Charity would disagree with me here but if you were thinking about visiting Leipzig when you come to Germany, I'd tell you to skip it. We spent last weekend touring Leipzig and Dresden. We were lookin' for a little adventure, German style, and we found two quaint towns with distant personalities.
Baroquely beautiful Dresden was much more to my liking. Here, we also found a 65 Euro a night room but it was more like an apartment and was centrally located and very comfortable. I wasn't afraid of getting bedbugs in that hotel which was a plus! Dresden was bombed in World War II down to its very foundation (50k killed and 85% of historical center gone) but the city has done a remarkable thing. They have begun to painstakingly restore all historical buildings and surrounded those buildings with architechurally appropriate hotels and stores. It's a marvel to see buildings that you know should look old and dingy stand before you gleamingly new. There were
several museums including the Old Masters Gallery (which Charity said was the one of the best collections of the great artists she's ever seen), the Palace of Culture, and the Porcelain collection. We spent a few hours in the Royal Palace looking at the treasure trove of items Augustus the Strong horded and then walked in courtyard of the Zwinger, a Middle Age fortress that houses many of the cities art. The highlight again involved music where we bought last minute tickets to hear a choir sing in the Frauenkirche, Germany's largest Protestant church which was bombed in the Second World War and then reconstructed using a third of the original bricks. Another interesting thing is that while the city is brimming with tourist, the majority of them are German. Hardly an American in sight!
Leipzig is the largest federal state in Saxony and is probably best known for its church--Thomaskirsche, the place where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor. The city is very proud of reminding visitors of their musical legacy so lovers of organ and choral music would have no
problems finding a concert to enjoy or getting lost in the musical history. There are the Bach archives, the Bach museum, the St. Thomas Boys Choir, and Gewandhaus orchestra. For two Euros, we were able to see the Boys Choir perform on Saturday night which turned out to be the highlight of our trip ironically. The city itself was cute enough. It had the charm that a one-day visitor could appreciate but for my taste a one night stay was enough. I have to admit that my memories are slightly altered by the remembrance of the hostel was stayed in that night. We chose it for their 65 Euro a night rate and we got 65 Euros worth of accommodations--a rickity bed, no heat (we slept in two layers of clothes), noisy floor, and dim lightly to hide the carpet stains. Like J said, we're too damn old to be staying in hostels--that or too snobby, take your pick.
problems finding a concert to enjoy or getting lost in the musical history. There are the Bach archives, the Bach museum, the St. Thomas Boys Choir, and Gewandhaus orchestra. For two Euros, we were able to see the Boys Choir perform on Saturday night which turned out to be the highlight of our trip ironically. The city itself was cute enough. It had the charm that a one-day visitor could appreciate but for my taste a one night stay was enough. I have to admit that my memories are slightly altered by the remembrance of the hostel was stayed in that night. We chose it for their 65 Euro a night rate and we got 65 Euros worth of accommodations--a rickity bed, no heat (we slept in two layers of clothes), noisy floor, and dim lightly to hide the carpet stains. Like J said, we're too damn old to be staying in hostels--that or too snobby, take your pick. 
Baroquely beautiful Dresden was much more to my liking. Here, we also found a 65 Euro a night room but it was more like an apartment and was centrally located and very comfortable. I wasn't afraid of getting bedbugs in that hotel which was a plus! Dresden was bombed in World War II down to its very foundation (50k killed and 85% of historical center gone) but the city has done a remarkable thing. They have begun to painstakingly restore all historical buildings and surrounded those buildings with architechurally appropriate hotels and stores. It's a marvel to see buildings that you know should look old and dingy stand before you gleamingly new. There were
several museums including the Old Masters Gallery (which Charity said was the one of the best collections of the great artists she's ever seen), the Palace of Culture, and the Porcelain collection. We spent a few hours in the Royal Palace looking at the treasure trove of items Augustus the Strong horded and then walked in courtyard of the Zwinger, a Middle Age fortress that houses many of the cities art. The highlight again involved music where we bought last minute tickets to hear a choir sing in the Frauenkirche, Germany's largest Protestant church which was bombed in the Second World War and then reconstructed using a third of the original bricks. Another interesting thing is that while the city is brimming with tourist, the majority of them are German. Hardly an American in sight! 
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