Leipzig wil not be everyone's cup of tea as far as a holiday destination goes. It shows it's industrial past, and is still very much under reconstruction. But if you could fit it into a tour of Germany on a day visit, then you'll find a prime example of how the former East is being restored following the collapse of Communism at the turn of the 90's; one of the main reasons for me going there as a postgraduate housing student.
Leipzig is gradually being turned into a centre for conferences, and consequently the city has a pristine new airport much underused at the moment. Transfer into the city itself is a half hour bus ride, taking you through some of the rather bleak, flat landscape to the city itself. Formerly housing over 700,000 people, Leipzig is now home to just 400,000, and the depopulation shows. Houses stand in disrepair, a shame given some of their architectural niceties, although the monotony of so many four storey flats all looking the same does become tedious. Some are being knocked down, others stand empty as no-one can find the owners who rushed to the West when the wall came down - which also leads to the vaguely surreal sites of perfectly-restored houses in the midst of a desolate street.
The centre of the city itself is quite lively, although the city is, in the words of one of its inhabitants, still "learning how to enjoy itself" - the unofficial and official curfews under the communist regime have left their mark. It certainly houses some fine restaurants, such as the Auerbachs Bierkeller, home to the most wonderful steak I have ever tasted, superb courtyards, stylish cafe bars, the Altes Rathaus (old town hall) - a magnificent structure, and some clubs mainly oreintated towards the student population.
The city's landmark, the book-shaped former university library, is currently being restored having been sold off to the private sector, and therefore acts as a fitting symbol for the regeneration going on. Although you may be tempted to not bother with Leipzig from what I have written, at least until the regeneration is complete, I'd strongly recommend that you go now if you're going to bother. The city has some fine hotels, and although you can get an impression of the city from a day trip, at least one nights' stay is advisable in one of the excellent hotels such as the Hotel Mercure. Getting around the city is easy due to the tram network, and the place is safe. This is a unique opportunity to see how the legacy of communism has affected a city and its regeneration programme, and it's an opportunity well worth taking.
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