As a major European powerhouse and one of the continent’s largest capitals by total land area, Berlin tells what may at first feel like many contradictory stories: past and future, division and unity, order and chaos, laid-back familiarity and all of the glitz and glamour of a major metropolis.
For those looking for the latter, Berlin offers no shortage of high-end places to stay, wind down, and grab a bite.
The hotel that, across Germany and much of Central Europe, is synonymous with the era of “grand hotel” opulence is the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. Attracting a long string of illustrious guests like Albert Einstein, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich during its early days under the Weimar Republic and Berlin’s Roaring Twenties, the original property burnt down at the end of World War II and was left largely abandoned until German reunification and the fall of the Berlin War.
Where to stay: Old-World glamour with prime Berlin views
The five-star property was rebuilt from the ground up in 1997 and today is a fine reflection of its former glory: marble staircases, a grand lobby built around a replica of the original elephant fountain gifted to the old property by the Maharaja of Patiala in 1930, and suites with prime views of the Brandenburg Gate.
While Berlin offers no shortage of fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants, the Sphere Tim Raue revolving restaurant at the top of the Berlin TV Tower in Alexanderplatz is one of the most distinctively Berlin ways to grab a nice bite.
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When the restaurant opened to the public in June 2025, the German celebrity chef brought his vision of giving simple Berlin dishes like the Königsberger Klopse veal meatballs and KaDeWe Prawn Cocktail an upscale modern twist to one of the most defining monuments of the city (the TV Tower was built by the East German government between 1965 and 1969 to showcase the strength and modernity of the socialist vision).
Shopping at the KaDeWe department store is always best enjoyed by those with a high budget while the sixth floor of the historic department store also has an expansive food hall of more than 30 specialty shops selling classic and innovative dishes, wine and champagne bars, and counters specializing in various local and fine ingredients.
Kempinski
Berlin for the fine arts lover: Three opera houses and countless galleries
Berlin is also a deeply operatic city with three major opera houses on top of numerous smaller independent ones. The city’s oldest, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, was founded by Frederick the Great in 1742 and offers performances of La Calisto and L’incoronazione di Poppea until the end of November.
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is currently playing Strauss’s Elektra and Around the World in 80 Days while the opera known for more light-hearted musicals and operettas, the Komische Oper Berlin also has a rotating carte of performances in the German language (with in-seat subtitles for the rest).
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For the luxury contrast in a city known for its street art, art gallery hopping is also a must in Berlin: The Feuerle Collection offers the juxtaposition of ancient Chinese artifacts from the Hang and Qin dynasties with contemporary artists like Anish Kapoor and Zeng Fanzhi while the König Galerie has one of Berlin’s top collections of modern works in the former Catholic St. Agnes church (the brutalist building was constructed by architect Werner Düttmann in 1967 and renovated by Arno Brandlhuber as a modern arts space in 2015).
And while one does not typically think of Berlin as a yachting destination, operators like Flagship.Berlin and Berlin Bootsverleigh offer private tours along Spree River as a particularly elevated way of taking in key sights like Museum Island, the Government District and East Side Gallery.
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