give the good-sized apartments with kitchens a contemporary look. A small gym, sauna and leafy courtyard are good unwinding spots.
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Eating
Pfeffer & Salz ( 200 2777; Brandenburger Strasse 46; pizza & pasta €6.50-13; 11am-11pm; ) In a street of tourist traps, this Italian eatery stands out for its authenticity. All noodles are homemade daily, the antipasti selection is mouth-watering and the pizza comes crispy-hot from the wood-fired oven.
Loft ( 951 0102; Brandenburger Strasse 30/31; mains €8-15; 10am-midnight Mon-Sat, 10am-10pm Sun; ) Fine views, bright surroundings and a lovely terrace make this a favourite place to enjoy decent food ranging from pasta to steaks.
Meierei Potsdam ( 704 3211; Im Neuen Garten 10; snacks €3-8, mains €10-15; 11am-9.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-8.30pm Sun) Near Schloss Cecilienhof, this brewpub is especially lovely in summer when you can count the boats sailing on the Jungfernsee from your beer-garden table. The hearty dishes are a perfect match for the delicious suds brewed on the premises.
Maison Charlotte ( 280 5450; Mittelstrasse 20; mains €7.50-20; noon-11pm; ) This enchanting bistro may be in the Dutch Quarter but it’s so fantastically French you half expect to see the Eiffel Tower out the door. Oysters and foie gras make appearances, but so do more rustic offerings, such as croques (toasts) and Flammkuchen (Alsatian pizzas).
Restaurant Uhlmann ( 7304 0253; Jägerstrasse 38; mains lunch €7-8, dinner €8.50-16.50; 11am-10pm; ) Located in an 18th-century pottery workshop, this restaurant is a luscious port of call for modern German fare. The menu, sourced from farm-fresh ingredients, changes frequently but may feature such inspired concoctions as rabbit with a kohlrabi-chanterelle salad, or quail paired with ratatouille and basil polenta.
Ristorante Massimo 18 ( 8171 8981; Mittelstrasse 18; mains €9-18; 10am-midnight; ) Travel from Paris to Rome in about two seconds. Next to Maison Charlotte, Massimo 18 specialises in robust southern Italian cucina. From wafer-thin carpaccio to mounds of linguine with lobster, and locally sourced roast lamb with rosemary potatoes, it’s all lip-smacking good.
Recommended eateries in Park Sanssouci:
Drachenhaus ( 505 3808; Maulbeerallee 4a; mains €10-15; 11am-7pm Mar-Oct, 11am-6pm Tue-Sun Nov-Feb; ) Coffee, cake and regional cuisine.
Mövenpick Zur Historischen Mühle ( 281 493; Zur Historischen Mühle 2; mains €10-15; 8am-midnight; ) International cuisine with huge beer garden and children’s playground.
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BACH TO THE FUTURE
The state of Brandenburg has links with many influential German composers, most notably Johann Sebastian Bach. Even the most blinkered techno-head has probably heard of the Brandenburg Concertos, composed in 1721 for Margrave