Berlin always seems to be in a state of reinvention. In the past couple of years, renovations have been completed at the Pergamon Museum, home to the monumental Pergamon Altar and Babylon’s blue-tiled Ishtar Gate. The Mies van der Rohe-designed Neue Nationalgalerie, displaying masterpieces of modern art, also recently finished a multiyear upgrade. And the Humboldt Forum, a museum of non-European art, has opened on Museum Island. Spend several days enjoying Berlin’s myriad cultural attractions and its inventive culinary scene.

Although the Hotel Adlon Kempinski has a prominent location by the Brandenburg Gate and unimpeachably luxurious accommodations and public spaces, its building is not historic and it stands in something of a dining dead zone. For these reasons, you may wish to stay instead at the Hotel de Rome, set in the prewar Dresdner Bank headquarters. Book a room overlooking Bebelplatz and the freshly restored State Opera.

Take a direct train (about four and a half hours) to the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. Its architecture survived World War II mostly intact, and although the city has become crowded with visitors in recent years, overtourism is less of an issue at the moment. During my last stay, in early 2020, I discovered an impressive array of museums (favorites being the Museum Portheimka, a glass museum set in a baroque palace, and the National Gallery Prague – Trade Fair Palace, with a world-class collection of contemporary art) and an astonishingly large number of excellent restaurants. Here are our tips on 12 memorable restaurants, 10 notable museums and seven stylish wine and cocktail bars.

Prague’s premier hotel is the Four Seasons, with a central location on the Old Town side of the Charles Bridge. It combines both historic and contemporary structures, but whichever wing you happen to stay in, you can expect a high level of gracious service.

Continue by train to Vienna (about four and a half hours), or if you prefer, hire a driver and visit the storybook town of Český Krumlov en route to Austria’s capital. Although its dominions are much diminished, elegant Vienna still feels like the center of an empire. Visitors disperse themselves among the many “must-see” attractions — the Hofburg, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Belvedere Palace, the Leopold Museum and, not least, the opulent Schönbrunn Palace — resulting in less crowding than one would expect. Be sure to leave time to enjoy some leisurely coffee and torte in Vienna’s famed cafés and coffeehouses. (Prückel has excellent torte; Sperl is better for savory dishes.) And music lovers should make a point of seeing a performance at the iconic State Opera House and/or in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein.

The traditional Hotel Sacher, set just inside the monument-lined Ringstrasse behind the opera, feels both plush and thoroughly Viennese. Historic paintings, authentic baroque furniture, original chandeliers and notable antiques embellish its opulent interior.

See our latest coverage of all things Vienna.

Resume your journey by train to Budapest (about three hours). Once part of the Ottoman Empire, this atmospheric city on the Danube retains an exotic air, which is only enhanced by the impenetrable Hungarian language. Its ornate and imposing architecture remains a testament to the wealth of Hungary at the height of its power. Everyone visits the neo-Romanesque Fisherman’s Bastion in the Castle District overlooking the neo-Gothic Parliament Building, but fewer tour the wonderful Hungarian National Gallery. I also recommend a delightful Culinary Walk tour with Taste Hungary (Hungarian cuisine deserves to be far better known. Like Vienna, Budapest has a thriving café scene. Visit the touristy but friendly New York Café, a neo-baroque confection of serpentine columns and crystal chandeliers, and my favorite, Centrál Kávéház, with its inimitable atmosphere of Mitteleuropa.

The undisputed queen of Budapest hotels is the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, an art nouveau beauty in an unbeatable location facing the Chain Bridge. It has both great character and mesmerizing Danube views. The Four Seasons has many fine hotels, but this is one of the company’s best.