Potsdam
Potsdam's historic center
The large green dome of St. Nicholas Church and the golden figure of Atlas on the roof of the Old Town Hall can be seen from afar. The baroque square of the Alter Markt with the Nikolai Church and the new state parliament building, completed in October 2013, form Potsdam's historic center. The State Parliament Palace and St. Nicholas Church once again complement each other to form an urban ensemble. The church's sacred building with its impressive tambour dome was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and is particularly popular with culture lovers today, as it hosts a variety of concerts, for example as part of the Bach Festival in late summer.
The façade of the Brandenburg State Parliament, with the Fortuna Portal as the main entrance, is based on the historic Potsdam City Palace. Inside the building is the most modern state parliament building in Germany. The inner courtyard, the Knobelsdorff staircase, the foyer with interactive building model, the cafeteria, the state parliament restaurant and the roof terrace are open to the public on weekdays without prior reservation. In the middle of the market square stands a 16-meter-high obelisk with portraits of the great Potsdam architects Knobelsdorff, Schinkel, Gontard and Persius. The former stables now house the Potsdam Film Museum. In the coach house behind it, on the Neuer Markt, is the House of Brandenburg-Prussian History.