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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!