What applies in the palace parks, where the city imposes a leash requirement, where your dog can run in a fenced area, how VBB carries dogs and where you can stop for a bite.
In Potsdam, your dog may not run free in the parks run by the palaces foundation, such as Sanssouci, Neuer Garten and Babelsberg, and not in the forest either. In the city he may run off leash only where no leash requirement applies, and in the fenced off-leash area in Babelsberg. This follows from the ordinance of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, state law and the rules of the City of Potsdam.
his guide sorts out the rules so you don't find out what applies only at the park gate. For an overview of places, see our directory of dog-friendly places in Potsdam.
The basis is the Brandenburg dog keeping ordinance, in force since 1 July 2024. Under section 3, dogs must be kept on a leash in, among other places, fenced or otherwise bounded, publicly accessible parks, gardens and green spaces, on sports grounds and campsites, in pedestrian zones, shopping centres, administrative buildings and public transport, and at events with crowds. The leash must be tear-proof and let you control the dog at all times. Source: Hundehalterverordnung, GVBl. II no. 42/2024.
The city goes further. Its bylaw extends the leash requirement to a permanent one in densely built districts, according to the city in certain parts of the city centre and in Babelsberg. You can find the map of leash-requirement areas on the dog keeping page of the City of Potsdam. Check it before you set out.
Outside all of these places, the city writes in its leaflet for dog owners that, because there are no designated off-leash areas, dogs may be walked without a leash on open spaces and similar areas under constant supervision. Your dog must be recallable at any time. The city advises leashing him when you meet children, joggers, cyclists or other dogs, and not using a leash longer than 1.50 metres.
Dogs are not allowed on children's playgrounds, marked sunbathing lawns, swimming facilities and marked public bathing spots.
New since July 2024: in addition to dog tax, you must register your dog with the city's regulatory office. According to the city, you give breed, date of birth, colour, chip number and your personal details.
The Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation looks after Potsdam's big parks, and its own ordinance applies there. The Stiftungsanlagenverordnung of 21 September 2006 names Sanssouci, Neuer Garten, Pfingstberg, Babelsberg, Lindstedt and Sacrow as its area of application. Under section 3 it is prohibited to:
Violations are administrative offences that can be punished with a fine of up to 10,000 euros. The foundation's park rules for Sanssouci phrase it as a request: keep dogs on a short leash and remove droppings immediately. Source: Stiftungsanlagenverordnung and park rules Sanssouci. The city's leaflet expressly asks you to observe the foundation's park rules as well.
For you this means: plan walks on a leash, and find a different area for off-leash time.
On its dog keeping page, the city describes a fenced off-leash area south of Babelsberg Park, between Mühlenstraße and Weg am Babelsberger Park. According to the city it was set up at the end of 2003 and has an agility course. The leash requirement that state law sets for green spaces does not apply there, because areas marked as dog off-leash areas are exempt. The city does not name further designated areas on that page, and it justifies its leash rules itself with the lack of off-leash areas.
Check the signs at the area. Whether dogs want contact is something you read from their body language; a sniffing walk on a leash is always a good alternative. For more on finding a meadow near you, see the German guide Hundewiese finden. The Souldog data also lists parks and green spaces in the city, but those entries say nothing about off-leash rules.
The park around the palace is a classic for long walks. The foundation asks for a short leash, and under the ordinance running free is prohibited. Sunbathing lawns are off limits for dogs, and he may not go into the water.
Neuer Garten by the Heiliger See is also covered by the ordinance. The rules match those in Sanssouci: leash, remove droppings at once, no swimming.
From here it is not far to the fenced area on the southern edge. In the park itself the foundation ordinance applies, and according to the city a permanent leash requirement applies in the district of Babelsberg. More places nearby are in parks and forests in Potsdam.
In the forest in Brandenburg: dogs may only be taken along on a leash. This is section 15 (8) of the forest act. Hunting dogs while hunting and police dogs are exempt. The rule applies all year, not only during the breeding and rearing season. For fields and meadows outside the city we have not documented a separate period, so ask the regulatory office if in doubt. Nature reserves can have additional requirements, shown on their signs.
A designated dog beach in Potsdam is not documented in this guide. What is documented is the opposite in three cases: your dog may not swim in the waters of the palace parks, and in swimming facilities and at marked public bathing spots he is not allowed, according to the city. Check the signs before your dog goes in the water. Our guide swimming with your dog at lakes and the sea has notes on blue-green algae and currents.
The rules are in the fare rules of the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB, as of 11 August 2026):
The timetable can exclude dogs on certain services. If in doubt, ask the transport operator.
Dogs in restaurants are a matter of house rules. Ask briefly before you go whether that also applies indoors. In the Souldog map data, among others these venues in Potsdam are confirmed as dog-friendly:
You can see all confirmed places on the Discover map in the Souldog app, and more in the directory of cafés and restaurants in Potsdam. For general tips, see our guide to dog-friendly cafés in Germany.
How does this compare with other cities? The German-language city comparison of dog rules shows dog meadows, leash rules and dogs on transit for 31 large cities, and the study dog parks per capita compares the areas.
Start with the directory of dog-friendly places in Potsdam and find a walk nearby. In the Souldog app you can see places around you on the map. For more ideas, see our guide trips in Germany with your dog. For a day out in the neighbouring city, try Berlin with your dog.
Souldog