What to see and do
Trabant tour
WHAT better way to see the sights of a former East German city than in the car that symbolises the GDR?
This 90-minute chauffeurdriven tour in a pristinely maintained Trabi passes the opera house, the zoo, the residential district and the churches. Much better than an old tour bus. £40 for two people, trabi-erleben.de
Runde Ecke museum
THE former Stasi headquarters is now a monument to an era that is yet another chapter in the city’s varied past.
The museum tells how 1,500 spies kept tabs on people with espionage tools such as hidden cameras in suitcases and jackets, forged passports and devices for opening letters, all of which are on display.
It’s hard to believe that Leipzigers were subjected to this only 30 years ago. Entry free, runde-ecke-leipzig.de
The Lakes
A BREEZy lake with sandy beaches all around it, Cospudener See (or ‘Cossi’) offers something akin to a beach holiday in the middle of a city break.
Bring your towel and take a dip in the refreshing water, or give yourself a couple of hours to walk around it.
The harbour offers a variety of restaurants, or you could bring a picnic to enjoy by the water. It’s a much-needed change of pace from city life.
The Galleries
TAkE a trip out west, only ten minutes by tram, and you can see how Leipzig’s artists have taken over crumbling old East German buildings.
Baumwollspinnerei, a disused cotton mill (once the largest in continental Europe), is a gallery complex with artists’ studios and their exhibitions.
Coffee shops and restaurants sit along the old cobbled path just outside, where a truck or car is now rarely seen. £8 entry, spinnerei.de PERHAPS more impressive, though, is the kunstkraftwerk. Once a power station, it was revamped to become a huge installation place for some of the world’s leading artists.
Go for the fantastic gift shop, as well as the incredible array of artwork. Entry is free, kunstkraftwerk-leipzig.com
The Market Square
THE heartbeat of the city since the 12th century, the restored paved market square has stalls offering fresh fruit and homemade jams and chutneys.
The bars which line the square are reasonably priced, with great live music from Thursday nights. Spizz jazz bar sells beers from £2.60, wine from £2.80, and Aperol spritz from £3.50.