Girl Meets World: Tulpenfest- Potsdam

Backtracking a bit...

Two weekends ago I had the pleasure of going to the Tulip Festival in the beautiful city of Potsdam. The Tulip Festival has been held in Potsdam's Dutch Quarter since 1996. I was told it was a very popular event among locals and tourists so I decided to check it out. I took the S Bahn for about 30 minutes to arrive in Potsdam around 11:30. At that time it was busy, but enjoyable.

There were thousands of tulips and other gorgeous spring flowers everywhere to help welcome in the season. Along with all of the pretty flowers the streets were lined with bands, food, crafts, and much more. I loved watching the cloggers in their huge wooden shoes and listening to the local bands entertain the crowds. It was a lovely atmosphere and I really felt like I was experiencing a weekend in Berlin as a "local." It felt a lot like the summer festivals we have back home with friends of all ages gathering together to have a great time.

After spending about 3 hours at the festival the streets began to get so crowded that you could barely move. After sitting down to enjoy a snack and some music I decided that I was going to venture out into Potsdam to find the castle of Frederick the Great.

The small journey from the festival to Sanssouci was short and easy. As I was leaving the festival I ran into the librarian from JFKS who gave me directions and a map. I followed the directions and the crowd only a few blocks to find the center of Potsdam where a miniature replica of the Brandenburg Gate lies it was an easy walk to the castle. The walk was quaint and pretty on that Sunday afternoon and it felt as though EVERYONE in Berlin was out and about. It was also the first weekend where the temperatures were reaching the low 70s. The parks were crowded with people sprawled out on blankets reading and playing frisbee. All of the biergartens were in full swing and the streets were as crowded as could be. It was quite the sight especially after experiencing the longest winter Berlin has seen for many years.

As I enjoyed people watching as I strolled along I finally found the elaborate gate that led to Sanssouci. I entered through the beautiful gold gate and walked along the road that was lined with old buildings (possibly servant quarters) and pretty gardens. After walking for about half a mile I turned the corner to see Sanssouci in the distance. It was another one of those breathtaking sights that stops you right where you are to breath in the moment. After admiring the palace I began to continue over a bridge and up the long path. This former summer palace, Sanssouci, is absolutely stunning. It sits on a hill atop an impressive terrace and has a gorgeous fountain at the bottom. The name Sanssouci is a French phrase (sans souci) and it means "without worries" or "carefree." King Frederick wanted a place where he could forget about the stresses of life and he thought Potsdam would be a splendid spot to do just that. There were hundreds of people there the day that I went. The skys were clear and the temperature was just right for a spring afternoon. I took lots of pictures and roamed around the grounds for a bit before heading back towards the S Bahn exhausted and ready to put my feet up after walking for a solid 6 hours.