Why I Went to Berlin – Yes, Berlin – for a Healthy Break

In my heart, Berlin has always been synonymous with parties. The city’s nocturnal world feels rediscoverable no matter how many times you go—like you might turn a corner, follow the neon signs, and end up having the most otherworldly night of your life. Which is why, like we do once a year, my partner and I have booked a week-long twilight adventure to Berlin in the spring. Get rid of winter! But as our vacation date approached and I was scheduled to have a minor surgery, going clubbing would soon be out of the question. We were on the verge of canceling our trip until we set ourselves the challenge of discovering another side of Berlin: the side of rest and relaxation. I’ve never been associated with a city known for having some of the best nightlife in the world.

Instead, our keyword of the week became rehab, and the mood board for this trip was less about wearing Rick Owens in an abandoned power station and more about glamor Golden Age movie stars peek through expensive drapes as a ray of sunlight streams into their suites after plastic surgery. That’s the health we’re looking for—a health that facilitates actual recovery. Not one of less, but one of more.

We started our three days in Grunewald – a leafy suburb of the city we had never been before The area feels more like a picturesque German suburb than the Berlin I’ve always known. On the recommendation of a friend who explained that this would be the perfect area to start our recovery week, we booked the Schlosshotel with Patrick Hellmann. Tucked away between tree-lined residential streets, this hotel feels more like a very close family friend (if there is one!) The cottages you are invited to stay in are on their grounds when they go out in the summer.