Brilliant Apartments - the name may sound plain, but the apartments on the charming Oderberger Straße are anything but. 

Lovingly designed, familiar and full of character, they exude a sense of home away from home.

Nestled in Prenzlauer Berg, these fourteen unique apartments are spread across the front and rear building, in true Berlin fashion.

Weekly cleaning services and an on-site breakfast café provide just the right amount of convenience, so that we don’t miss the advantages of a hotel.

There are even facilities for doing laundry at home or dropping it off at the dry cleaner around the corner. 

Each apartment comes equipped with a fully functional kitchen for cooking our own meals. Though with so many of our favorite Berlin restaurants just a short walk away, staying in might not be all that tempting.

Tucked away in the enchanted courtyard of the Wilmina Hotel, the Lovis Bar reveals itself behind a black ivy-draped door. 

We descend a few steps into a historic vaulted cellar, where French artist Laurent Ajina has adorned the walls with delicate black lines on white lime plaster, giving the space a distinctive charm.

But it’s not just the design that sets the Lovis Bar apart. The drinks are as artful as the setting - imaginative, intricate concoctions crafted from mysterious, unlabeled bottles, measured and mixed with tiny beakers and pipettes. 

Alongside these exquisite cocktails, the bar serves refined bar food that not only pairs beautifully with the bold drinks but could easily hold its own as a light dinner.

In fact, arriving a little earlier to enjoy all the Lovis Bar has to offer is a highly recommended plan.

in short...

• a small cabinet of curiosities on Leliegracht

• for those who, like us, love to collect treasures

• butterfly boxes, beetles, oddities 

The little store on Leliegracht is filled with lovingly collected works. Butterfly boxes and iridescent green beetles, jewelry and antiques sit alongside handmade candles and artisanal soaps, while art prints hang above marvelous curiosities.

Apothecary cabinets and old glass display cases are filled to the brim, inviting exploration. It’s nearly impossible to leave without a small treasure in tow.

in short…

• two cute shops in  Jordaan  and  Museums Quartier

• hand-rolled sourdough bagels from the stone oven

• our favourite travel provisions for the journey home

Wandering through Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, a little sustenance is just what you need.

At Breadwinner, hand-rolled sourdough bagels fresh from the stone oven are baked with organic ingredients.

In the small, bright shop with a handful of seats outside, we have our choice of plain sourdough bagels, salted, poppy seed or sesame, onion bagels, jalapeno and cheddar, or two sweet options - cinnamon raisin or chocolate.

in short...

• Parisian flair in a historic townhouse

• a stroll in Vondelpark right outside the door

• Croissants for breakfast – in a velvet armchair with a garden view

A touch of Paris graces the elegant Maison Elle, with its lush green garden.

Breakfast in the morning means croissants, pain au chocolat and café au lait…

And when we enjoy it on pale blue velvet chairs in front of wood-paneled walls, we almost have to remind ourselves that we are not in France, but in Amsterdam and that the famous Rijksmuseum, with its old Dutch masters, is just a five-minute bike ride away.

in short…

• when we feel like going out in Oud West

• a super friendly team

• our favourite cocktail here – Broken Negroni

Slow-roasted tomatoes, candied walnuts, fermented chili, confit Medjool dates, Jerusalem artichoke chips, homemade ricotta dumplings, boozy coffee biscuits, pistachio crème Anglaise… just reading the ingredients on the menu at Night Kitchen is enough to lure us there.

But there’s even more to it than that!

They describe their wonderful concept as “Dinner with Friends.”

This idea hails from Tel Aviv and has been successfully exported not only to Amsterdam but also to Berlin.

Isn't it the most beautiful thing letting yourself drift without a schedule, daydreaming by the water for an afternoon, guiltlessly transitioning from the finest bakery to the most delightful ice cream parlor or enjoying an endless breakfast?

We believe, this approach can often provide a deeper sense of a metropolis’s rhythm, than a rigid cultural itinerary and sometimes it reveals the true treasures of a city.

Even if it’s just a brief weekend trip, it would be a pity to let haste and stress intrude. After all, when a city is enjoyable, we are bound to return.

Here, we share a few personal tips and secrets on how to savor a wonderful city walk and how to make our day truly perfect.

On Oderberger Straße in Prenzlauer Berg, a cozy retreat awaits just a few steps below street level, next to a charming terrace shaded by a red awning. 

The bar’s whitewashed walls, Toile de Jouy curtains, wooden tables, and school chairs with mustard-yellow cushions might easily transport you to Paris.

And there are not just exceptional French wines - the carefully curated selection also features exquisite bottles from Germany, Austria and Spain.  

The delicious sharing plates even draw inspiration from across the globe.

MaMi’s is the perfect place to escape the hustle of Berlin for a few hours, immersing yourself in soft music, fine wine and outstanding food, served by warm and welcoming hosts.

in short:

• buy visually appealing everyday items

• sustainable, fair, plastic-free since 1974

• perfect for both - gifting and treating yourself

Behind large, bright windows in a classic brick building in Amsterdam's Oud West lies the enchanting household goods store, Dille & Kamille.

Enamel dishes, linen tablecloths, bergamot soap, acacia wood cutting boards, wildflower seeds, and garden gloves – everything that makes a home cozy and functional is available here.

Naturally, it’s easy to find a suitable gift for loved ones back home at Dille & Kamille. But treating yourself here is just as delightful.

in short...

• Hygge at Café am Sarphatipark

• When we need a little cinnamon bun break in De Pijp

• Coffee is rarely prepared with such love

We are often asked if we love Amsterdam more than our other favorite - Copenhagen. Thankfully, at the Scandinavian Embassy, we don’t have to choose.

Here, the coffee tastes as exquisite as it does at Atelier September and the cinnamon rolls are as fragrant and fresh as they are in the far north and yet we find ourselves in the heart of our beloved Amsterdam.

in short...

• here, we feel like we are in a Vermeer painting

• view from the bed onto the beautiful Keizersgracht

• really llovely - breakfast in the hidden garden

In Jordaan, the former working-class neighborhood, lies this little gem of a hotel, right on the Keizersgracht, perhaps the most beautiful canal in the heart of Amsterdam's canal ring.

The view from the room over the enchanting canal is so dreamy that it truly tempts us to have breakfast in bed. 

However, the delicious breakfast lovingly prepared in the large ground-floor salon, with a view of the charming garden, is worth tearing ourselves away from the morning view of the gently swaying canal boats.

And right outside the door awaits one of the most delightful quarters of the Dutch capital.

Isn't it the most beautiful thing letting yourself drift without a schedule, daydreaming by the water for an afternoon, guiltlessly transitioning from the finest bakery to the most delightful ice cream parlor or enjoying an endless breakfast?

We believe, this approach can often provide a deeper sense of a metropolis’s rhythm, than a rigid cultural itinerary and sometimes it reveals the true treasures of a city.

Even if it’s just a brief weekend trip, it would be a pity to let haste and stress intrude. After all, when a city is enjoyable, we are bound to return.

Here, we share a few personal tips and secrets on how to savor a wonderful city walk and how to make our Berlin-Day truly perfect.

Little birds flit into the ivy draping the facade.

Their cheerful chirping mingling with the distant hum of the city beyond. They dart out again, diving into a sea of green where waves of white blossoms rise and fall beneath our window.

Red brick walls, weathered by decades of history, frame a series of serene courtyards and lush gardens. 

Sunlight dances playfully through delicate ash leaves, casting fleeting patterns of light and shadow.

In Wilmina the bustling metropolis around us falls into oblivion.

Architects Almut and Armand Grüntuch-Ernst have masterfully transformed a former women’s prison from 1896 into the city’s most enchanting oasis.

The hotel feels like a wellness escape, yet it sits at the heart of Berlin - a hidden world within the city and our favorite secret haven.

Books and Bagels? You bet!

In many bookstores, a sign greets you at the entrance with a stern warning - no food or drinks beyond this point.

At Shakespeare & Sons, the expectation to treat their carefully curated selection of mostly English-language books with care is no different. 

But here, there’s a twist. The inhouse café, Fine Bagels, is an inseparable part of the experience.

Picture this - savoring sweet or salty handmade bagels, chocolate or plain rugelach, cookies and cakes, all while leisurely browsing through the shelves. 

Every visit tempts us to take at least one treasure home - a delicious one or a written one.

Hotel Frantz in Södermalm, near the Stockholm locks, exemplifies how to masterfully execute small luxury.

The historical rooms have been lovingly transformed into a charming, sophisticated city hotel.

The large, cozy bed, stylish bathroom, high-quality fabrics, and soft colors align perfectly with our tastes.

And the breakfast, served in the pretty Frantz Restaurant, is among the best we’ve ever encountered in a hotel.

Specializing in  „Akzidenzen“, a traditional method for printing small-batch or one-of-a-kind pieces, like family announcements, flyers, business cards or menus - this charming shop keeps the art of printing alive.

From letterpress and embossing to high-quality digital printing, Marta & Paul offers a range of bespoke services. 

For those curious to delve into the world of printing and bookbinding, the shop also hosts workshops where even beginners can get hands-on experience.

Owner Dörte Regel’s artistry shines in her whimsical, occasionally surreal nature-inspired designs. 

They are available as postcards or in larger formats like DIN A3 and A4.

The island of Djurgården, a green oasis in the heart of Stockholm, is a wonderful place for daydreaming.

Wandering through Rosendal Trädgård, established by the Swedish Garden Society between 1861 and 1911, to the greenhouses and gardens with the charmingly romantic café, makes for a perfect outing on a long Swedish midsummer day.

Isn't it the most beautiful thing letting yourself drift without a schedule, daydreaming by the water for an afternoon, guiltlessly transitioning from the finest bakery to the most delightful ice cream parlor or enjoying an endless breakfast?

We believe, this approach can often provide a deeper sense of a metropolis’s rhythm, than a rigid cultural itinerary and sometimes it reveals the true treasures of a city.

Even if it’s just a brief weekend trip, it would be a pity to let haste and stress intrude. After all, when a city is enjoyable, we are bound to return.

Here, we share a few personal tips and secrets on how to savor a wonderful city walk and how to make our Stockholm-Day truly perfect.

The atmosphere here is unpretentious and friendly, while the food is incredibly refined and artistic without being affected.

Traditional Swedish dishes, crafted with careful handwork by Stefan Ekengren and his team, are presented with a modern twist and sometimes a touch of humor.

There is also a bar where experienced, cool bartenders mix remarkably good cocktails with great passion.

For those interested, a "Spritbordet" five-course menu is available, perfectly paired with cocktails or mocktails.

A short stroll, an extensive walk with the dog or a daily jogging route through the city park – all become even more delightful with a cup of coffee, an ice-cold drink or a tasty snack.

All this comes together at Flindt & Ørsted in Copenhagen’s Ørstedparken.