Berlin’s constantly evolving persona makes it one of Europe’s most magnetic destinations. While the thriving arts scene and astonishing selection of museums are a given, there’s also the city’s legendary nightlife — which isn’t the least bit shy about ignoring sunrise.

The trick to Berlin’s club scene is to embrace its transient nature. Clubs spring up and disappear in a blink, and things don’t heat up until well after midnight. Establishments achieving enviable longevity include 40 Seconds (Potsdamer Strasse 58), Watergate (Falckensteinstrasse 49A) and Icon (Cantianstrasse 15). The handy insider’s guide at www.clubmatcher.de matches visitors with clubs to suit every taste.

Gay and lesbian visitors receive a warm welcome in Berlin, where one of the city’s most recognizable monuments, Siegessäule (Victory Column), has become a symbol for the thriving gay community. In fact, Berlin’s gay city listings magazine (pick up a free copy at any gay-friendly venue) is titled Siegessäule. In general, gay couples will feel comfortable throughout the city — one local hotel bills itself as hetero-friendly — but if you’re seeking a primarily gay neighborhood, head for the bars and cafés in Nollendorfplatz.

What began as a royal bridle path is now the city’s most famous shopping avenue, the Kurfürstendamm (known as Ku’damm). Small-label designers are also setting up shop in other areas: The trendy Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, especially near Kollwitzplatz, is now a hotspot for cafés, edgy boutiques and new galleries, as are the neighborhoods of Friedrichschain and Kreuzberg.

Open all hours, countless street stands offer Berlin’s culinary obsession — hunks of fried sausage topped with tomato-curry sauce, known as currywurst. Order it mit Darm (with the skin) or ohne Darm (without). For more leisurely meals, the Alt Berliner Wirtshaus (Wilhelmstrasse 77, tel 49 30 224 88 205) provides charming atmosphere and authentic regional fare served by friendly staff. All elegance and industrial chic, Volt (Paul-Lincke Ufer 21, tel 49 30 610 74 033) features modern German cuisine. The two Michelin-starred Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer (Unter den Linden 77, Am Pariser Platz, tel 49 30 226 11 961, www.kempinski.com) at Hotel Adlon Kempinski showcases the culinary brilliance of Chef Hendrik Otto.

Many of Berlin’s 180 museums keep evening hours. Among the five museums comprising the UNESCO World Heritage site Museum Island (www.smb.museum/smb), in the Spree just off Alexanderplatz, you’ll find Yadegar Asisi’s 360-degree “Panorama of the Ancient City” at the Pergamon (www.asisi.de/en), and the Gerhard Richter retrospective at the New National Gallery (www.smb.museum/smb).

After dark, head down Unter den Linden for views of the lighted Brandenburg Gate, then hop the U-Bahn to the Berlin TV Tower for an elevated city perspective (Panoramastrasse 1A, www.tv-turm.de). Roam the Altstadt, or Old City, in the Spandau district; and the old residential area of the Nikolai Quarter, where gas lamps lend a soft veneer to the streets. Wrap up the evening with a late-night thermal soak at the hip, urban Liquidrom (Möckernstrasse 10, www.liquidrom-berlin.de).

Schedules of upcoming opera, theater, art and film events can be found at www.visitberlin.de. Great deal: the Berlin Welcome Card (www.berlin-welcomecard.de), available in time segments of 48 hours to five days — and nights, naturally.