Leipzig mentioned for top weekend breaks in Time Out

Time Out, July 2005:

"We’ve selected fifteen European destinations with a difference – from whale-watching in the Azores to bars in Brno. To find out about other great breaks closer to home – from boutique hotels in Blackpool to West Country grub in Cornwall - read the full Weekend Breaks feature in this week’s Time Out London, July 6-13, 2005."

...... Leipzig, Germany
good for: culture, city break, nightlife
Who could have guessed that the forgotten Leipzig of yesteryear would be leading the way as one of Germany’s tourist hotspots? A combination of World War II bombing (on account of its strategic rail links) and communist semi-neglect during the East German Republic days (it was here that demonstrations began to bring down the old regime in 1989) had all but relegated this city to the history books. Somehow, though, Leipzig has managed to throw off the shackles of its turbulent twentieth-century history to become a stylish regional capital of trade, culture and study, replete with superb art shops and a vibrant music scene.
The beautiful and compact old centre is full of Renaissance and baroque churches, as well as street markets, one of Europe’s oldest universities and a number of ultra-modern buildings.
For classical music buffs, the Bach Museum (Thomaskirchhof 15, 00 49 341 913 7200, http://www.bach-leipzig.de ) holds original manuscripts of the composer’s work. Altes Rathaus (Markt 1, 00 49 341 965 130), the old city hall dating from the sixteenth century, houses the extensive Stadtgeschichtliches Museum, dedicated to historical exhibitions about the city, overlooking the medieval Renaissance Markt. Leipzig’s must-see is, however, the Museum in der Runden Ecke (Dittrichring 24, 961 2443, http://www.runde-ecke-leipzig.de ). The former headquarters of the Stasi, it now houses a chilling collection of exhibits.
Summer is the perfect time to visit the Zoologischer Garten Leipzig (Pfaffendorfer Strasse 29, 593 3385, http://www.zoo-leipzig.de ), a nineteenth-century zoo, now with state-of-the-art cages that allow animals to live in their ‘natural’ habitat.
For pub crawling, try Leipzig’s Drallewatsch (from an old Saxon word meaning ‘to have a good time’) pub district, which covers Grosse and Kleine Fleischergasse, Burfussgässchen and Klostergasse, before reaching Thomaskirchhof – all located in the so-called ‘ring’ and encompassing more than 30 bars.
For stylish accommodation, stay at the five-star Hotel Fürstenhof.
Flight: Ryanair ( http://www.ryanair.com ) from Stansted to Altenburg-Nobitz, from around £98 single.
Hotel Fürstenhof, Tröndlinring 8, Liepzig (00 49 341 1400). Rates from £106......