We spent three days exploring Potsdam, outside Berlin. It is said to be the capital and crown jewel of the State of Brandenburg, is the former Prussian royal seat and has stunning architecture, elegant parks and is soaked in history. Much of it gained UNESCO World heritage status in 1990. There are twelve palaces in all Potsdam. The vast and idyllic forests, lawns, paths and gardens in Sanssouci Park contain several palaces and other grand buildings; the most grand are the two built by King Frederick the Great - Sanssouci Palace, completed in 1747 and the Neues Palais, completed in 1769, and which we toured inside.

It takes a full day to see all of the sites in this park and we admired the splendid Chinese House only from outside, lunched in the Wine garden at the Dutch Windmill and finally toured my favourite, the New Chambers, originally built as an orangery in 1747 but now redecorated as a beautiful guest palace, delightfully light and pretty compared to the other interiors of magnificent but heavy Rococco.

The Dutch Quarter of Potsdam is charming - red brick cottages with Flemish rounded and Dutch stepped gables, built originally for Dutch workers and now mainly shops, galleries and cafes. Nearby is the Nauentor, a turreted and arched gateway through which a local tram passes along with other traffic.

We spent a third day, visiting Schloss Cecilienhof, another beautiful royal residence in extensive parklands and the setting for the 1945 Potsdam Conference with Churchill, Truman and Stalin who decided Germany's post war fate. The gardens of Schloss Cecilienhof extend along the shores of the Heiliger See.