Getting to know: Berlin, Germany

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Making exclusive discoveries and doing one’s own thing in general – that is typical Berlin. From haute couture to haute cuisine to high culture, Berlin offers understated luxury citywide. Here is a selection of things visitors must see, eat and do in the German city.

“Sights de Lux”

Only select buildings make it on to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Three historic ensembles in Berlin have extraordinary significance according to UNESCO and have been awarded a place on the honour roll: the palaces and parks of Potsdam and Berlin, the Museum Island and the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates (Bauhaus). Visitor should make sure to get a VIP ticket to the Museum Island with its five magnificent museum buildings – an extraordinary art highlight in Berlin.

1. Altes Museum – © Photo: Artfully Media, Sven Christian Schramm / 2. James Simon Gallery – © David Chipperfield Architects, Photo: Ute Zscharnt / 3. Bode Museum © visitBerlin, Photo: Wolfgang Scholvien / 4. Charlottenburg Palace Park © visitBerlin, Photo: Dagmar Schwelle / 5. Regierungsviertel Mitte (Government District) © visitBerlin, Photo: Dagmar Schwelle / 6. Kolonnadenhof auf der Museumsinsel – © visitBerlin, Photo: Wolfgang Scholvien

Berlin’s best-known address for premium shopping is the KaDeWe, one of Europe’s largest department stores, with more than 100 years of tradition. Its six floors offering a selection of luxury articles ranging from fashion to accessories to delicacies.

How about some classical music? No fewer than three large opera houses put on exciting performances by high-profile singers, and conductors of world-renown wave their batons in the famous concert halls of the Philharmonie and the Konzerthaus. Discover Berlin’s history with a personal guide. The Golden Twenties, also known as the Happy Twenties, is the decade of the 1920s in Germany. The era began with the end of World War I and ended with the Wall Street Crash of 1929. A private guide brings you on a journey through time into the most dazzling decade of German history!

Berlin gastronomy: Michelin stars and avant-garde

With 26 Michelin stars and countless culinary stars of the future, upscale cuisine is both Berlin’s stage and its laboratory. On one hand, luxury dining is a reflection of the diversity of cultures and variety that give the entire city its multifaceted character. On the other, the city also plays an important role in the global trend toward using regional resources. In 2020, the Guide Michelin awarded the Rutz wine bar as the first Berlin restaurant with three stars. It is a treat for the tastebuds on two floors: on the ground floor you have the exquisite wine bar, on the upper floor the restaurant – both conjure up creative, Mediterranean cuisine.

The Cookies Cream is considered a hotspot among the capital’s vegetarian restaurants, and was the first vegetarian restaurant in Berlin awarded with one Michelin star.

In Germany’s first dessert bar, Coda, you can enjoy the artistically prepared dessert creations on their own or as a light six-course menu. Coda has the right drink to accompany every course. No need to worry about a sugar overdose though. How about a dessert made from pepper, peach and buffalo milk accompanied by a drink of vanilla, lemon and ginger?

Accommodation

Skyscraper hotels tower over Berlin’s City West like Waldorf Astoria and Ritz Carlton, where not only the service, but also the sweeping views over the heart of the city, offer a high standard. Smaller hotels in select trendy neighbourhoods, such as the Hotel Orania.Berlin and Sir Savigny, combine exclusivity with district charm.

With private access to the Zoological Garden, the SO/Berlin Das Stue is one of the hippest addresses in the luxury sector. Hotel de Rome offers a spa in a former bank vault, while peace and seclusion can be found in the Patrick Hellmann Schlosshotel in Grunewald.

© Hotel de Rome, A Rocco Forte Hotel

Berlin: the luxury of “slow travel”

But what is luxury today? Taking time for the beautiful things in life. Relax, feel good and enjoy. Here we have tips and suggestions for what you can do in Berlin to unwind. For your own wellness suite in a private atmosphere, complete with a whirlpool, lights and music of your choice, hydro massage beds, and delicious snacks and drinks, try MyWellness.

Hamam and Indoor Pool , TITANIC Chaussee Berlin © TITANIC Business Berlin

Find a quiet spot in the city’s beautiful parks, make yourself comfortable and let time pass with a good read. Perhaps you will swing by afterwards when you are in the city park Tiergarten, or enjoy the big flower show in the Botanical Garden or “Garden of the World”. Take some beautiful moments of mediation in the Berlin Cathedral or in the fantastic and newly renovated State Library.

Enjoy the peace and quiet in one of Berlin’s many beautiful cafes. The most famous? Probably Café Einstein in the original villa. With a nice fragrance we feel twice as good. At Frau Tonis Parfum (perfume) you can create your own fragrance in the lovingly decorated studio. Or you can go straight to the fragrance No.21 Berlin, which is young, lively and creative.

© Frau Tonis Parfum Manufaktur (The Perfume Studio)

This article is a LATTE exclusive and was prepared in partnership with Germany National Tourist Office and Visit Berlin. For further information on Berlin go to visitberlin.de/en. Lead image: Brandenburger Tor © visitBerlin / Photo: Wolfgang Scholvien

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