Leipzig

We will be in Leipzig for 2 days. What is the best thing to do there?

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Poking your noses into all arcades, alleyways and backyards you come across in the city center, from Mädlerpassage and Specks Hof to Barthels Hof... there are many, both indoor arcades and open courtyards, with little shops, restaurants and cafes, a whole world of its own.

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Try to fit in a visit to the Völkerschlachtsdenkmal (Monument for the Battle of the Nations) - its a short tram trip out from the centre and well worth the visit.

I think its one of the biggest war memorials in Europe and is very impressive. The view from the top is fantastic too! :-)

Theres a lovely little cafe bar just across the road to recover after climbing all the stairs in the tower.

On the way back into town, i%26#39;d also recommend checking out the Russian Orthodox Church - we saw it on the tram journey up to the monument, so on the way back, disembarked here to see the church and then had a pleasant walk through the park back towards town.

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The Stasi Museum (in the old Stasi regional headquarters) is good if you have any interest in the %26quot;antics%26quot; of the all-pervasive secret police of the former GDR. It is also a key site in the history of how that regime unravelled.

Another key place (and very beautiful too) is the Nikolai Kirke (church). And for even more history in the centre of town is the Zeitgeschichtlides Forum, which has great displays of the 1945-1990 period and Leipzig%26#39;s important role in reunification.

The church that Bach worked in (Thomas Kirke) is worth a visit too (outside is nicest), and so are the shopping arcades mentioned. The enormous, rebuilt 1905 New Rathaus town hall is of interest with its tall tower and whimsical fountain. The large park across the road is good and a stroll through the university precinct if you are at a loose end (many grand buildings).

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Leipzig has a good zoo if you%26#39;re interested in animals.

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Thank you to everyone. We visited all of the above except the churches were closed so only saw the outsides. What I don%26#39;t understand is why Leipzig is not listed in the travel books. The train station/Rathouse area was better than the similar areas in Munich but is never listed as a place to see in the books!

We loved it there!

:)

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%26gt;What I don%26#39;t understand is why Leipzig is not listed in the travel books.

Maybe because you%26#39;ve read the wrong books? ;-)

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It is odd how the city does have a low profile as a tourist destination for travellers from outside of Germany. Altamiro - it really doesn%26#39;t get much mention in travel books over here!

Personally, I visit every year for a music festival, usually extending my stay to allow for extra sight seeing as I think Leipzig is a beautiful city with much to see; been dragging along more friends with me to experience it every time! :-)

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%26gt;Altamiro - it really doesn%26#39;t get much mention in travel books over here!

I think it is strange, considering the role of this city in recent history as well as it´s historical meaning all the way mrom the middle ages. Seems like the iron curtain is still in place for the english-speaking travel book publishers.

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%26gt;I think it is strange, considering the role of this city in recent history as well as it´s historical meaning all the way from the middle ages.

... and the city%26#39;s %26quot;hip%26quot; image among young to middle-aged Germans - I know at least a dozen people who dream of moving to Leipzig or even have actually done so. It is an amazing, vibrant city.

I think guide book writers copy again and again and again from the old editions, so %26#39;new%26#39; places have no chance. The number of pages per volume is limited, so there is no space to add anything either.

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Here in the UK at least, it appears to still be unusual to consider Germany as a tourist destination (other than for short breaks for Christmas Markets, Beer Festivals and the like) - I constantly get comments of surprise about my going to Germany all the time! :-)

As commented, the places to go in the eyes of the guidebooks, are therefore generally the same obvious places - Berlin, Munich, Dresden etc. My friend who%26#39;s travelling to Leipzig with me this year has had little joy in finding any guidebooks with much mention of Leipzig.

Even websites, I%26#39;ve found that up until fairly recently, tended to be mostly German language as if there wasn%26#39;t much demand for English language tourism sites on the area. This does appear to be gradually changing though and the city is slowly getting recognition.