Leipzig
GermanyCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
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Why visit
Bach's grave lies inside the Thomaskirche, where the boys' choir he led still sings Friday vespers and Saturday motets, a really moving live link to baroque history. The Bach Museum across the square is excellent. The Spinnerei, a former cotton mill complex now hosting Neo Rauch and the Leipzig School of contemporary painters, anchors the city's active art scene. Walk the Stasi Museum's Runden Ecke (former secret police HQ) for a sobering DDR-era exhibition. Drink a Gose (the local sour ale) at Bayerischer Bahnhof.
When to avoid
Leipzig has cooled from its mid-2010s 'Hypezig' peak but apartment hunting is still tight. Book ahead. The east-Berlin-style east-fringe districts (Connewitz, Plagwitz) have leftist-radical squat scene tensions. Some areas see graffiti-and-burned-cars but tourist crime is low. Sundays in Germany shutter most shops. Trade Fair weeks (March, September) inflate hotel rates 4x. Avoid Wagner-Festspiele week unless you've booked tickets months ahead.
