1. Potsdam: Baroque Buildings Self-Guided Mobile Audio Tour
Take a walk through Potsdam’s Old Town, one of the most beautiful baroque centers in all of Europe, with a smartphone app that functions as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map all in one. See the city's main sights, and hear its history from the 1700s to World War II all the way to today. Start outside the Ringerkolonnade, the set of columns that stand tall beside Landtag Brandenburg, a replica of Potsdam’s former royal palace which serves as the seat of the Brandenburg Parliament today. From there, head to Alter Markt, once considered one of Europe’s most gorgeous squares. Learn why the faces of kings on the obelisk in the square’s center were replaced with the faces of architects. See the Barberini Palace Museum and the Old City Hall – both restored since World War II – and St. Nicolai Church which managed to survive the destruction. Next, make your way to the section of Old Town that escaped World War II’s bombs, and find over 400 intact houses from the early 1700s. Check the app to see how to reach the Dutch Quarter, home to charming red-brick houses that were built under the second Prussian King. Along the way, find yourself standing in the shadows of three of the old city gates – Nauener Tor, Jagertor, and Potsdam’s very own Brandenburg Gate. Pass by the guard house, Alte Wache. Discover remains of the old city wall of 1722. Learn about the city’s Jewish community as you pass the Alte Synagoge (Potsdam’s old Synagogue). Stop at a memorial for the victims of Nazi and East German persecution.See Mozart’s House, the place where he resided during his disappointing visit to the city. Stroll along Platz der Einheit (the Square of Unity), Bassinplatz (Bassin Square), the Alter Kanal (Alter Canal), and the Neuer Markt (New Market Square). Stop anytime you want to try some Dutch-style pancakes.