Even as a crown prince, the later King Frederick William I was enticed by the breathtaking view over the city and countryside, which one could enjoy from the Pfingstberg, a hill lying to the northwest of the New Garden. In 1847 construction finally began on the long planned summer residence, which was not completed until 1863, two years after the death of the king.
Since that time the Pfingstberg has been crowned with one of the most beautiful, stately buildings of the 19th century: the Belvedere. The massive twin towered complex, with its abundant colonnades, is built in the style of an Italian Renaissance villa, and is itself a picturesque, visual focus in the landscape. Even today the Belvedere, which is operated by an association of friends called the Pfingstberg e.V., offers one of the most stunning views over Potsdam and can be counted among the most popular excursion destinations in the city. Thanks to generous support of the Reemtsma-Stiftung, the founder of the mail-order company Dr. Werner Otto, and other patrons, the longstanding restoration work on the Belvedere could finally be successfully completed, so that the palace now radiates its former splendor once again. 
A further attraction on the Pfingstberg is the Pomona Temple, located just below the Belvedere, which was created in 1800 as the first architectural work of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, who was only 19 years old at the time.