If you want to explore the area around Berlin for some fun day trips, these three cities are wonderful and not as touristy (save Potsdam’s San Souci Palace and Park). I know that Halberstadt is a little out of the way, but it is such an amazing experience that you should make the effort to go out and see the performance. I guess the reason that I put it with “around Berlin” is that we went to Berlin after spending the day in Halberstadt!
Potsdam
Easily accessible by train or bus (over 29 trains per day!), Potsdam is a beautiful Baroque town and has been referred to as “Germany’s Versailles”. Although not too terribly musically rich (outside of the traditional German offerings), this is a time to find those small chamber performances with some up and coming musicians who are many times approachable. As I have mentioned before, the collaboration and connection to musicians around the world can sometimes be just, if not more powerful than hearing a polished/perfect performance.
Wilhelm-Staab Straße 10/11
14467 Potsdam
+49 0 331 / 28 888 28
Ticket Office: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturday from 10am-2pm. Also 1 hour before curtain
Variety of performances from chamber music to small opera works.
On a side note: If you do choose to stay in Potsdam, splurge and stay at the
Steigenberger Maxx Hotel Sanssouci Potsdam
Alle nach Sanssouci 1
14471 Potsdam
+49 0 33 / 9091909
which specializes in fun movie-themed rooms while keeping with the original flair of the city.
To pay homage to St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians, you can also stay at
in Neuer Garten (on the Heiliger See, about .5 km northwest of the San Souci Palace). Take tram 94 or 96 or Buses 605, 606 or 695
This Scloß is in the style of an English country house and was built for Crown Prince Wilhelm by Kasier Wilhelm II. This was also the headquarters for the 1945 Potsdam Conference with Truman, Stalin and Churchill and the table on which the agreement was signed is still there.
Rheinsberg
c/o Musikakademie Rheinsberg
Kavalierhaus der Schlossanlage
16831 Rheinsberg
+49 03 39 31 / 7 21 0
Connected with the Musikakademie, the performance schedule includes local chamber ensembles as well as guest performers.
Halberstadt
This small and somewhat forgotten city has been put on the map due to the John Cage “As Slow as Possible” project. Located in St. Buchardi Church in Halberstadt, the piece began in 2000 and will last 639 years. It started with one year of silence and each note is added when the pipe on the organ is built. The staff was very friendly and also let us explore the area on our own. If you visit, make sure to walk around the space completely. The changes in timbre as well as perception of pitch is quite amazing.
St. Buchardi Church
Am Kloster 1
D-38820 Halberstadt
The church is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am-5:30pm in the months of April to October and from 12pm-4pm from November to March. When we visited, it was hard to locate the church and the town itself was quite deserted. Look for the few “John Cage Orgel Projekt” signs near the town center to help guide you. There are 3-4 trains that run from Berlin to Halberstadt each day and the journey takes appoximately 3 hours. The walk from the train station to the church is approximately 2.5 miles through the center of town.
