Germany

From Goethe to Paul Klee

Germany is a vast, multi-faceted country which promises visitors a vacation completely devoid of boredom. Rich in numerous cultures, traditions and dialects of its landers, this geographical and state unity has a number of different faces, from the romantic and medieval in Southern Bavaria, dynamic to cosmopolitan in the north. Numerous avant-garde luxury hotels and modern palaces offer unforgettable nights in lively cities such as Berlin, Hamburg or Frankfurt.

Avant-garde Berlin :

Berlin, a European capital of culture and avant-garde trends, is also renowned for its night life and its pioneer underground music scene. Light spirited, with a vast stretch of varied architecture, Berlin has been constantly reinventing itself since the infamous wall, which had scarred its European image for so long, came down. This city of contrasts possesses a thousand different facets with no apparent logic. Neo classical, and futuristic architecture exist side by side along with vestiges of western culture superimposed by those of Eastern Europe. To go back in time and find oneself in the atmosphere of the early 20^th century, pass by the symbolic Brandenburg Gate and stop at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski whose elegance and refinement recall the mundane life of Berlin in the1920s.

In Mitte, the historic center, near the celebrated and imperial Alexanderplatz and the UNESCO world heritage Museum Island, the most famous DJs in the capital keep the guests of the Hotel Lux 11 dancing through the night. To be an integral part of modern, avant-garde Berlin, a night in one of the unusual and surrealist rooms of the Propeller Island City Lodge is highly recommended. Spending a few days immersed in the Berlin underground culture is enough to understand why this city has imposed its own life style on the rest of Europe.

Hamburg : a hot spot northern port city

Hamburg, the second largest German city after Berlin, has no reason to be jealous of its big brother in the areas of culture and night life. A young and spirited ambiance flows through the veins of this constantly changing city. In the image of a modern, trendy and cosmopolitan metropolis, the hotels in Hamburg are in perfect sync with this contemporary atmosphere thanks to  its stunning architecture and design. Between futurism and the pink fuchsia 1970s retro look of the 25 Hour Hamburg and the minimalism of the Side with its alternating warm and sharp colors and dancing neon décor, it’s hard to choose. The Side’s trendy clientele in search of avant-garde originality finds its way to the bar, a popular Hamburg meeting place, before heading for the alternative Schanzenviertel quarter, very animated at night or the Sankt Pauli, the former torrid quarter which has kept its “red light district” name.

Frankfurt : the stock market, finance and museums all in one city

Frankfurt, the financial capital of Germany, was rebuilt on the ruins caused by the raid that destroyed it in 1944, in a totally modern style. Just a few steps from Goethe’s house, the Römerplatz and the Money Museum, the abstract masterpiece with its reflecting blue disks of the Radisson Blue Hotel rises proudly, affirming the modern aspect of this former imperial city. Although skyscrapers have replaced the ancestral stones of the city of Goethe, the love of tradition, art and conservation have not disappeared. A prime example is the Museumsufer, or Museum Embankment. The Stadel, officially the Städelsche Kunstinstitut possesses the works of the great painters of the last nine centuries. On the other side of the Main, appropriately adjacent to the MMK, the Museum of Modern Art, the 25 Hour Hamburg by Levi’s is a veritable work of contemporary art which tries successfully to surprise us with its stunning Levi’s jeans packing crate façade. A few steps away, the all white, almost virginal Pure Hotel, minimalist without being austere, offers guests a cocoon of peace and quiet in the midst of an urban jungle. Carefully created pop and kitsch are the special features of the 25 Hours Goldman hotel. Advertising executives, photographers and designers of all kinds have adopted it and flock to the doors of this new wave hotel, located in the trendy Ostend quarter.