Leipzig (Germany)

Leipzig is found in the Saxony region of East Germany and was in the former GDR. Since the wall came down Leipzig has lost about 200,000 inhabitants, leaving about 400,000, and has also undergone considerable regeneration. 2006 sees the city host some of the early stage World Cup matches at their large sports stadium. Although none of the England games will be played there, the World Cup puts Leipzig firmly on the world football map.

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So why choose Leipzig for an alternative city break? There are quite a few good reasons, good sightseeing, great shopping, fabulous food and friendly locals to name a few. Flying with Air Berlin, you will arrive a Leipzig/Halle airport which is about a 25 minute drive from the city centre. If you don't know a friendly local to pick you up, try a taxi which will set you back about €25-€30 even at 4.30am!

Getting around the city ... more

Leipzig is found in the Saxony region of East Germany and was in the former GDR. Since the wall came down Leipzig has lost about 200,000 inhabitants, leaving about 400,000, and has also undergone considerable regeneration. 2006 sees the city host some of the early stage World Cup matches at their large sports stadium. Although none of the England games will be played there, the World Cup puts Leipzig firmly on the world football map.

Since Air Berlin (www.airberlin.com) started flying direct to Leipzig on a daily basis, getting there couldn't be easier, not to mention cheaper. Direct flights are also available from Lufthansa and BMi but are far more expensive. The only drawbacks with Air Berlin are flying from Stanstead and the return flight time. Flights leave Stanstead at around 8.00pm but the return flights are 6.00am. However, if you book far enough in advance, you can pick up a flight for £1.00 one way, with taxes on top of around £20.00 each way. With prices like that, you can justify the early start on the home stretch.

So why choose Leipzig for an alternative city break? There are quite a few good reasons, good sightseeing, great shopping, fabulous food and friendly locals to name a few. Flying with Air Berlin, you will arrive a Leipzig/Halle airport which is about a 25 minute drive from the city centre. If you don't know a friendly local to pick you up, try a taxi which will set you back about €25-€30 even at 4.30am!

Getting around the city is incredibly easy with an amazingly efficient tram service, even if you don't speak German. Throughout the city centre area, all of the stops on the trams are announced in German, French and English. If you buy a day pass at the automated machines, you can hop on and off to your heart's content. Information can be found at www.lvb.de.

As a pedestrian, walking around the city centre is very easy going as the whole area is incredibly flat. With no hills to negotiate, it is also very wheelchair friendly. The other noticeable thing is the lack of traffic. I would imagine that most people don't have cars as they can't afford them but also don't need them with such good public transport on offer. The lack of traffic also makes the air feel quite clean. Leipzig is also known as one of Germany's greenest cities with large areas of woodland and parkland.

If you are interested in seeing the sights, the city centre offers some quite good architecture with the Old City Hall, the Leipzig Central Station, the city zoo, Augustusplatz and the Volkerschlachdenkmal being a few must sees. The people of Leipzig are particularly proud of their zoo which features bears, elephants, big cats, zebra, a whole host of monkeys birds, reptiles and a pet area. Admission is a mere €11.50 for an adult ticket, which together with most things in Leipzig, is very good value. Located very near to the city centre, the zoo is easily reached by tram. Further information can be found at www.zoo-leipzig.de.

Augustusplatz is a large plaza and is home to the Leipzig ballet, fountains, a concert hall and the Universitat building which is one of the tallest buildings in the city. There is a viewing platform at the top, admission €5.00, which offers spectacular views over the city. The Volkerschlachdenkmal is, according to the locals, not to be missed. It is a very large monument to the Battle of the Nations in October 1813 when Napolean was defeated at the Battle of Leipzig. 100,000 soldiers lost their lives and are commemorated here. The monument is a popular place for a stroll with locals and visitors alike.

If you prefer shopping for your city break, Leipzig has a huge array of great shops and markets, particularly at Easter and Christmas, and flea markets. Goods are far cheaper in Leipzig than the UK. One of the best shopping malls is the Allee-Center at the Leipzig Central Station with split level shopping, open until 10.00pm. There are also some great department stores, as well as boutiques and antique shops dotted around the city centre. All is within easy walking distance.

Having spent a few hours shopping or sightseeing, you will certainly need refreshments and the all important comfort break. Coffee shops are numerous, no Starbucks yet though but sadly there is the obligatory McDonalds. A great place for coffee and a cake is the Panorama restaurant at the top of the Universitat, where a cappuccino is €2.00 and a cake about €3.50. If you are in the Allee-Center you could stop at the Eis Café Ovidio where you can get a wide range of ice cream flavours, not to mention really good iced chocolate and iced coffee drinks. This ice cream parlour also has the only free toilets in the mall. The railway station toilets charge for the service. Consequently, the ice cream parlour toilets are very popular. Don't feel you have to buy an ice cream to use the toilets though, nobody else seems to care.

If you need something more substantial, a really good restaurant in the city centre is Thuringerhof zu Liepzig, www.thueringer-hof.de. You will experience real German cuisine here and find that it is frequented by the locals. Don't worry if you can't read the menu, as they have English ones available upon request. The menu is full of hare, sauerkraut and dumplings that are a speciality of the area. The food is excellent, with my only criticism being that they are a bit light on the vegetables. A meal for three, including a starter, drinks and coffee was only €45. Tipping is not required although we did tip our waiter €5. He had the biggest smile and actually looked quite shocked and overwhelmed. One word of warning for non smokers is that smoking is allowed freely in the cafes and restaurants, so it is often hard to get a table in a smoke free zone.

Thrill seekers in town might like to check out the newly built theme park on the edge of the city, called Belantis, www.belantis.de. It is Leipzig's answer to Thorpe Park or Chessington World of Adventures although a bit smaller. Completed only a few years ago, the park has a very new feel to it still and would benefit from some more mature landscaping plants. We went on Good Friday and I was amazed at how quiet it was there. Any English theme park would have been packed on Bank Holiday. There wasn't a queue in sight which was great. Rides are available for all ages and include an excellent roller coaster, a water ride that includes a lift raising your boat up inside a pyramid and spitting you out at the top (you get wet trust me!), quad bikes, water slides, lots of rides that spin round and make you feel very sick and a boating lake. There are also a few shows during the day, including an Egyptian show, with snakes and audience participation, and a circus show. It is quite easy to spend a large part of the day there. Although the park is accessible on public transport it is probably easier to reach it by car if possible. Entry is about €15.00 per person and you have to pay for parking which is about another €7.00. Very cheap compared to UK theme park prices!

Whatever your idea of a city break is, Leipzig has a lot to offer and I don't think it will disappoint you. I don't know how it compares to other parts of Germany as I have only been to Leipzig. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed my three day weekend there over Easter and would not hesitate to go back. If you are interested in more information, you can find it at www.leipzig.de.

 

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