City Oasis and Petting Zoo, Art Gallery and Chocolate Atelier

A man in a blue sweater and white pants walks past a classic photo booth in Berlin with his dog. The booth’s red curtains are open, autumn leaves in the background.

A Dreamy Retreat in the Heart of the Metropolis

Capturing Berlin in one perfect day might be harder than doing so in any other city.

But we’ll try anyway.

After all, even in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Munich or Stockholm, our perfect day can always be just one among countless others we could dream up.

The courtyard of Hotel Wilmina in Berlin-Charlottenburg features red brick facades and lush greenery. An old, blue-painted prison yard door leads through the historic brick wall.

So our ideal Berlin day begins at our favorite hotel, Wilmina.

And already we are in the middle of the city’s dilemma of scale - Wilmina is located on the western end of Kantstraße in Charlottenburg, while many of our favorite Berlin destinations are a good half hour drive to the east.

Still, Wilmina is worth every extra mile.

Housed in a former women’s prison, dating back to 1896, the hotel is one of the most remarkable urban retreats we’ve ever encountered.

Through a stunning feat of architectural transformation, this historic site has been turned into the most enchanting of city oases.

In fact, we’re going to cheat a little and start our perfect day the evening before.

The sauna at Hotel Wilmina in Berlin-Charlottenburg features modern wooden design and atmospheric lighting. A person sits relaxed on the bench, the view leads to the window.

We book ourselves a massage and an hour in the impeccably designed rooftop sauna, which we have all to ourselves.

Then we take a dip in the dreamy pool perched high above the rooftops of Berlin.

The rooftop pool at Hotel Wilmina in Berlin-Charlottenburg overlooks the surrounding rooftops. The metal ladder reflects in the water as clouds drift across the sky.

A String of Pearls

After a lovingly prepared breakfast, we set out to make the most of our day in Germany’s capital.

The journey to our farthest destinations in Prenzlauer Berg is broken up into delightful segments, each filled with enticing stops.

Whether we choose car sharing or cycling depends on availability, weather, and mood. Surprisingly, travel time in Berlin is about the same either way, so we mix and match as we go.

A stone bear statue at the entrance of Berlin Zoo holds a crest with golden detailing. Autumn foliage frames the scene as wispy clouds stretch across the sky.

Fluffy Faces and Artistic Architecture

A ten-minute trip from Wilmina brings us to the Tiergarten and Berlin Zoo. Germany’s oldest zoo is dating back to 1844, and is the most species-rich in the world.

Here, we meet one of the zoo’s fluffiest stars - the giant panda.

We can’t help but fall a little in love.

Wandering through Berlin Zoo feels like stepping into another world.

The city’s morning hustle fades into a symphony of animal calls and rustling leaves.

And Berlin lives up to its reputation as a treasure trove of architectural gems even here.

The giraffe house at Berlin Zoo, featuring distinctive arches and oriental-style towers. One giraffe stands in front of the enclosure, while another remains in the building’s shade.

Historical buildings like the 1871 Antelope and Giraffe House or the chalet-style Bison House from 1905 add the special charm to the zoo.

The Berlin Aquarium at Zoo Tiergarten with its historic entrance. The large stone crocodile statue stands prominently on a rock beside the staircase.

We skip the grand, listed aquarium from 1913 today - it’s our rainy-day fallback plan.

Two places that move us

The Neue Nationalgalerie

Next, a ten-minute bike ride through the Tiergarten takes us to the Neue Nationalgalerie.

We never tire of admiring this architectural icon by Mies van der Rohe, completed in 1968.

Although we don’t have time to explore the current exhibition, we make a point to linger in the sculpture garden, if only for a little while.

Short Break

A tray with lemon cake, a cookie, filter coffee, and cappuccino at Akkurat Café in Berlin. Through the window, two people are seen chatting at an outdoor table.

From here, another ten minutes brings us to the Akkurat Café on Besselstraße.

For a perfect cappuccino, we indulge in a slice of lemon-pistachio cake for a little boost of energy.

We have to skip the tempting offerings from the small menu today, as we’ll need to save space for lunch after our museum visit.

The Libeskind Building

Just a few steps away is the Jewish Museum.

The deconstructivist building by Daniel Libeskind, with its reflective titanium-zinc facade forming one of the museum’s three parts, moves us deeply.

Rarely can we say that the spaces of a museum contribute as much to the exhibition itself as they do here.

Especially “The Voided Void” and “the Garden of Exile” hold us longer each time. The profound impression it leaves on us never diminishes with any visit.

Bibimbap and Ceramic Art

A Bibimbap with rice, marinated beef, and vegetables at the Korean restaurant NaNum in Berlin. The dish is served on a wooden table with flowers and a water carafe.

Directly next to the Jewish Museum is the Korean restaurant NaNum.

To enjoy a small lunch break here, after all these impressions, our perfect day must be a Thursday, as the small restaurant only opens for lunch on this day.

We’re already looking forward to the delicious bibimbap, served on the aesthetic, in-house ceramics.

The restaurant’s upper floor is both atelier and gallery of Jinok Kim.

She also sells her special pieces upon request.

This makes it possible to take home a truly exceptional souvenir.

Some Berlin Favorite Shops

In front of Esther Perbandt’s flagship store in Berlin, a woman dressed in black carries a shopping bag. The Berlin TV Tower rises above the buildings in the background.

Black Is Colorful

Our next stop is twenty minutes away by car or bike: the flagship store of Esther Perbandt on Almstadtstraße in Berlin-Mitte.

All of the Berlin fashion designer’s artful creations are entirely black, gender-fluid, and always break with classic expectations.

To us, Esther’s collection feels like the most quintessentially “Berlin” thing we can imagine in fashion.

Le Labo

Within walking distance is a store that originally hails from New York: Le Labo.

This niche perfumery with our favorite fragrances and irresistible care products now has a few locations in Germany.

Here in Berlin, however, we can have our empty flacons refilled, saving 10%, which we quickly reinvest in the next shampoo.

Sawade

Just a few streets away, we want to visit another truly Berlin establishment: Sawade.

Founded in 1880, this praline manufacturer became a royal purveyor in 1886.

The first grand store on Unter den Linden unfortunately no longer exists.

So we browse through the colerful wrapped chocolates at Sawade at Courtyard II of the Hackesche Höfe.

The beautiful cardboard boxes with black-and-white drawings of Berlin landmarks also make perfect souvenirs for our loved ones back home…and they never stay full for long.

Deutsche Spirituosen Manufaktur

Shelves filled with handcrafted spirits at the German Spirits Manufactory in Berlin. The bottles are neatly arranged on a counter with a metal-clad front.

One more five-minute drive takes us to our next aromatic destination.

After the perfume scents at Le Labo and the chocolate aromas at Sawade, we now find ourselves enveloped in enticing notes - spicy, floral, smoky, fruity…

We’re at the showroom of the Berlin distillery DSM.

Blossoms and fruits, herbs and spices are distilled here.

We get to smell and learn about everything, and the spirits that catch our interest can also be tasted.

Filled into apothecary-style bottles and hand-labeled, a few must come with us -some as gifts and some for ourselves.

The little buzz from tasting schnapps is the perfect excuse for a snack to tide us over until dinner.

But first, a little stroll before MaMi’s opens at 6 p.m.

Oderberger Street

The shop window of VEBorange in Berlin, filled with GDR-era retro objects, lamps, and furniture. Outside, books for sale are displayed on a folding table.

A five-minute bike ride takes us to the neighboring district of Prenzlauer Berg.

With pleasure, we dig through quirky 1980s toys and 1970s decor at VEBorange and Pauls Boutique.

MaMi’s

The cozy MaMi’s is almost too delightful just for an aperitif.

Next time, we’ll definitely spend an entire evening here again.

Today, however, we have another favorite waiting for us in Oderberger Street at 8:30 p.m.

So, tonight, we enjoy just wine, cheese, and ham with fresh bread at MaMi’s before heading to dinner.

OTTO

The highlight of our evening is a table at Otto.

We particularly love this casual fine-dining spot for its unpretentious atmosphere, while the food is nothing short of excitingly prepared.

We barely want to leave after the delicious dessert.

Back to Charlottenburg

The ride back to Wilmina- this time by taxi, as we didn’t want to skip Otto’s natural wines-takes about thirty minutes.

Altogether, we’ve covered about an hour and a half of travel across Germany’s largest city, yet the day felt seamless.

Lovely Lovis

The Lovis Bar at Hotel Wilmina in Berlin, featuring illuminated designer lamps and vaulted ceilings. A bartender stands at the bar while the room is bathed in warm light.

Back on Kantstraße, we end our perfect day with a perfect drink at Lovis Bar in its perfect ambiance, before falling into the large, soft, and perfect bed at Wilmina.

And we just didn’t manage the detour to Shakespeare & Sons - Books and Bagels even though we love it there so much. Maybe tomorrow…

A bookshelf at Shakespeare & Sons bookstore in Berlin, featuring a selection of new and used books. A sign highlights the shop’s bagel offerings.

Our Perfect Day in Berlin