Potsdam

While visiting Berlin, I took the opportunity to take a short train ride to the town of Potsdam, a beautiful quaint town perhaps known mostly as the place where Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin discussed the future of Germany in 1945. However, this is also a place with a number of historic buildings and beautiful palaces.
As I stated above, the train ride is usually 30 minutes long unless you take the city transportation, S-Bahn, which stops at every little station. I of course made that mistake on the way to Potsdam but learned from my mistake fast and took a Regional train straight into Berlin on my way back.
The town is surrounded by a water system featuring a river and a number of lakes. Some of the sights are located in parks around the lake. I decided to walk the entire town instead of relying on the public transportation. In one hand it was great to see everything on foot, on the other I regretted not having come to Potsdam on the previous day as it was I believe close to 90 degrees on the day I was there. I seriously contemplated jumping into this one lake and join the numerous Germans who were taking the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather.
I guess the highlight of my short visit was the Schloss Sanssouci (or Palace Sanssouci) and its own Bradenburg Tor (like the one in Berlin). The area around the Sanssouci is breathtaking. Nicely organized and maintained gardens, fountains and sculptures, fill in the surroundings.
The Bradenburg Tor leads into a pedestrian street filled with cafes and restaurants. Walking through town I got the sense that this place is where one comes to relax; a very nice complement to Berlin and I could imagine Berliners flocking down to Potsdam on weekends or holidays to get away from the busy city.
If you do go to Berlin, I would suggest making your way to this nice town as it is worth a visit.