A month ago today, we arrived in Berlin by train from Munich and spent another whirlwind day and a half catching up with another old friend and seeing as much of the city as we could. Our first stop was the Berliner Dom, a very impressive cathedral with a panoramic view along the circumference of the dome. The ascent was 267 steps, relatively easy ones compared with similar attractions in other European cities because they were wide stairs along the sides of the building, unlike the narrow, claustrophobic, spiral staircases found in bell towers. They may have seemed more challenging because we were hungry and overheated, but the view was worthwhile.

Inside, organ music played in scores that sounded like the tracks of the most epic films, which only amplified the grandeur of the ornate sanctuary. We had arrived an hour before closing, which was a decent amount of time to see the panorama and sit for a while taking in the atmosphere of the intricately carved interior.

Afterwards, thirst drove us to a bubble tea shop in Alexanderplatz, where I had possibly the best bubble tea in my life—”Rosy,” with strawberry rose milk and rainbow boba, which pops and releases a sweet liquid. This version of boba is so refreshing compared with the dense, chewy tapioca balls I’m used to.

The next day, we visited parts of the Wall, starting from the longest continuous stretch that is now the East Side Gallery. It is covered with murals by street artists from 21 countries who painted them in 1990, expressing the hopes, feelings, and fears of the time.

In terms of perfume shopping, Atelier Oblique is a store I sought out because I had read about the brand a few years ago, knew they were based in Berlin, and liked their minimalist aesthetic. I followed the GPS and ended up walking right past them, because I didn’t see the sign on the storefront… because it was covered by two people sitting on the bench in front of it, eating their lunch—one of whom turned out to be the founder and creative director of the brand!

He unlocked the door and let us in, and patiently walked me through the 10 fragrances. I started to write the names on each blotter, but he said it was easier if I just put them down in front of each bottle. Most were familiar themes with a modern twist, which aligned with the inspirations for the scents, some of which incorporated the vibe of different eras (eg, blues rock of the late 60s in Voodoo Flowers or “the bridge connecting exclusive Parisian parties of the 20s with excessive club nights in the cold concrete clubs of today’s Berlin” in Saint). I was particularly intrigued by April Skies, which smelled like rain and flowers—this one, he explained, was inspired by an afternoon in which he got his trousers soaked in an unexpected downpour. It goes a bit heavy on the carrot seed for this effect, but iris, cool incense, and an ambery leather lurk in the background, holding the promise of drying off.

I purchased a discovery set and then understood why he had suggested I put the blotters down—he placed each one inside a card with the artwork and description of that fragrance, including the notes, story, and perfumer.

So far, my favorite has been Moon Sigh, with prominent notes of coffee, papyrus, and leather and the right touches of rosemary, pine, moss, and florals. It feels dry, as though I’m smelling coffee grounds and the roughness of the papyrus rather than sipping a brew. I wore it on Mid-Autumn Festival a couple of weeks ago as a fitting tribute to the full moon.

We also went to a Frau Tonis boutique, where the perfumes were arranged roughly by fragrance family on a table and visitors could sniff the apothecary-style bottle caps ourselves (under the watchful eye of the sales associate).

I’m not sure this format lent itself well to a first introduction to the creations, as most of them smelled more like blends of aromachemicals to me rather than like finished fragrances. I can imagine that if they had spray bottle testers, the result might be different. The large headspace over the liquid and repeated opening of the bottle can’t be doing the perfume any favors.

I had wanted to visit some concept stores while in Berlin, but they seemed a bit far with the little time we had, so I’d kind of given up on the idea. By coincidence and to my very pleasant surprise, my friend asked if they were something we’d be interested in. Were they indeed! So she took us to Potsdamer Straße, home to possibly three of the best concept stores in Berlin.

This is where “show” turns to “tell” as photography was strictly forbidden inside. It was getting a little late so we entered each store in order of closing time. We started in Darklands-x, the “menswear” store, a monochromatic art gallery in its own right. Its current location is in a former underground carpark and has enough cool concrete space to hang or stand many of the outfits like sculptures—and, in fact, some are actual sculptures. Almost everything is black, with the exception of some reflective metallic fabrics and broken-glass trim along a jacket and trousers. I was an instant fan of the leatherwork by designers Deepti Barth and Leon Emanuel Blanck.

Next was the “womenswear” counterpart, Darklands, which was up a flight of stairs in a different building and much brighter and more intricate in feel. I was glad to see Meo Fusciuni Little Song front and center in their small section of perfumes, and tried it again—it’s as much on my wish list as it was the first time.

Finally, we went into Andreas Murkudis, a large concept store that has everything from clothing to perfume to furniture. I remembered first hearing about this store from watching an interview with perfumer Geza Schoen in which he mentioned buying multiple pairs of a particular kind of trousers there. I myself was briefly tempted by a pair of red leather bell-bottoms laid out on a long table… but there were so many other distractions, too, including lots of perfumes (some of which were made by Geza Schoen, among them the Escentric Molecules line) in various presentations. My favorite was an oversized funnel for trying scents. Without photos to jog my memory, I can only say, “you just had to be there”…

After dinner, my friend took us to the graffitied neighborhoods of the east side to experience another unique (and, sadly, dwindling) aspect of Berlin—experimental jazz bars. Cover charges are a suggested range and we were told that couples, pairs, or groups are preferred while single guests are charged more because the establishments want to deter people from treating them like the kind of bars where they try to pick up strangers. Seating and drinks are very basic, and the point is to enjoy the music, which is all improvised. Art in unadulterated form.

I wish we’d had more time (a recurring theme on our recent travels) in Berlin, but for now, I’ll spend it vicariously through any suggestions you might have on other things to see and do in this future-forward city.