"Leipzig" a Leipzig Travel Page by antistar

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.

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.