THE WALL & THE WATERS
Justine Picardie embarks on a transformative tour of Germany, discovering Berlin’s momentous history and Baden-Baden’s gentler delights
Iwas born in the summer of 1961, when construction on the Berlin Wall began, and I gave birth to my son 28 years later, just before its momentous demise, in the autumn of 1989. Yet it was not until this year – the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Wall – that I have finally spent time in the city, and traced the scar of that great edifice that divided East and West Berlin. It is, of course, impossible to traverse the streets of Germany’s capital without a sense of the immensity of its past; which is why I was glad to be staying at the Hotel Adlon, a place that is not only at the heart of the city, but is itself part of Berlin’s history.
The original hotel opened in October 1907, in a prime position overlooking the Brandenburg Gate, launched by its owner Lorenz Adlon as a European palace to rival the Paris Ritz. Kaiser Wilhelm II attended its grand debut with his family, and among the many other notable guests was his cousin, Tsar Nicholas II. Even after the disaster of World War I, and despite the financial and political turmoil that racked Germany, the Adlon continued to thrive. Hollywood royalty – Charlie Chaplin, Louise Brooks, Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo – checked in during the Roaring Twenties, alongside American presidents and powerful industrialists, including Franklin Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover. The Adlon remained open throughout the Nazi era and for much of World War II (it is
just a few hundred metres from here to Hitler’s notorious bunker); though part of it was converted to a military field hospital during the final days of the Battle of Berlin. But having survived the bombing and shelling, it was left in ruins after a fire started by Soviet soldiers in the hotel wine cellars, in May 1945.
During the East German era, what remained of the original Adlon was closed to guests, while the square in front of it was abandoned as wasteland, a grim buffer zone with the West, leaving the Brandenburg Gate standing isolated beside the Berlin Wall. Following the reunification of Germany, the hotel was rebuilt and reopened in 1997, and has continued to feature in popular culture: it was here, for example, that Michael Jackson dangled his infant son out of the window of the presidential suite in 2002 (subsequently explaining that ‘I got caught up in the excitement of the moment’).
Nowadays known as the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, the property
continues to host the rich and famous (Angelina Jolie, Barack Obama, Her Majesty the Queen); and remains wonderfully atmospheric, with polished mahogany panelling, opulent cherrywood furnishings and plush velvet upholstery. Its famous elephant fountain – presented to the Adlon in 1930 by India’s Maharajah of Patiala – stands resplendent in the grand lobby; and the exceptional two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, pays tribute to the hotel’s founder, with a masterful chef, Hendrik Otto, inspired by the finest traditions of European haute cuisine.
After several days of walking around the city – from the sombre Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse to the remarkable, newly restored Neues Museum (chosen by Max Mara as the striking setting for its Cruise collection in June this year) – it was always a pleasure to return to the warmth of the Adlon. But my husband and I had a 500-mile journey to undertake, driving south to Baden-Baden via Leipzig. As culturally vibrant now as its historical associations with Goethe, Bach, Wagner and Mendelssohn would bespeak, this is a city that deserves to be explored at greater length. Sadly, we had time to stay only one night, at the Steigenberger Grandhotel Handelshof, built in 1909 in the heart of Leipzig, beside the 16th-century town hall and the Goethe Memorial.
Thence we went on to Colditz, the forbidding, thousandyear-old fortress where my husband’s uncle had been imprisoned as a POW during World War II. Here, we explored the labyrinthine castle and marvelled over the daring escape plans that were devised by the Allied prisoners (one tunnel under the chapel can still be seen today, along with a glider constructed in a hidden attic workshop).
In the wake of the bleak severity of Colditz, the spa town of Baden-Baden looked all the more appealing, nestling amid the hills of the Black Forest. Here we were fortunate to check into the superb Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, surrounded by leafy gardens and overlooking an arboretum on the banks of the River Oos. The hotel has a distinguished legacy – it first opened in 1872, and has hosted generations of royal guests; King Edward VII came to bathe in Baden-Baden’s famed thermal springs, as well as playing the tables at the town’s renowned casino.
Brenners Park remains one of the great European grande dame hotels, with its understated luxury and charming, consummately professional staff. It also boasts a world-class spa, Villa Stéphanie, that is now a destination in itself, offering everything from hi-tech laser therapy to 10-day weight-loss programmes. However, far from availing ourselves of these options, on this trip at least, we chose to savour the delights of Brenners Park’s restaurants and bars, in particular the recently opened Fritz & Felix, a stylish, buzzy venue that is as popular with locals as hotel guests. Having feasted on delicious local trout and grilled chicken, and been introduced to the regional vodka cocktails, we ambled back to our bedroom, with its floral chintz curtains and delightful view over the city’s parkland.
Even without taking Baden-Baden’s eponymous waters, this was the most restorative of experiences; one that felt more akin to staying with welcoming friends (albeit in a graciously comfortable stately home) after an epic journey across Germany.
Hotel Adlon Kempinski (www.kempinski.com/adlon), from about £265 a room a night. Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa (www.oetkercollection. com), from about £295 a night, based on two people sharing a Double Standard Room.