Leipzig

Leipzig is the most populous city in the state of Saxony and the eighth largest city in Germany. The city's name, meaning "the place where the lime tree grows," has Slavic origins, as do the names of many of its districts and geographical features. Located in the heart of the Neuseenland (New Lake District), Leipzig includes several artificial lakes created from former open-pit brown coal mines.

Leipzig is located in the Leipzig Bay, the southernmost part of the North German Plain, which is part of the Northern European Plain. The city lies on a river that originates in the White Elster in the Czech Republic and flows south of Halle into the Saale. Within the city limits, there are several forest parks, and the surrounding area is quite unique.

Leipzig has been a trading city since at least Holy Roman times. It is situated at the intersection of two ancient roads: Via Regia (Royal Highway), which crosses Germany from east to west, and Via Imperii (Imperial Highway), which runs from north to south. In the Middle Ages, Leipzig was a walled city, and today’s ring road around the historic city center follows the path of the old city walls.

Leipzig is renowned for its first-class operas and classical music concerts. One of the city's main attractions is the 14th-century Gothic-style St. Thomas Church, famous for its boys' choir (Thomanerchor), founded in 1212 and led by Johann Sebastian Bach for 27 years. In the square in front of the church, there is a monument to Bach and a museum dedicated to his work.

The Bach Festival, one of the largest festivals featuring Johann Sebastian Bach's music, takes place every summer at various venues around the city. The opening and closing ceremonies are held at St. Thomas Church. The first festival was held in 1904, and since 1999, it has been an annual event.

The modern Leipzig is a major economic hub in Germany. Since the 2010s, the media has praised Leipzig as a trendy urban center with a very high quality of life, often referring to it as the "New Berlin." It is also the fastest-growing city in Germany. The city is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe, Leipzig University.

Often referred to as the "Hypezig," "Boomtown of eastern Germany,"  or "the better Berlin," Leipzig is celebrated as a trendy urban center with a vibrant lifestyle and a creative environment filled with many startups. The city is home to a BMW plant that manufactures electric vehicles and batteries. Companies such as Amazon, Porsche, Blüthner, Siemens, DHL, and Microsoft also have a presence in the city.

The Central German S-Bahn connects Leipzig with Halle, Wurzen, Bitterfeld, and other nearby cities. In the center of Leipzig, the City Tunnel is an underground section with stations similar to a metro, through which trains of almost all lines run between the Main and Bavarian railway stations.

Leipzig Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) plays a crucial role as a transportation hub for all of Central Germany and is one of the largest railway stations in Europe by area. Air travel is served by Leipzig/Halle International Airport (the second-largest cargo airport in Germany) and Leipzig-Altenburg Regional Airport in Thuringia.