Leipzig, Germany

You give me Bach, I give you Big Bootie Mixes (#17).

Leipzig was just as weird and wonderful as I expected it to be. It's one of those cities people either love or hate. For me, it's a perfect mix of "bustling city" and "quiet getaway" - the kind of place where you could "stay-cation" forever.

The train to Leipzig is only an hour from Berlin. My BC friend, Solina, has lived in Leipzig for almost a year now so I stayed with her in Reudnitz (the student district). Cafe Zack Zack (Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 2, 04317 Leipzig), a record shop-turned-cafe, is one of her neighborhood favorites, but we started our Saturday at Cafe Bubu (Täubchenweg 88, 04317 Leipzig). The garden is the back is otherworldly and we would have gladly spent hours there. The whole vibe is very Alice in Wonderland-esque with a fence made out of old doors, mismatched teacups, and a barista so lighthearted that even Berlin couldn't break him.

SEE

- Spend an afternoon at Zeitgeschichtliches Forum (Grimmaische Str. 6, 04109 Leipzig) learning about contemporary German history. The permanent exhibit tells the history of the German division after WWII, everyday life in communist GDR, and the reunification process after the fall of the Berlin wall. It's easy to draw many parallels to modern day life. We spent ~3 hours here and left feeling awed at just how recent this history is.

- Walk through St. Thomas Kirche (Thomaskirchhof 18, 04109 Leipzig) - Bach was the cantor here before America was even a thing (from 1723 until his death in 1750). Lots of history here and in the surrounding area.

Uni Leipzig - You could call Leipzig a university city with lots of young people coming from all over the country (and continent..?) to study at the local university. Angela Merkel studied physics at the university from 1973 to 1978.

- Plagwitz is a gorgeous neighborhood in West Leipzig with wide, cafe-laden, sunshine filled streets. We had lunch here one day and browsed the sidewalk thrift shops. If you walk another 10 minutes you can sit by the canal in Lindenau and watch families kayak by.

I love a city with a good transit system, and Leipzig's is very well connected. It was easy to go from neighborhood to neighborhood quickly and the trains are more modern than in Berlin. The city center is walkable, but if you want to explore the surrounding neighborhoods you'll need a tram ticket.

EAT

- Lunch at Pholosophy (Peterssteinweg 10, 04107 Leipzig): I'm always in the mood for Vietnamese food, especially when it can be enjoyed on an outdoor patio.

- Dankbar Kaffee (Jahnallee 23, 04109 Leipzig): Good coffee served with lots of questions on "Why are there so many Americans in Leipzig this weekend?"

- Don Kichot (Karl-Heine-Straße 55, 04229 Leipzig): Chipotle but everything has a baked potato base. Need I say more? If this is closed, try Kartoffelfraulein down the street.

- Suss + Salzig (Merseburger Str. 44, 04177 Leipzig): Quick stop for caffeine but nothing to write home about (am I technically doing so right now...?)

- Il buon Gelato (Karl-Heine-Straße 58, 04229 Leipzig):Try the purple gelato...it's pink lemonade flavored.

Substanz Biergarten & Pianobar (Täubchenweg 67, 04317 Leipzig): FUN! Finding a biergarten that is filled with the right type of crowd is a a hard task in Berlin, but Sol has this gem right in her backyard. They have burgers the size of my head and skinny fries. A winner!!

"Hype"zig just added one more to its fan club.

"Tschechisches Streichholzschachtelchen." Lisa & Lukas