Elite Traveler has selected the most exclusive VIP experiences
FLOATPLANE LUNCH FLIGHT
Taking off and landing on water, a floatplane is one of the most thrilling and graceful ways to fly.
Starting on the Spree River near the city center, Air Service Berlin will welcome you with a flute of Gosset champagne by the riverside. Once snugly onboard the floatplane, you’ll take off from the river and soar high above the urban hubbub, over the old town of Köpenick and the fields and forests beyond, and land on the lake by Huberthushöhe Castle. More champagne will greet you, followed by a three course lunch at the enchanting lakeside restaurant. After a leisurely meal, you’ll take to the skies again and return to Berlin with the calming hum of the plane.
Commander Frank Hellberg
+49 (0) 30 53 21 53 21
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DRAG RACING NITROLYMPX ANNUALLY IN AUGUST
In the south of Germany near the city of Mannheim, the Hockenheimring racetrack hosts the very best of German motorsport.
Each year, 50,000 motor fans descend on the Hockenheimring for the Drag Racing Nitrolympx, a breathtaking display of four-wheeled power. Reaching speeds of up to 300mph, ‘dragsters’ race two at a time from a standing start, in a straight line, for a quarter of a mile. The fastest accelerating vehicles on earth, these cars can achieve 0 – 60 mph in less than a second and need parachutes to stop them after the finish line. Celebrities and business leaders bustle for a spot in the South Grandstand, where the VIP suites offer service fit for a king. If you visit on the Saturday you’ll see the notorious Night Show, a frenzy of motor stunts and pyrotechnics. For a very good hotel in Mannheim, Elite Traveler recommends the Steigenberger Mannheimer (www.mannheim.steigenberger.de).
Jutta Halter, Hockenheimring Hospitality Manager
+49 (0) 62 05 95 00 (general) / +49 (0) 62 05 95 01 95 (hospitality)
Hockenheimring Motodrom, 68766 Hockenheim
HOPPEGARTEN RACECOURSE
The largest and most illustrious racecourse in Germany, the Hoppegarten has long been a haunt for Berlin’s elite.
When he wasn’t unifying Germany, the Iron Chancellor Bismarck could be found trackside, having a flutter and quaffing the bubbly. Today, the great and the good mingle in the new Club Stand, while chefs from gourmet restaurant Aigner work their magic behind closed doors. Contact Harriet Roske and watch the drama unfold from a VIP table or a sofa in the private bar. After the race, wander past the old red brick pavilion and see the silverware presented under the shade of ancient oaks. Of the ten race days throughout the year, the most extravagant are Ladies’ Day in June and the Grosser Preis von Berlin in July.
Harriet Roske, Bunker International Group
+44 (0) 20 73 68 42 82
