Palace, village history and Einstein exhibition
Caputh Palace is the oldest surviving pleasure palace from the time of the Great Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg in the Potsdam cultural landscape. Caputh’s local history museum takes a different approach: housed in one of the oldest buildings in the village centre, it presents the history of the area. Historical everyday objects, old photographs and documents about the people who lived in Caputh around 1900 offer insights into village life at the time. Tools used by traditional craftspeople and fruit growers complement the collection; there are also changing exhibitions. Opening arrangements may vary, so check the current hours before your visit.
The “Einstein in Caputh” exhibition at the Caputh community centre presents numerous models, documents and photographs from Einstein’s time in Berlin and Caputh. Together with the local history at the museum and the palace’s history, it offers a range of cultural perspectives on Caputh.
Plan a walk and cultural events
The 6 km “Paths and Steps in Caputh” walking route starts and ends at Caputh Church, at Straße der Einheit 3. The church is therefore both the starting point and the endpoint of the route described. Check local conditions before setting out. Caputh Church has seasonal opening hours from Easter to Harvest Festival: daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Check the current opening hours before your visit.
Music can also help determine when to visit: the Caputh Music Festival, established in 1995, grew out of an initiative by Caputh residents. Around twelve concerts are held in Caputh each year under this name. If you would like to plan your visit around a concert, check the current programme.
Further perspectives in the wider Schwielowsee destination
The wider Schwielowsee destination offers additional cultural and landscape highlights alongside Caputh’s attractions. Caputh Palace and Park in Caputh comprise a country palace with early Baroque ceiling designs featuring paintings and stucco work. The Einstein connection also includes the summer house in Caputh: Albert Einstein lived in the house built by Konrad Wachsmann with his family from 1929 to 1932.
In Geltow, historical weaving techniques are demonstrated on looms more than 200 years old at the Henni-Jaensch-Zeymer Active Weaving Museum. In Ferch, the Havelländische Malerkolonie Museum is devoted to the artists’ community around Lake Schwielowsee and its research and documentation. The local Fishermen’s Church was built in the 17th century; as a half-timbered church, it bears witness to the area’s fishing and shipping history.
The wider Schwielowsee destination also offers landscape and art: the art trail in Ferch brings traces of regional artists to life and passes motifs featured in well-known landscape paintings. The observation tower on the Wietkiekenberg in Ferch offers views across the landscape of the Havel Lakes. From May to December, the four musicians and writers of the Fercher ObstkistenBĂĽhne perform concert programmes beneath an illuminated, hundred-year-old lime tree or beside a fieldstone fireplace. Check the current programme for a specific date.
The Caputh cable ferry, also known as Tussy II, connects Caputh and Geltow across the water. If you are planning to take the ferry, check the timetable in advance.
Food and a break
The wide range of dining options around Lake Schwielowsee is not limited to Caputh; restaurants in the area often offer views of the water. Regional specialities include asparagus and Havel pike-perch. For a short break, consider the Fährhaus Caputh. If you are planning a restaurant visit, check in advance whether it is open and what is on the menu.
Discover more destinations: Stahnsdorf, Kloster Lehnin, Wollin, Seddiner See, Rabenstein/Fläming, Bad Belzig, Schwielowsee, Babelsberg.
Back to the regional travel overview: Potsdam-Mittelmark.
