Leipzig's reputation as a city of culture is closely connected with European music history and names such as Bach, Mendelssohn, Wagner or Schumann. The Gewandhaus Orchestra and the St Thomas' Boys Choir are known world-wide. Every year international festivals like the Bach or the Mendelssohn Festival attract thousands of visitors. For art fans, Leipzig holds numerous galleries and exhibitions in store, especially since the New Leipzig School became a major talking point in the international art scene.

The city's long and proud trading history is reflected in the beautifully restored historical city center. Former merchants' houses and exhibition palaces now accommodate shops, cafés, restaurants or museums. Leipzig is a popular shopping destination, there are numerous shops, boutiques or big department stores. Even on a rainy day shopping can be fun here as many of the shops can be found in roofed historical or modern city arcades. There are various dining and nigthlife districts in town and about 1,500 cafés, bars and restaurants.

Leipzig has been source of fascination for tradesmen, entrepreneurs, academics and artists for centuries. The first city to be endowed with imperial trade fair rights back in 1497, Leipzig has had plenty of time to gather experience from which visitors can now benefit. And this experience is teamed with a cutting-edge infrastucture - both in terms of technical standards and aesthetic make-up. Industries in Leipzig include e. g. automobile production (Porsche and BMW), media, health sciences, biotechnology as well as the energy and evironmental sectors.

Welcome to one of the most vibrant cities in Germany! Leipzig is a place where tradition meets dynamism, where traditional Saxon "Gemütlichkeit" (coziness) blends with high-tech business and where classic art and culture meet the avant-garde. The welcome you will receive is cosmopolitan; you can sense it everywhere.