Rheinsberg Palace captures the imagination like no other with its picturesque setting on the eastern shores of Lake Grienerick. Frederick the Great is said to have spent the happiest years of his life here when he was Crown Prince. Today, it serves as a museum and a literature museum, and has been staging an international opera festival since 1991.

The finest of Potsdam's palaces sits in splendour on the shores of Heiliger See lake, offering awe-inspiring views of the Havel river landscape as far as Peacock Island. Of particular interest inside are the Grottensaal, the concert hall and the king's magnificent living quarters.

Charlottenburg Palace was built at the end of the 17th century as a gift from Elector Friedrich III to his wife, Sophie Charlotte. A variety of successors made their own additions to this former summer residence, transforming it into a handsome and prestigious palace that is now the finest example of baroque architecture in Berlin.