Berlin, Germany

Berlin’s impressive architecture and scintillating culture make it a must-visit destination for Royal Holiday members. Surrounding such marvels as the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building, and the Berlin Wall Memorial, visitors will find a city teeming with cutting-edge music, avant-garde art, and the newest fashions. One of the world’s greatest urban centers, Berlin rewards visitors with some of Europe’s best sights, sounds, and tastes, and intrepid Royal Holiday members will do well to experience it for themselves.

The club’s affiliate in the city, Citadines Kurfürstendamm Berlin, boasts a central location with easy access to many of the best green spaces in the city: Tiergarten Park and the Berlin Zoo. Royal Holiday members will enjoy cozy, apartment-style, condominium lodgings perfect for the businessperson on the go or the couple looking for a romantic vacation, especially given the rooms’ full kitchens and excellent views of the city. Parents will find the Citadines Kurfürstendamm especially enticing thanks to its baby-sitting services. However, the hotel’s true strength comes from its excellent location, which puts all of Berlin within easy reach.

The area around present-day Berlin has been inhabited for centuries, though the earliest remains found in the region date from the late 1100s, when towns like Köpenick and Spandau were being founded. However, many consider 1237 to be the founding date of the city because this is when the town of Cölln was established, though the name “Berlin” was not recorded until 1244. Berlin-Cölln served as the seat of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Empire of Germany throughout the centuries, and while Germany prospered at the start of the 20th century, its role in the World Wars led to devastating consequences for Berlin.

Of course, to learn from the past, one must remember it. All Royal Holiday visitors should see the impressive Berlin Wall Memorial, the Jüdisches Museum Berlin, and the haunting Holocaust Memorial, all of which provide excellent educational resources. However, Royal Holiday members should also experience what present-day Berlin has to offer. While the Reichstag has its roots in the late 1800s, its current incarnation offers breathtaking views of the city through its incredible glass roof. Moreover, few cities rival Berlin for its dedication to art, with museums like the Bauhaus Archiv, the Neues Museum, and the Pergamon Museum deserving every Royal Holiday member’s full attention.

As befits a 21st-century urban capital, Berlin offers the latest in everything from shopping to music. Royal Holiday members can find the largest department store in Europe at KaDeWe and the best shopping in the chic boutiques in North Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. Royal Holiday members hoping to sample some local cuisine should grab a quick meal of currywurst in between visiting the Zoologischer Garten & Aquarium and getting ready for a night out on the town. Berlin’s nightlife makes for an extremely satisfying diversion, especially thanks to legendary clubs like Berghain/Panorama Bar and Watergate.