Berlin Gate

The Berlin Gate is a city gate in Potsdam from the 18th century, featuring Corinthian columns and decorative sculptures on its outer facade. Today only the right wing of the original structure remains visible after a major street expansion in 1952 altered the building substantially.

The gate was built in 1753 under Frederick the Great as part of Potsdam's defensive wall system alongside four other entrances. It served for many years as a boundary marker between the city center and the route toward Berlin.

The gate reflects how 18th-century Prussian builders blended classical Roman design with local building traditions. Visitors can still observe this combination in the surviving columns and carved details.

The gate sits near the city center and is easily reached on foot from most visitor locations in Potsdam. You can walk past it and view the structure from different angles along the street.

The gate once functioned as a customs checkpoint controlling people and goods moving between Potsdam and Berlin. This practical role made it a significant point in the region's daily traffic flow.