Sightseeing, fine dining, the theater and even making love are all splendid activities but no matter which of these is your major passion keep in mind that when you wake the next morning you are going to want breakfast. Following are my recommendations for what I consider the five most luxurious breakfasts that are around the world:

Baden Baden: After spending the night at the small but luxurious Brenner's Park Hotel, stroll for breakfast to Bratwurstglockle, a 17th century tavern that offers traditional Black Forest regional cuisine. Order the "mixed sausages for two", a huge platter piled high with two each of bratwurst (veal sausage), mettwurst (smoked pork and liver sausage), weisswurst (a mild Bavarian sausage made with veal) and Knackwurst (smoked garlicky pork and veal sausage). Accompanying this, and served in separate ceramic bowls, you will find generous portions of potato salad and sauerkraut, the first of which is made special because it had was served hot with a marvelous mustard and vinaigrette sauce and the second because it is cooked in dry Riesling wine and juniper berries. As if this would not be enough, the platter also includes two cheeses - an excellent wedge of mild Munster and a well ripened and pungent Limburger, both served with plenty of chopped onions and black bread.

Geneva: Pass the night at the exquisite Hotel Beau-Rivage, wake at about 11 in the morning and make your way to the hotel's breakfast room. Among the twelve meter tall marble columns, an exquisite fountain made of Carrara marble, two dozen Louis XVI chairs, and a host of 18th century oil paintings you will dine on the traditional breakfast of fried lake perch in a delicate remoulade sauce, a small steak and a truffled omelet, all served with what may be the best croissants and brioches in the world and homemade jams and marmalade. After your champagne, switch to a pot of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Venice: Stay at the small but remarkably luxurious Gritti Palace Hotel and, no matter how cold it may be, bundle up and order your breakfast served on your terrace overlooking the canals of the city. The table will be set with Irish linen and fine china and your meal will be served by three uniformed waiters. Although not even the most outrageous breakfast requests will be refused here, my recommendation is for the formal English breakfast of smoked herrings, sardines with mustard, grilled trout, broiled kidneys, sausages with mashed potatoes, beef tongue in spicy horseradish sauce, honey, marmalade, and hot biscuits. To gain maximum pleasure, ask for your coffee to be laced with Strega, a beloved Italian liqueur that will guarantee that even the most biting cold will not bother you.

County Mayo, Ireland: Set in a 16th century castle that is tucked away in a magnificent park, the Ashford Castle hotel is a place that cannot help but please. The breakfast buffet is every bit as good as the setting and the service and typical offerings will include oatmeal with cream, a variety of smoked herrings, sardines with mustard, grilled trout, smoked salmon, smoked goose breast, cold smoked venison, cold veal and chicken pies, grilled kidneys, sausages with mashed potatoes and tongue with hot horseradish sauce. In addition to excellent croissants and brioches, the bread table will have at least eight different kinds of bread and rolls all with a large selection of honey, jam, marmalade and freshly made butter.

London: Wherever you have passed the night, make your way to the Hyde Park Hotel (66 Knightsbridge) for breakfast. Surrounded by marble columns, crystal chandeliers, pastel murals, 19th century antiques and an incomparable view of Hyde Park, you can easily imagine that you are sitting at the center of the once great British Empire. Several different breakfasts are offered here. One of my favorites consists of scrambled eggs wrapped in Scottish smoked salmon, melon with lemon sorbet, brioche, rolls, juice and Champagne, all of which go for a relatively reasonable 26 pounds sterling. The English breakfast, my other favorite (at 15 pounds) includes fruit, cereals, kippers, smoked bass and an assortment of silver bowls filled with marmalade, jam and honey. After either of these breakfasts, I no longer care whether the Queen invites me to breakfast or not.

Rouffach, France: Tucked away in the charming vineyards of Alsace, the luxurious Chateau d'Isenbourg is located in a turreted 13th century castle. The rooms have painted ceilings, antique furnishings, and what may be the most luxurious bathrooms in all of France. Breakfasts here include a flan of scallops, hot cumin flavored goose liver pate served with fried onions goats' cheeses, croissants with the raspberry and currant jams for which the region is famed.

© Daniel Rogov