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Monument · Potsdam, Brandemburgo
Brandenburger Tor
Potsdam gate in the form of a Roman triumphal arch, built in 1770 and 1771, two decades before the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Brandenburger Tor
The Brandenburger Tor of Potsdam stands on Luisenplatz, at the western end of Brandenburger Straße. It was built in 1770 and 1771 by order of Frederico the Great, to a design by Carl von Gontard and Georg Christian Unger, to celebrate Prussia's victory in the Seven Years' War. For that reason it takes the form of a Roman triumphal arch, inspired by the Arch of Constantine.
It is older than the famous Brandenburger Tor in Berlin, completed in 1791, and much smaller. The two sides of the gate are different: one was designed by Gontard and the other by his pupil Unger, a detail you notice when you look closely at the columns and ornamentation. Together with the Jägertor and the Nauener Tor, it is one of three city gates that remain.
In the past the gate was part of the wall that surrounded Potsdam, used to control taxes and prevent soldiers from deserting. Today it marks the entrance to Brandenburger Straße, a pedestrian street with shops, cafés and ice-cream parlors that runs straight to the Catholic church of São Pedro e São Paulo, next to the Holländisches Viertel.
From the gate you can also reach Park Sanssouci quickly: just walk west along the avenue that leads to the park entrance, near the large fountain and the terraces.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 15 minutes at the gate; another 30 to 45 minutes to walk along Brandenburger Straße.
Best time
At any time; in the late afternoon the pedestrian street gets busier. On Sundays most shops are closed.
How to get there
Trams and buses from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof stop at Luisenplatz, next to the gate. On foot, from the Alter Markt it's about 20 minutes.
Tip
Walk from the gate to the Holländisches Viertel along Brandenburger Straße and then head toward Sanssouci in the opposite direction: the three attractions lie on the same line.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Brandenburger Tor
Is this the same Portão de Brandemburgo as in Berlim?
No. It's a different portão, in Potsdam, with the same name because it stood on the road to the city of Brandemburgo. It is older and much smaller than the one in Berlim.
Is there a fee to visit the portão?
No. The portão is in a public square and can be seen at any time.
What to do near the portão?
Walk along the pedestrian street Brandenburger Straße to the Holländisches Viertel or head west to the entrance of Park Sanssouci.