After spending only a few days in this beautiful place, I think I’m ready to anoint Leipzig as my favourite German city (that I’ve visited), leapfrogging Munich and Berlin. Prior to coming here, I heard many people refer to Leipzig as ‘the new Berlin’. I personally don’t see too many similarities between the two cities, but Leipzig definitely lived up to the hype.

With an urban population of just over 500,000, Leipzig qualifies as a big city, yet one that is sparsely populated. The downtown area is calm and nicely laid out, and it’s easy to see why Leipzig was voted the most liveable city in Germany!

* views from the top of the Monument to the Battle of the Nations. Finished in 1913, this is one of the largest monuments in Europe. It was built to celebrate victory over Napoleonic troops in 1813 which ended Napoleon’s presence in Germany.

* one of the must-see things when in Leipzig. It costs 6 euros to enter and it’s definitely worth it.

In addition to visiting this incredible monument, Leipzig offers an enormous park that runs through the city. Called the Clara-Zetkin Park, this massive area is nice to visit if you’re looking to relax or to take a stroll through nature. There is a river that runs the entire distance of the city, although the walk would undoubtedly take an excess of 3 hours to complete.

Leipzig also has the nicest metro system I’ve ever seen. It costs 2.4 euros for a one way ticket.

The city has such a modern feel to accompany its important historical significance and this is one of the reasons that make it such a special place to visit. Leipzig played an important role in the fall of communism throughout Eastern Germany. The city held the most prominent mass peaceful protests against the DDR regime every Monday at St. Nicolas Church for 6 years leading up to the wall coming down in 1989. Nowadays Leipzig is an economic centre in Eastern Germany.

Overall, Leipzig is a terrific city that is only a few hours from Berlin. In my opinion, it is a must visit if you are travelling through Germany. Furthermore, if you are looking for a cool up and coming place to live, Leipzig also fits that bill!