About this place
The Nauener Tor is one of three surviving city gates of Potsdam and by far the most romantic. Rebuilt in 1755 to a sketch by Frederick the Great and executed by the court architect Johann Gottfried Büring, it deliberately borrowed the look of an English medieval castle, with pointed arches, crenellations, and two stout round towers linked by a fortified wall. This made it the first building on the European continent to be influenced by the English Gothic Revival, predating that architectural fashion by roughly two decades. Frederick wanted his residence city to feel ancient and grand, so he dressed a simple toll and guard post in the costume of a knightly stronghold. Today trams glide directly through its archway, the two wings house cafes and restaurants, and the lively square in front is one of Potsdam's favourite meeting points, marking the gateway into the Dutch Quarter just beyond.
Key facts
- 1755 year — Rebuilt in its present neo-Gothic form to a sketch by Frederick the Great
- 2 towers — Round, battlemented towers flank the archway like a medieval castle gate
- 400 metres — The distance the gate was shifted from its original 1720 location
📍 Nauener Tor, 14467, Potsdam