Leipzig lifestyle
Berlin’s cool little brother, the east German city of Leipzig has become a magnet for creatives squeezed out by the capital’s higher rents. Here, studios, galleries, shops and cafés occupy reclaimed industrial spaces such as a vast former cotton mill at Spinnerei (spinnerei.de), and Tapetenwerk (tapetenwerk.de), an old wallpaper factory, both in Plagwitz. The city’s most happening district, this is the place for a night out; begin with a local beer and a live band at dilapidated venue Noch Besser Leben (nochbesserleben.com), then work your way through the bars of Karl-Heine-Strasse. Leipzig isn’t all about the counterculture, though: it’s full of beautiful green spaces like Clara Zetkin Park, Art Nouveau architecture such as the Mädler Passage, and is also a centre for classical music, hosting regular performances at the avant-garde Gewandhaus concert hall (gewandhausorchester.de).
Backstreet bars crowd into the historic city centre of Leipzig