Potsdam on foot or by bike: a personalized tour of the most beautiful natural stone projects

The Potsdam tour can be tailored flexibly – with a shorter or a longer route. The shorter route takes you through the city center and skips the Golm district; it covers about 4 km and starts and ends at Potsdam Central Station. On foot, it takes about an hour, while by bike it’s around 20 minutes. For those interested in a longer tour, there is the extended route with a detour to Golm: this covers approximately 22 km and is ideal for a bike tour, which can be completed in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Embark on a journey to discover Potsdam’s belgrano® natural stone projects!

First Stop: The Minsk – Art Museum in Potsdam

The first stop takes you to the Art House Minsk in Potsdam, a former terrace restaurant from the 1970s, which reopened in 2022 as a museum for East German art and contemporary exhibitions. The 1,200 square meter terrace is accessible via slab and slope stairways made of robust belgrano® hard stone, featuring a total of 4,790 granite slabs. On the 6,000 square meter grounds, fountains, a playground, and seating areas made of belgrano® natural stone invite visitors to relax, while 1,600 square meters of small stone paving made of belgrano® granite adorn the outdoor space.

Address: Max-Planck-Straße 17, 14473 Potsdam

Distance from starting point: Potsdam Central Station: 350 m, 6 min. on foot, 3 min. by bike

Natural Stone: The light belgrano® granite impresses with its versatility, making it ideal for a variety of applications – as the example of the Art House Minsk clearly demonstrates.

Scope of supply: block steps, floor slabs, fountains, edging elements, paving, seating elements, special elements, stair treads, water features

Tip: Check out the regularly changing exhibition program and plan a visit to the museum.

belgrano® natural stone adorns the Minsk terraces as well as the city square in front of the museum.

Second Stop: Palais Barberini with Museum Barberini

BESCO made a significant contribution to the restoration of the historic center of Potsdam. The high-quality, beige-yellow belgrano® granite stones now adorn both the courtyard and the forecourt of the palace with the Museum Barberini, which features diverse exhibitions showcasing various styles and eras.

Address: Humboldtstraße 5-6, 14467 Potsdam

Distance from previous stop: 900 m, 13 min. on foot, 5 min. by bike

Natural Stone: The beige-yellow belgrano® granite blends perfectly with the classical-baroque architectural style.

Scope of supply: block steps, floor slabs, edging elements, paving, base elements

Tip: Visit the Palais in the early evening when the light highlights the stone particularly well.

In the reconstructed historic center of Potsdam, belgrano® natural stone makes distinctive accents.

Third Stop: Landtag at the Old Market

The Landtag building at the Old Market is a central part of the architectural ensemble constructed in Roman style under Friedrich II. Between 2010 and 2013, the city palace was faithfully reconstructed and has since served as the seat of the state parliament. To revive the historic ambiance, BESCO supplied 4,000 m² of red and multicolored paving stones.

Address: Am Alten Markt 1, 14467 Potsdam

Distance from previous stop: 50 m, 1 min. on foot, 1 min. by bike

Natural Stone: The light, red and multicolored belgrano® granite reflects the colors of the building and its surroundings.

Scope of supply: floor slabs, paving, seating elements

Tip: The project is located near the famous Nikolaikirche – a detour there is definitely worth it.
 

The Old Market regained its historical charm with belgrano® granite.

Fourth Stop: Forecourt of the Marstall

The Potsdam Marstall, once a royal horse stable from the 17th century, is located at the Lustgarten and is an outstanding example of Baroque architecture. Today, it houses the Filmmuseum Potsdam, which showcases the film history of the Babelsberg studios and serves as a significant cultural center in the city. BESCO supplied block steps and floor slabs for the forecourt.

Address: Breite Str. 1A, 14467 Potsdam

Distance from previous stop: 300 m, 3 min. on foot, 1 min. by bike

Natural Stone: belgrano® Gabbro – its granular structure enhances the grip of the road surface, improving traffic safety, especially in wet conditions.

Scope of supply: block steps, floor slabs

Tip: If you’re interested, set aside some time to visit the Filmmuseum.
 

The Potsdam Marstall with forecourt design featuring belgrano® block steps and floor slabs.

Fifth Stop: Brandenburger Straße

Potsdam’s pedestrian zone, Brandenburger Straße, is currently undergoing extensive renovation, including a new paving made of fine-grained, reddish-gray belgrano® granite from BESCO. As part of the renovation, the “Boulevard of Films” was created as a tribute to Potsdam’s film history. Along the street, 55 engraved granite slabs featuring titles of significant films shot in Potsdam have been embedded, highlighting the city’s cultural importance as a UNESCO Creative City of Film.

Address: Brandenburger Straße, 14467 Potsdam

Distance from previous stop: 850 m, 12 min. on foot, 4 min. by bike

Natural Stone: Multicolored belgrano® granite – durable and easy to maintain, making it ideal for high-traffic areas like pedestrian zones, which are used daily by many people and delivery trucks.

Scope of supply: Floor slabs, paving

Tip: The spacious pedestrian zone with its natural stone pavement invites you to relax and stroll. The Potsdam Christmas Market “Blauer Lichterglanz” also takes place here every year – this year from 25.11.24.

Potsdam’s “Boulevard of Films”: A Tribute to Babelsberg’s Film History.

After the fifth stop on Brandenburger Straße, the shorter tour takes you back to the main train station. Alternatively, you can continue on foot or by bike to the sixth and final stop.

End: Potsdam Central Station: 1.7 km, 24 min. on foot, 7 min. by bike or: 6th stop
 

Optional: Sixth Stop: Fraunhofer Institute

The Fraunhofer Institute in Potsdam-Golm is a leading research center focused on applied materials science and biomedical engineering. In close collaboration with the University of Potsdam and other research institutions, it develops innovative solutions, including those for medical technology, environmental technology, and nanotechnology.

Address: Geiselbergstraße 69, 14476 Potsdam

Distance from previous stop: 9.6 km, 30 min. by bike

Natural Stone: belgrano® Diorite

Scope of supply: floor slabs, seating elements

Floor slabs and seating elements made of belgrano® Diorite adorn the forecourt of the Fraunhofer Institute.

You have now reached the end of the longer tour.
End: Potsdam Central Station: 10 km, approximately 30 min. by bike.

The natural stone tour impressively showcases the aesthetics and durability in urban spaces. Through the unique combination of appearance and functionality, natural stone imparts timeless beauty to public squares and buildings. The tour invites architecture and nature enthusiasts to discover Potsdam from a new perspective and experience the harmonious integration of natural materials and urban architecture in an inspiring way.