Charlottenhof Palace

Charlottenhof Palace stands southwest of Sanssouci Palace in Sanssouci Park at Potsdam. It was once the summer residence of Crown Prince Frederick William, who later became King Frederick William IV of Prussia. The palace began as a farmhouse before architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel remodelled it between 1826 and 1829 into a small Neoclassical palace. Schinkel worked with his student Ludwig Persius to create the design, while the Crown Prince himself contributed to the planning. The palace and park were named in honour of Maria Charlotte von Gentzkow, who had owned the land earlier. Today, it is maintained by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg.

The palace is known for its ten rooms, most of which still retain their original interior design. The furniture, much of it designed by Schinkel, reflects a simple yet refined style. The most distinctive space is the tent room, inspired by a Roman Caesar’s tent, with blue-and-white striped wallpaper on walls and ceiling. The room served as a bedroom for guests and companions. Between 1835 and 1840, explorer Alexander von Humboldt stayed in the tent room during summer visits. The blue-and-white theme extends to the window shutters, chosen in reference to the Bavarian heritage of Crown Princess Elisabeth.

Charlottenhof Park was designed by landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné, who transformed the flat, marshy land into an English garden. Lenné linked the new park to the older Sanssouci gardens from Frederick the Great’s time. The park features trees, lawns, and water features. Since 1990, the palace and its grounds have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin’. Visitors can walk through the carefully arranged landscape and explore the small but elegant palace.