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Strictly speaking Potsdam is not exactly located in Berlin; it is the capital of the Brandenburg state and lies at a distance of 24 km from Berlin. Potsdam is invariably a part of the itinerary to Berlin. A number of Potsdam's present day attractions were built the 18th and 19th century when the city was used as a seat by the Prussian kings. Under the monarchy of 'Soldier King' Friedrich William I, Potsdam rose to the prominence of a garrison city. The magnificent Sanssouci castle and Neues Palais were built by Friedrich II. In spite of some might battering that Potsdam received during the WWII, the beautiful palaces in the Sanssouci Park escaped damage. Potsdam's affluence drew many migrants from neighboring countries to the city at the outset of the 18th century. Most of the migrants were of the French nationality, also present in significant numbers were Dutch, Flemish and Swiss. In order to accommodate a settlement of 134 houses was conceived; the houses were three storey and each one had a small garden in front. The settlement still exists under the name Holländisches Viertel and is a major attraction in Potsdam. Towards the early years of the 19th century, a choir formed by Russian troops settled in the city with the purpose of entertaining the Prussian troops. In compliance with the orders of Frederick William II, a separate neighborhood was built for the soldiers in 1826. The neighborhood became popular under the name Alexandrowka after the Tsarina. Alexandrowka has twelve extremely comely wooden houses. Also present is Alexander-Newski kirche, which is a tiny Russian-orthodox chapel. Another famous attraction in Potsdam is the Französische Kirche, which means French Church. The Church was founded in 1752 for the French Huguenots, who had migrated to Potsdam on religious grounds.
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