Arrive at dusk; get your ticket at the second-floor box office. Head up to the 102nd floor to “witness magic as the lights of the city come on.”—Brian Silverman, Frommer’s New York author.

Art / Culture Midtown New York

one could spend months—years—at great art’s New York bastions (the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Frick, Guggenheim, Whitney), but this relatively new kid on the block is an exciting trove of works from the Himalayas and surrounding regions.

Art / Culture Midtown New York

In Chinatown, upstairs in a converted school building. Historical photographs, ephemera like old Chinese restaurant menus, and, sometimes, “the local senior citizens group practicing Chinese opera music next door.”—Daisann McLane.

Art / Culture Lower Manhattan

Breathtaking views of both cityscape and elected officials from Norman Foster–designed dome atop 1894 German parliament building. “A perfect metaphor for how democracy should function.”—Chris Sandeman. Tip: Lines are shortest early in the morning and at night. ;

Art / Culture Berlin Cities

“Massive chunks of antiquity moved holus-bolus (all at once) to a burgeoning imperial capital.”—Damien Simonis. Pirate’s chest worth of treasure from ancient civilizations; highlights are Pergamon Altar, Ishtar Gate from Babylon, and Mshatta Facade, the caliph’s palace from Jordan; Unesco World Heritage site.

Art / Culture Berlin Cities

“A moving, incisive exploration of Berlin’s Jewish history.”—Damien Simonis, author National Geographic Traveler: Berlin. Chronicles Jewish history in Germany going back to Roman days; spectacular star-shaped building by Daniel Libeskind.

Art / Culture Berlin Cities

Engaging private museum brings alive political tensions of the Cold War with Berlin as its focal point; includes tales of spectacular escapes from East to West; adjacent to the famous border crossing itself.

Art / Culture Berlin Cities