Potsdam in Autumn: World Heritage, Art and Film

As the leaves turn golden in Potsdam’s historic parks and the first morning mist settles over the Havel lakes, the city enters one of its most atmospheric seasons. Just outside Berlin, Potsdam brings together a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, internationally renowned art, more than a century of film history and a network of lakes and waterways.

October offers plenty of reasons to visit. Several seasonal palaces open for their final weeks before the winter break, Museum Barberini presents the final days of its Signac exhibition, international artists take to the city’s stages and Potsdam’s film heritage comes alive in museums and concert halls.

Autumn in a UNESCO World Heritage Landscape

In Sanssouci Park, the New Garden and Babelsberg Park, autumn changes the view. As the tree canopies thin out, new perspectives open up across palaces, gardens and the Havel lakes. From viewpoints such as Pfingstberg and Ruinenberg, visitors can look out over a cultural landscape shaped over centuries and now dressed in autumn colours.

Potsdam’s palaces and parks have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin” since 1990. October also marks the final weeks of the summer season at several sites. Charlottenhof Palace, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the New Chambers of Sanssouci and Frederick the Great’s Picture Gallery are normally open only until the end of October. A walk through the historic parks can therefore be combined with one last visit before the winter break.

Beyond the major palace grounds, Potsdam’s autumn landscape continues along the Havel lakes, through woodland and along waterside paths. Friendship Island and the Foerster Garden offer further opportunities to experience the changing season within the city.

Art, Film and International Culture

The colours continue indoors. Until 11 October, Museum Barberini presents “Symphonie der Farben. Paul Signac und der Neoimpressionismus” (“Symphony of Colours. Paul Signac and Neo-Impressionism”). Around 100 works trace the development and impact of Neo-Impressionism and its experiments with colour and light.

Film is another defining part of Potsdam’s cultural identity. With more than a century of filmmaking history, the city has been a centre of European film production since the early 20th century. In 2019 Potsdam has been Germany’s first UNESCO Creative City of Film.

At the Filmmuseum Potsdam, the exhibition “Ohne Frühstück. Ohne Diskussion. 80 Jahre DEFA-Filme” explores eight decades of DEFA film history and the legacy of East Germany’s state-owned film studio.

International contemporary performance also comes to Potsdam in October. From 8 to 11 October, Australian contemporary circus company CIRCA presents its new production “North of Now” at fabrik Potsdam, celebrating its world premiere in the city.

At the end of the month, film and music meet on stage. On 30 October, Kyle Eastwood and his quintet join the German Film Orchestra Babelsberg for “Eastwood Symphonic” at the Nikolaisaal. Film scores, jazz and video projections come together in a programme inspired by the cinema of his father, Clint Eastwood.

Autumn Adventures for Families

Families visiting Potsdam during autumn can also travel from prehistoric times to the world of film. At Biosphäre Potsdam, a tropical indoor world, the new Dino VR Experience takes visitors millions of years back in time. Wearing a VR headset, they encounter creatures including Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops and Mosasaurus.

Young film fans can also explore Potsdam’s film history on their own with the free “Deine Potsdam-Filmrallye” (Potsdam Film Rally). Designed for children aged 7 to 12, the approximately 1.7-kilometre route leads through the city centre, with five stops featuring puzzles and activities inspired by more than 100 years of filmmaking in Potsdam. The free activity booklet is available from the Tourist Information Centre at Alter Markt and the mobiagentur at Potsdam Central Station.

At Filmpark Babelsberg, Potsdam’s filmmaking tradition becomes an experience in its own right. From 9 October, the park’s Horror Nights transform film sets into atmospheric Halloween locations on Friday and Saturday evenings. On 31 October, “Kids Halloween” offers a programme especially for families.

Potsdam from the Water

Water shapes Potsdam’s landscape. A boat trip is one of the best ways to see how closely its palaces, parks and lakes are connected.

The 90-minute Palaces Tour offers a different perspective on the city’s cultural landscape. The route passes Babelsberg Park and Palace, Glienicke Bridge and the historic park landscapes around Jungfernsee. In autumn, changing foliage frames the palaces and gardens along the shoreline.

that the tour brings together much of what makes Potsdam distinctive in autumn: UNESCO World Heritage, architecture, landscape and water, all within easy reach of Berlin.

Further information on Potsdam, current events and ideas for visiting the city is available at www.potsdamtourismus.de.