Travel off the beaten track and experience

Ripple effect: Reflective basalt dots, curved glass panels, and 6,000 giant sequins shimmer in the sunlight. Tune in to Hamburg for the visually delightful, acoustically advanced Elbphilharmonie. Today the building sails into its role as one of the world’s leading concert venues with a three-week festival that includes the Vienna Philharmonic, Yo-Yo Ma, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the resident NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. Perched above a warehouse on the historic Sandtorhafen docks, the Herzog & de Meuron-designed project houses three performance halls, a hotel, and numerous bars and restaurants. Visitors enter on an arced 270-foot escalator through a glowing, sequin-lined tunnel and arrive at an outdoor public plaza with 360-degree city views. Among Elbphilharmonie’s high notes: its Grand Hall , which floats within the structure on giant springs for soundproofing and features an interior “skin” of 10,000 gypsum fiber panels placed to optimize sound. Steeply tiered seat...

By Susan Hanson For a few weeks each spring, Washingtonians trade politics for hanami , the Japanese practice of cherry blossom viewing. (The city’s 3,000 cherry trees were a gift of friendship from Tokyo in 1912.) The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C. gets in on the action with a seasonal package that includes a private pedicab ride to Hains Point in East Potomac Park (one of the best viewing spots), a picnic, and, back at the 86-room hotel, cherry-themed snacks, cocktails, and treatments in the newly renovated spa. The cherry blossom package is available early March through mid-April this year. Top photo by Sean Pavone Photo/Getty Images.

After a few busy years solidifying its reputation as one of luxury cruising’s leaders – a yacht, new river ships, and a renovated ocean liner – Crystal Cruises aimed a bit higher (literally) with its next opulent offering. The company debuted its new private charter jet, Crystal Skye , to the media earlier this week during an official handover ceremony in Seattle. It’s the world’s largest privately owned tour jet, and the Virtuoso Life editorial team joined Crystal CEO Edie Rodriguez for a sneak-preview tour. The Boeing 777-200LR can typically fit around 300 passengers, but Crystal retrofitted its jet to seat only 88 – in a very comfortable manner. Ergonomic seats lie fully flat, plush carpeting covers the extra-wide aisles, and every seat has a 24-inch monitor with live TV – plus unlimited WiFi and phone calls. The front of the jet’s dining and lounge area seats 30; it’s a bright space with sleek, white-lacquer gathering tables and a gorgeous, fully stocked bar. We almost forgot we w...