Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2024 32 LEIPZIG, City of Music and Culture One of Germany's under-the-radar places shows off first-class cultural experiences this summer BY CLAUDIA LAROYE DID YOU KNOW? The Thomanerchor (St. Thomas Boys Choir), which was founded over 800 years ago, is Leipzig's oldest cultural institution. Its most famous choirmaster was Johann Sebastian Bach. F EW PLACES CAN CLAIM as rich a musical heritage as Leipzig. Classical luminaries like Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner and Felix Mendelssohn are inextri- cably linked to the city, which celebrates its favourite musical sons during annual summer festivals. In less than 1.5 hours by train from busy Berlin in the state of Saxony, you can be in a biergarten- brimming platz, a converted Baroque building of art, and to stretch those gams, cycle along one of its many rivers, canals and surrounding lakes. From coffee culture to choral concerts and pic- turesque park corners, explore the liveliness of Leipzig in summer. Here is our full-day Leipzig trip itinerary. Morning Coffee culture has a long history in Leipzig. You'll find the perfect cup of freshly brewed coffee at Café Kandler in the city centre. When in Leipzig, coffee should always be accompanied by some- thing sweet. Order Kandler's very own creation, the Bachtaler cake, an irresistible combination of chocolate ganache, butter cream and hazelnut pastry. Or try the decadent jam and marzipan-filled Leipziger Lerche. Stroll through a network of historical arcades and courtyard pathways along Petersstrasse and Grimmaische Strasse in Leipzig's old town centre. In these shopping promenades, rich in Old World elegance or playfully decorated with murals by local artists, you'll find specialty shops, restaurants and bookstores. Don't forget to rub the bronze statue of Faust at the entrance to the almost 500-year-old Auerbachskeller for good luck. Afternoon For lunch, pair a plate of Leipziger Allerlei, a veg- etable dish that includes locally farmed carrots, kohlrabi, asparagus and cauliflower, as well as morels and bread dumplings, with a glass of Gose, a local wheat beer specialty. Music sets the tone in Leipzig, which over the centuries has been home to more than 500 com- posers, including Bach, Mendelssohn, the Schumann couple and Wagner. Visit the name- sake museums and dive into the history of the women and men behind their music. Take a

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