LEIPZIG, GERMANY

Many people are surprised by Leipzig's beauty. Any preconceptions of a shabby, grey, socialist metropolis are swiftly forgotten upon arrival. Leipzig's city centre has been completely refurbished since German reunification and its magnificent historical buildings once again bask in their former splendour. A prime example is the Hauptbahnhof, an awesome turn-of-the-century construction which used to be Europe's largest train station, but which has now been transformed into a Mecca for shoppers. 130 shops and boutiques now compete for consumers' hard-earned Deutschmarks. In short, anyone who was familiar with Leipzig before 1989 would scarcely recognize the city today. The motto "Leipzig is coming!" is extremely appropriate motto for this forward-looking city.

Yet the traces of Leipzig's recent past are still visible. If you take a walk down some of the side-streets outside the city center, you can't help but notice the extent at which the city was allowed to fall into disrepair during the socialist East German era. Decayed old buildings are overshadowed by enormous, prefabricated high-rises, which... more