"Leipzig" Top 5 Page for this destination Leipzig by antistar

Leipzig Travel Guide: 557 reviews and 1,063 photos

I've been to Leipzig a couple of times now, but always for reasons other than tourism. It's not really a tourist city, and has few draws for its size, but it is a very pleasant place to wander around, and is worth a day trip if you are in the area.

It's also extremely good value for the traveller. It's the cheapest major city in Europe, and one of the cheapest in the world, ranking in at 123 out of 144 in a recent (2006) survey. You can eat cheaply at many good restaurants in the city.

The city is cheap because it is poor. It has the appearance of a wealthy city because the German government has pumped billions into the economy, meaning the city has some of the best infrastructure in the world, but there is huge unemployment around the 20% mark.

Leipzig's Communist Past in a Nutshell

The best of Leipzig can be found in strolling its fine city center. It has one unique highlight in the Stazi Museum, and is the best location for accessing another: Colditz Castle. But other than that you could probably see the place in an afternoon.

For me it's been great to take walks around the city in combination for visits to the city for other reasons. There are many exhibitions at the magnificant Leipzig Messe, including Europe's biggest videogames convention, the Games Convention.

Other than that, day tripping here from nearby sights, or using the city as a base for visiting them, would be the best use of the city. That way you get to use the fantastic train station, which is a sight worthy of a visit in itself.

Last visit to Leipzig: Jun 2006
Intro Written Jul 30, 2006
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Reviews (16)

Socialist Monument and the Hochhaus - Leipzig

Communist Legacy Favorites (1)

Leipzig has been spared much of the communist legacy of the East German days, unlike some of its nearby cities. What... more travel advice

Safe Warnings Or Dangers (1)

As with most German cities, Leipzig is a very safe place. My personal view is that Leipzig is even safer than most, and... more travel advice

With the Iranian ultras... waving Angolan flags! - Leipzig

Zentralstadion Sports & Outdoors (1)

Despite not having a football team worthy of a few thousand supporters, Leipzig has a fantastic modern stadium with a... more travel advice

City Hochhaus Things to Do (8)

Spiking up above the city skyline is the tallest building in Leipzig, and a legacy of the former communist government.... more travel advice

Transportation (3)
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Written Jul 30, 2006

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Comments (3)

Bwana_Brown Aug 26, 2006 at 5:17 PM Report Abuse

Very useful tips on Leipzig! I'm afraid continental Europe is still a hole in my travels. After those Stasi revelations I bet there were a few wills changed! Nice sports tip, I recall how difficult it was to get decent tickets for '76 Montreal Olympics!
bugulma Aug 16, 2006 at 11:22 PM Report Abuse

Wonderful old architecture in the city as well as the modern one, Wisdom Tooth is very interesting. Communist sign looks huge and monumental as usually. We still have many in Russian cities too nowadays
Mariajoy Aug 11, 2006 at 1:56 PM Report Abuse

Excellent page Tim - wish I'd had time to visit the Stasi Museum - but if the locals couldn't understand you I'm sure they'd never understand me!! I should be in Jena tonight, but I'm stuck here :(( Saw Herta BSC play in about...ohhhhh '74?? :))