Leaving Brandenburg, we rode under one of the old gates and along bike paths. We were able to see a mother swan with her babies and then a pasture of sheep with one watchful sheepdog.
We biked along the Havel River until the Town of Werder where our guides had prepared a wonderful picnic lunch for us right on the river bank. There were salads, meats, cheeses, and fruit. It was more than halfway, but a great hour break before climbing back on our bikes. Werder is an island on the Havel River.
Following cobblestones out of town, we pedaled toward Potsdam. Right on the edge of town is Sanssouci. Sanssouci, which translates to Without Concerns, was the summer residence of King Frederick. He was the King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786. Under his rule, Prussia increased its territories and became a powerful military empire in Europe. We stopped to take photos of Neues Palais (New Palace), and China Tea House.
Our hotel was right next to the Brandberger Tor (Brandenburg Gate). This gate was built in 1770 by Frederick II of Prussia as a symbol of his victory and it resembles a Roman triumphal arch. This Potsdam is quite a bit larger than our Potsdam. After washing our clothes and showers, we walked back to Sanssouci to see the Orangrieschloss (Orange Palace) which we had passed early while biking through the park. This building (pictured above at bottom) and its massive gardens were built by Frederick II's grandson in 1851-64. Because of political unrest and lack of funding, the entire construction was not completed as planned. We walked up to the main building and viewed the large gardens. Presently, it is used by the University of Potsdam as a teaching garden. All of Sanssouci is now a World Heritage Site. We walked around more of the city before dinner.
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