Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [160]
Also check the listings magazines for concerts at the Schumann-Haus, the Mendelssohn-Haus, the Nikolaikirche and the Bach-Museum when it reopens.
THEATRE & CABARET
Centraltheater ( 1268 168; www.centraltheater-leipzig.de; Bosestrasse 1) The repertory at Leipzig’s largest theatre ranges from classics infused with modern elements to new plays by up-and-coming writers.
Skala Theater ( 1268 168; Gottschedstrasse 16) The Skala stages sometimes controversial works by contemporary playwrights, often with a critical bent.
Krystallpalast ( 140 660; www.krystallpalastvariete.de; Magazingasse 4) This company puts on the finest variety shows in town, with snake women, flamenco, trapeze acts and more.
Academixer ( 2178 7878; Kupfergasse 3) For a dose of satirical cabaret, head to this place near the university.
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Getting There & Away
AIR
Leipzig-Halle airport ( 224 1155; www.leipzig-halle-airport.de) is served by domestic and international flights from two dozen airlines, including Lufthansa, Germanwings, Air Berlin, Condor and Austrian Airlines. Ryanair flies into Altenburg airport (www.flughafen-altenburg.de) from London-Stansted and Edinburgh.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Leipzig lies just south of the A14 Halle-Dresden autobahn and 15km east of the A9, which links Berlin to Nuremberg. The garage at the Leipzig Hauptbahnhof charges a maximum of €3 for 24 hours. Between 7am and 11pm, parking at the zoo costs a reasonable €3 for four hours.
RIDE SERVICES
The Mitfahrzentrale ( 194 40; Nordstrasse 1; 9am-8pm) can organise shared rides.
TRAIN
Leipzig is an important link between eastern and western Germany, with connections to all major cities. There are frequent services to Frankfurt (€70, 3½ hours), Munich (€87, five hours), Dresden (€20.80, 1½ hours) and Berlin (€42, 1¼ hours).
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Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORTS
Leipzig-Halle airport is served by RE trains twice hourly (€4, 15 minutes), leaving from the Hauptbahnhof. A taxi to or from the city centre costs around €35.
Altenburg airport is located about 50km south of Leipzig and is connected to the city by a special bus (€12, 1¼ hours). It goes to/from the central bus station on the eastern side of the Hauptbahnhof, but only at times when flights are arriving or departing. For further information, contact 03447-850 613 or see www.thuesac.de.
BICYCLE
Zweirad Eckhardt ( 961 7274; Kurt-Schumacher-Strasse; 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm Sat), right by the Hauptbahnhof, hires out bikes for €8 per 24 hours.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Public transport is the responsibility of LVB ( 194 49; www.lvb.de), which runs an information kiosk ( 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat) on Willy-Brandt-Platz outside the Hauptbahnhof. The central tram station is here as well. Until the City Tunnel is built, the S-Bahn will only circle the city’s outer suburbs.
Single tickets cost €1.40 for up to four stops and an inflated €2 for longer trips; day passes are €5.
TAXI
Funktaxi ( 4884) and Löwen Taxi ( 982 22) are the main local firms. There is a €2.10 hire charge and then it’s €1.90 per kilometre.
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AROUND LEIPZIG
Colditz Escape Museum
High on a crag above the sleepy town of Colditz, some 46km southeast of Leipzig, is the imposing Schloss Colditz ( 034381-437 77; www.schlosscolditz.com; Schlossgasse 1; adult/concession/family €6/3/12; 10.30am-5pm daily Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm Nov-Mar), a Renaissance palace that’s seen stints as a hunting lodge, a poorhouse and a mental hospital. Mostly, though, it’s famous as Oflag IVC, a WWII-era high-security prison for Allied officers, including a nephew of Winston Churchill. Most had already escaped from less secure camps and been recaptured. Some 300 made further attempts, and 31 actually managed to flee. The would-be escapees were often aided by ingenious self-made gadgetry, including a glider fashioned