Playful Palace Germany’s Schloss Sanssouci is a carefree getaway fit for a king    By   Christl Dabu

W hen you think of royal retreats, or anything belonging to monarchy, you expect to either be impressed by its grandeur or put off by its pompous style, furniture and décor. Germany’s Schloss Sanssouci, however, doesn’t resemble the gaudy Disneyland of European castles. This low-key palace exudes elegance and class, enchanting visitors right down to the finest detail of gilded fruits, foliage and flowers stuccowork.

My day at the palace began with a flute-playing busker clad in a silver 18th-century gentleman’s waistcoat, knee-length breeches and white stockings to boot greeting visitors before the cour d’honneur (court of honor). A semicircle of columns styled in the Corinthian order grace the palace entrance indicating the important status of Frederick II, its former resident.

GNTB The Dragon House in Sanssouci Park

Better known as Frederick the Great, the Prussian king would frequently seek the sanctuary of his summer residence of Sanssouci in the merry company of a few honored guests. When the son of Frederick William I and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover was not embroiled in his kingdom’s affairs and leading wars against other nations, the philosopher-king slipped away to his favorite palace.

Christl Dabu Statues and sculptures are scattered throughout the palace grounds.

While Versailles, once home to “Sun King” Louis XIV, is a considerably larger palatial estate epitomizing the French royal lifestyle, the Schloss Sanssouci is no less impressive. Situated on the outskirts of Berlin in the city of Potsdam, Frederick’s palace has all the opulence and class of European castles without the frenzy of tourists you find in Versailles.

Whenever I enter the palace grounds I feel like I stepped into the pages of a Grimm Brothers fairytale. The Schloss Sanssouci overlooks vineyard terraces, roses of the French-style Lustgarten (pleasure garden), masterpieces of French sculpture and an elegant fountain. Neatly aligned rows of vineyards embrace the palace along with manicured gardens, lush foliage, verdant forests, green arbors and pergolas with gold sun icons.

The ‘’Friedrich der Grofle’’ memorial in Sanssouci Park.

The French name sans souci, meaning “without a care,” reflects Frederick’s need to escape the pressures of royal life. The playful nature of the palace is captured in every architectural detail, from the palace’s yellow colored facade and a mint green dome, to its gilded stuccowork of mischievous putti. Angelic cherubs symbolizing love and sandstone Bacchanalian figures followers of Bacchus, the God of wine grace the palace walls. The king can actually be credited for influencing the development of a unique style of architecture known as Rococo, from the French word rocaille, meaning shellwork.

Though love and children were missing from his marriage, Frederick the Great possessed a passion for his Italian greyhounds and his enchanting palace. He was involved with every minute detail of construction and even drew the early sketches of Sanssouci himself. Strangely enough, and for a reason still unknown today, the first thing that was built on the palace grounds was the king’s own grave, and his final wish was to be buried there with his beloved dogs. Although he died in 1786, his simple wish would not come true until 1991 when one of his descendants finally brought his remains to rest in the palace’s terrace.

Sculptures honoring art, music and astronomy abound on the palace grounds.

His eccentric character aside, the king was a highly intelligent and cultured ruler who had an impeccable and discriminating taste for craftsmanship, art and literature. The palace’s principal designer, Prussia’s revered architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, managed to incorporate everything Frederick loved into the design, décor and style of Sanssouci. French and Italian art, philosophy, literature, writing, music and nature are fused with the playful and lively Rococo style to create the ultimate regal getaway.

During its heyday, the 18th-century retreat was graced by the likes of Voltaire and some of Europe’s greatest intellectuals. Frederick the Great and his distinguished guests would have a ball gathering by the cozy quarters of Sanssouci, engage in lively debates about science and philosophy or listen to the king play his flute.

An 18th-century flute-playing busker helps visitors relive history.

The king’s residence remains immaculately pristine even centuries after his death. All visitors must wear oversized slippers before setting foot on the gleaming marble floors or wandering through the rooms and halls

A windmill stands atop the brightly colored palace.

The first room you visit from the entrance is the vestibule, which is lined with imitation marble Corinthian columns. A 1746 ceiling painting by Johann Harper, featuring Flora, goddess of flowering plants, is a unique touch in an otherwise almost bare hall.

The design only gets fancier when you reach the adjacent chamber called the Marble Hall, which is loosely modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. The prominent green dome that crowns the Schloss is a part of this room, and on the exterior, the dome itself is dotted with the Baroque Bacchanalian sculptures. Even though the Marble Hall doesn’t possess the same grandeur as the Pantheon, it still evokes elegance and class with its genuine Corinthian columns, made of the same Italian Carrara marble as the the Roman monument. However, you don’t have to worry about rain showers like you would at the Pantheon, which has an open oculus, as glass shields the opening of Sanssouci’s cupola.

The architecture of Sanssouci Palace emphasizes its carefree air.

The Marble Hall, where the king entertained his guests, is also decorated with female figures representing art, music, astronomy, architecture and sculpture. White marble floors portray images of the same foliage and flowers found throughout the estate.

The first thing you’ll notice when you enter the gold and white music room is the rock crystal and bronze chandelier. Full-length mirrors with gilded foliage frames make the room seem bigger and more elegant. Sounds of classical music and conversation over clinking cups of coffee often wafted from this room. The ceiling and walls are emblazoned with gold leaves, grapevines, plants, musical instruments and putti chasing after animals with nets.

Some of Europe’s greatest intellectuals once strolled through the manicured gardens and vineyards.

The study and bedchamber, where the king slept, fed his dogs, read, gave orders, and died, have changed much from their original style because the king’s descendants took up residence there after his death. However, you can still find his original writing table and drawers.

In the next room, you will find the library, Frederick’s most private quarters. Only the king himself was allowed to set foot inside. The library features pricey cedar-wood shelves holding more than 2,000 elegantly bound books including French romances, Greek and Roman poetry along with scientific and architectural tomes. Although Frederick was called “the Great,” he was actually just a smidge taller than five feet, as evidenced by the low bookcases.

The prominent green dome is part of the Marble Hall.

The king was not fond of displaying his likeness, much less having a self-portrait made. Visitors of the palace will still find some of his portraits, though, such as one painted by Antoine Pesne showing the king as a military commander during the victory of the Second Silesian War, when he was first dubbed Frederick the Great.

The Little Gallery, or Fetes Galantes, showcases the king’s collection of paintings and sculptures including those of 18th-century painter Antoine Watteau and his pupils. Though Watteau wasn’t popular during his time, his paintings complement the overall cheerful nature of the palace. A perfect example is his Merry Company in the Open Air, a piece showing men freely serenading ladies of different classes, shattering many of the rigid conventions the king knew when he was growing up.

Frederick slept, gave orders and eventually died in his bedroom.

In fact, Watteau’s art inspired the unique, playful and elegant Rococo style of Frederick the Great’s summer residence. The king tried to make his fantasies of being truly carefree a reality in the Schloss Sanssouci. Today, visitors of the palace can relive that dream.  tt