The park was very busy when I came out of Schloss Sanssouci after 45 minutes – there's a popular entrance nearby – so I moved quickly on towards the Neue Kammern (New Chambers). It was built as an orangery in 1747 by Knobelsdorff, but converted to a highly decorated guest palace by Frederick the Great.
I didn't take the audio guide (perhaps I should have done) as I had only just finished listening to one for 45 minutes. A linear series of huge and highly decorated rooms, now unfurnished, the original guests having access to them from the gardens.
To the Orangerie and some pix outside, but thought I should find some food before going in. I think the only food in the park is in the Drachenhaus, which turned out to be a fairly expensive restaurant, and I chickened out of ordering just a beer and cake. So I made it my main meal of the day: "Gratin of beelitz asparagus, with rocket, a famous type of local potatoes, garlic cream sauce, grated with Gouda". Baked in a dish and rather nice. Followed by an apple tart thingy with almonds on top.
A quick look at the Belvedere (inside open only at weekends) – a big building close up, designed to impress from a distance – then back to the Orangerie to go up the tower for superb views over the park, followed by a guided tour of the inside, in German with some printed English notes. The gallery of about 50 of Frederick's Raphael copies is stunning. I took as many photos as I could inside.
Then along to the big Neues Palais, built later in Frederick’s life as a tribute to himself after his success in the Seven Years War. I didn't go inside as I felt I couldn't do it justice with the time and energy available. There's a special temporary exhibition there at the moment called Friederisiko, in celebration of his 300th birthday this year, which includes much important material gathered from elsewhere and which I would love to go to. But I talked to the girl selling the audio guides who reckoned it needs 2+ hours, and I flicked through a catalogue of exhibits which is huge. It would have cost me €7.00 extra on my Premium Tageskarte, or will be €14.00 if I go back another day, which I might do next week (I have to work it in with my Potsdam train ticket, etc.).
I worked my way round to Schloss Charlottenhof (designed Schinkel) towards the south of the park, which I found was closed for works, then had a pleasant walk out of the park – via the Römische Bäder (Roman Baths), below – and into town, and eventually to the station for the return to Berlin.
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