"Mein Leipzig lob ich mir, es ist ein Klein-Paris.." Leipzig by MichaelFalk1969

.. und bildet seine Leute." A famous quote of poet Goethe who studied here and obviously held a soft spot for the city.

I discovered Leipzig rather lately, but it left a very positive impression on me.

This city has always been a commercial crossroads, and at the same time a fertile ground for music (Bach, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy) and literature (the book fair; the publishers Brockhaus and Reclam; Goethe`s "Faust"). Also, coffee houses are abundant here - a very typical feature of Leipzig. Not unlike Vienna, coffee and culture seem to mix well.

More recently, Leipzig gained the respect of the world as the cradle of the peaceful revolution in Germany in 1989, where the "peace prayers" held each monday in the Nikolai Church devoloped into a mass protest against the communist regime, starting a chain of events which finally toppled the regime.

Leipzig is a beautiful place - a highly interesting fusion of modernity with a rich historical heritage.