In terms of tourism, Germany is much more than just Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. In recent years, some cities from the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) are gaining prominence like any other, having shaken off the dust and deadweight of the Socialist regime they lived under during the Cold War. One of these newly emerging cities is Leipzig, its waxing popularity driven by the art scene, its recent history and the great vitality of its inhabitants. In the following we pinpoint the reasons that make Leipzig the ideal destination for your next getaway.

Leipzig – A Music Destination

Listen up, classical music lovers! Music is very much in vogue in Leipzig, and I mean goodmusic, largely owing to the city’s past. It is famous for composers of the calibre of Johann Sebastian Bach, who was cantor of the Choir at St Thomas Church, one of the oldest in the world. And of Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck, who entertained their contemporaries as musicians and as a couple. For Felix Mendelssohn, Leipzig was where he spent the last few years of his life, while the city is the birthplace of Richard Wagner. The Augustusplatz is the city’s music hub and the site of the Gewandhaus concert hall, a Brutalist-style building which houses one of the most widely acclaimed symphonic orchestras. Right opposite stands the Opera, the third oldest in Europe. Oddly enough, the two institutions share the same conductor.

Leipzig – A Defiant City

The chain of events that led to the downfall of the GDR unfolded precisely in Leipzig. Throughout 1989, a number of masses and peaceful protests were held around the Church of St Nicholas that gradually wore down the old, established regime and led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Stasi, the feared secret police of East Germany, witnessed these events in silence, as, faced with growing grass-roots pressure, they declined to intervene. Leipzig boasted numerous printing presses in the second half of the 20th century and, in order to monitor their activity, the Stasi had their headquarters set up in the so-called Haus zur runden Ecke (House of the Rounded Corner). Today it is a museum showcasing the workings of the former State security, which so hobbled the lives of the GDR’s citizens.

Leipzig – A Trade Centre & River Port

Leipzig has long been a major trade centre and, to provide merchants conducting their business with shelter from the inclement weather – rainy and overcast most of the year – around twenty covered arcades were built. Two of the best known arcades are Speck’s Hof – the oldest in Leipzig, which currently showcases some magnificent paintings and ceramic medallions, and the Mädler arcade with its stylish glass skylight and the historic Auerbachs Keller restaurant, where Goethe overheard the stories that inspired Faust when he was studying in Leipzig. As a tribute to the celebrated writer, there are two statues dedicated to the main characters in this paramount work of universal literature.

Leipzig’s commercial calling is partly due to the White Elster river, a sub-tributary of the Elbe, which numerous canals criss-crossing the city flow into. They also provide a different way of discovering it – from a small boat.

Leipzig – An Artistic Melting Pot

The Saxon city is currently one of the favourite destinations among painters, designers and creators from the world over on account of the lively art scene that has blossomed in the Spinnerei, once Europe’s largest spinning mill. Today it is an unusual, colossal cultural centre where contemporary art is produced and exhibited. It features twelve art galleries, a hundred art studios and over a hundred cubicles rented out to creators who flock to Leipzig to soak up the latest trends and share their know-how with other colleagues. Here, they feel very much at home.

Leipzig – A Grand City

Leipzig is a distinguished city with character and some striking monuments and other buildings. Prominent in the Augustusplatz is the Paulinum, one of the Leipzig University buildings, featuring a facade emulating the Paulinerkirche, the former university church which was senselessly dynamited in 1968 during the times of the GDR regime. Another building which stands out, at least for its height, is the City-Hochhaus, known as the “wisdom tooth” on account of its design. The top floor of this landmark houses the Panorama Tower restaurant and viewing platform. Their lunch menu is very reasonable and the eatery is worth visiting, if only for the splendid views.

The city also features a colossal monument which, apart from being oversized, also has an unpronounceable name – the Völkerschlachtdenkmal– which was built to commemorate the Battle of the Nations in 1813, specifically the defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig by a coalition of nations, namely Prussia, Russia, Sweden and Austria.

Come and discover this German city – check out your Vueling here.

Text by Tus Destinos

Images by Robin Kunz, Michael Bader, Peter Hirth, LTM-Tom Schulze, Nils Petersen

Having been invited on a pintxo crawl of San Sebastián by the club, Dabadaba, and to steer the DJ booth for revellers to dance to their heart’s content, I set out some hours ahead of my session to find the best pintxos in town. I was lucky to have my friend, Borja, as my guide. Apart from being a local, as well as producing and DJ’ing good music, he knows the temples of those delicious dinky bites like the back of his hand. Here we go…

Evenings In the Thick Of It

Our tour began at Txepetxa, home of the anchovy, offering all kinds of pintxos featuring that small yet noble fish, accompanied by cream of spider crab, sea urchin, olive paté, foie gras, stewed apple or trout and salmon roe. Everything looked awesome, but I opted for a fresh anchovy classic. Great! We went for a stroll to La Concha and headed into Narru, in the basement of the historic Hotel Niza, with views over the bay which clearly ratchets up the experience of tasting their dishes, notably their luma gorri (chicken wing) with potato, smashed fried egg and alioli or the secreto ibérico ham. Stunning! We retraced our steps to the old town and went into Zazpi, where the young chef, Paul Arrillaga, doles out happiness from his fiery helm in the form of a spectacular “potato volcano”, a pintxo based on truffle, egg and potato or an exquisite ox-tail ravioli. A veritable banquet. We made our way to Dabadaba.

After opening in April 2014, the locale has been graced by the likes of Allah-Las, Sean Nicholas Savage, The Godfathers and Omar Souleyman, among others. On stage were The Space Lady, a pioneer of electronic music, with a staging as minimalist as it is breathtaking. They bewitched us completely and, when we came down to earth again, we were faced by Fernando Lagreca churning out his particular electronic brand as a matchless prelude to my own set. My turn came. I started with some new releases I have been DJ’ing recently, interspersing themes from Italo disco, acid and disco bizarro. Things perked up and Dabadaba ended up dancing in full swing. A great night – we had a smashing time. Then we hit the hay.

Saturday In Donosti Is No Ordinary Saturday

Rising early is a virtue, but doing so when you’ve been to bed late is untenable. So we headed straight off in search of pintxos. Again in the old town, I was taken to Paco Bueno, a spot I wouldn’t miss for anything. Offering a meagre four or five pintxos, notably shrimp dumpling, hake in batter, croquettes and pie, this is one of the city’s most crowded bars, opened in 1950 by a retired boxer. The business was later taken over by his son, a rugby player, as is his brother, Chufo, and his son, Gorka. A family concern with warm, family service, the bar walls crammed with pictures of boxing and the sport with a melon-shaped ball – what else would you expect? Still in the inner city, we made for Borda Berri, whose staff are shared by La Cuchara de San Telmo, another illustrious pintxo temple. The star dish is their “kebap”, a delicious pork ribs with an incongruous name which prompts veritable pilgrimages to taste it. Other dishes with the same fate include their cheek of beef, octopus and risotto de Idiazábal. Just opposite lies Txuleta, specialising in meat dishes, if you fancy that. The best thing then was to work off the meal by striking out and we ended up at the Club Náutico de Donosti, with the whole La Concha bay before us. The sun was blazing that day and this spot was divine. The upstairs floor houses GU, another club where you can dance house or techno, depending on the night. I made a point of visiting Tabakalera before I left.

On the verge of making its debut as the European Capital of Culture, with the San Sebastián International Film Festival and the San Sebastián Jazz Festival among its leading cultural draws, the city boasts a peerless interdisciplinary space known as La Tabakalera. This public International Contemporary Culture Centre focuses on promoting upcoming local creatives and hosts activities revolving primarily around research, production and exhibition. Their feature-film and documentary seasons, exhibitions and Hirkilabs spaces, their Digital and Technology Culture Lab and Ubik – Tabakalera Creation Library – make this one of Donosti’s liveliest and most avant-garde hubs. The premises have character, set in a building that was once the city’s tobacco factory. A city with character, too.

There you have it – there’s a lot more to San Sebastián than La Concha. Fancy discovering it? Check out our flights here.

Text and images by Luis Costa for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Located in the heart of Europe, alongside the Rhine valley, this lush area of Germany, with its huge pine and fir forests (which give the landscape its characteristic dark colour), green valleys, lakes, waterfalls and charming villages is one of the most picturesque spots in Europe. The Black Forest is now highly coveted for its rural tourism, as it offers endless potential both as a winter destination and during the months of milder weather. It is advisable to hire a car to get around the region. The best option is to prepare your route, in line with your personal preferences, and stick to it, and it is worth seeking out the occasional higher spots to catch a glimpse of the beautiful scenery.

The North (Nordschwarzwald)

Among other things, here lies the source of the Danube (Donaueschingen), Europe’s longest river. Baden-Baden is a city of spa baths, a magnificent thermal resort with a stunning, luxurious mid-19th-century atmosphere. Apart from spa baths, it boasts casinos and venues for international congresses and meetings. Further north, in the upper Kinzig valley, lies Alpirsbach, known for its old brewery and its landmark Benedictine abbey, the oldest and most important Romanesque building in the Black Forest. Some 20 km north of it is the city of Freundenstadt, situated on the east side of a plateau. In this spa resort, with its priceless old quarter, it is well worth strolling around the market square, one of the largest in the district, flanked by buildings with lofty arches, a church and a fountain in the centre. Close by lies Oberkirch, with its old town featuring some historical buildings, Baroque churches and fragments of the old fortified walls. The ruins of Schauenburg Castle still stand on a hilltop.

The Middle Black Forest (Mittlerer Schwarzwald)

Prominent in the Middle Black Forest is Gengenbach, also located in the Kinzig valley. The town is virtually all built of timber and features narrow streets, beautifully restored houses and a charming medieval centre. Numerous rivers flow through this region, notably the Schutter, Acher, Rench and Kinzig, where all kinds of watersports are available. The city of Offenburg, located hard by the French city of Strasbourg, offers a number of attractions, including the Salmen inn, the Charterhouse, the Ritterhaus, a stately home dating from 1784 – currently a museum housing the city archives – the Jewish baths (Mikwe), thought to originate in medieval times and the Royal Palace (Königshof), designed by Michael Ludwig Rohrer.

The Great South

This is where the forest is most luxuriant, thronging with fir trees that blanket the area in dense foliage. Winter is ideal for sleigh-riding here, as in the town of Schluchsee, while the snow-bound villages like Hinterzarten, situated at an altitude of over 900 metres in the southern Black Forest, seem to be inviting us to take snapshots at dusk. The area is also criss-crossed by footpaths used for cross-country skiing. The village offers a wealth of activities for enthusiasts of winter sports. Freiburg is a striking Gothic city where you should make a point of strolling through its narrow streets and squares and visit the marketplace. It boasts an imposing cathedral in mixed Romanesque and Central-European Gothic style.

Cuisine

One of the best-known delicacies of German cuisine is the local Black Forest cake (schwarzwaldtorte),made of chocolate, cherries and cream. Also worth trying is the honey, which here has a fruity flavour. There are also fine wines, most of them white from the Baden region, although they are not listed by appellation d’origine as in Spain. The Rhine is fringed with small grape-growing districts, between the river and the Black Forest mountains. West of the Rhine valley lie the Vosges mountains which shelter the region from Atlantic rainfall. To the east, the Black Forest itself forms a barrier against cold continental winds. In short, a climate conducive to viticulture. The renowned riesling variety of wine hails from Baden-Baden, in the district of Ortenau, which has its vinicultural capital in Durbach. This is home to the Andreas Laible winery, featuring excellent riesling wines, and the Heinrich Männhle winery, which specialises in red wine of the spätburgunder variety. Local fare includes a wealth of regional dishes associated with a particular wine, such as zwiebelkuchen (onion pie), typically accompanied with a young wine known as federweisser.

Don’t miss the chance to see it all! Check out our prices here!

Text by Isabel y Luis Comunicación

Photos by TI Schluchsee, Vogtsburg Tourist Board, TI Seebach / Elmar largo Bacher, Tourist-Info Schluchsee, Gengenbach Culture and Germany Tourism. Schwarzwald Tourismus

From David Bowie or Iggy Pop, to U2 or R.E.M, Berlin has long been a source of inspiration for the most famed ambassadors of pop and rock (their impact on club culture deserves a separate article). With the iconic Hansa Tonstudio recording studios as the hub of experimentation and creation, the German capital stands out as the inextricable backdrop for beacons of musical genesis over the last few decades.

“Heroes” (David Bowie, 1977)

David Bowie took refuge in Berlin in search of inspiration in the late seventies. His German sojourn ended up spawning the Berlin Trilogy,a triptych of albums that began with Low (1977) and ended with Lodger (1978), although epitomised by the second album, Heroes.Recorded in the legendary Hansa Tonstudio (or Hansa Studio by the Wall), the title track recounts the story of two lovers who hide their idyll in the shadows of the Berlin Wall.

“Lust For Life” (Iggy Pop, 1977)

Following in the footsteps of his friend, David Bowie, Iggy Pop headed for Berlin to develop his career as a solo artist. The first chapter in that new venture was The Idiot (1977). A bigger hit still was Lust for Life, released that same year. With the Hansa Studio by the Wall again becoming his centre of operations, Iggy Pop took just eight days to breathe life into such essential titles in his repertory as Lust for Life, The Passenger and Tonight.

“Kollaps” (Einstürzende Neubauten, 1981)

Few albums has captured so well the essence of Berlin in the early eighties as Kollaps, Einstürzende Neubauten’s debut. A landmark industrial and experimental band, the calling card of this group led by Blixa Bargeld was a collection of pieces which even today, three decades on, still resound as searing, psychotic and oppressive – an exquisite torture on the ears.

“Night Time” (Killing Joke, 1985)

The quasi-metal, industrial band, Killing Joke, achieved one of their major hits with Night Time, a work suggestive of an interlude between their strident beginnings and the calmer stretches they would subsequently experiment with, albeit fruitlessly. And, while you’re at it – listen to Eighties, the last track on the album, and then do the same with Come as You Are, by Nirvana. Influence, coincidence or plagiarism?

“Black Celebration” (Depeche Mode, 1986)

Depeche Mode went to Berlin to record their fifth studio album, with Martin Gore then consolidating as the band’s creative engine. As the title suggests,Black Celebrationstresses the darkening sound passages that the Britons had been flirting with in their previous works, Construction Time Again (1983) and Some Great Reward (1984). Definitely one of the most influential records of the eighties.

“Your Funeral… My Trial” (Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, 1986)

Nick Cave has stated on more than one occasion that Your Funeral… My Trial is the best album in their career. Indeed, his long fourth track harbours some of the most hair-raising cuts by the Australian, like its counterpart, Your Funeral, My Trial, Stranger Than Kindness or The Carny which Cave and The Bad Seeds would play a year later in the Wim Wenders film, Wings of Desire.

“Bossanova” (Pixies, 1990)

Engendered in Berlin, this third album of the Pixies is undoubtedly one of the great works of independent rock. The hideout of simply irresistible tracks like Velouria, Dig for Fire or Allison, their customary dedication to sure-fire tunes entangled with distorted guitar rasps,Bossanovareveals borrowings from surf and space rock. While not a conceptual work, many of the themes bear references to aliens, UFOs and the remaining extraterrestrial paraphernalia that so obsessed its leader, Black Francis.

“Achtung Baby” (U2, 1991)

Having scoured the roots of American music with Rattle and Hum (1988), U2’s next release marked a radical departure in sound. Having moved to Berlin to allow the winds of change blowing across the city to rub off on them, the Irishmen caught the world unawares with a work grounded in the essences of the burgeoning genres, including independent rock and electronic music. Achtung Baby is one of those definitive records in the history of rock.

“Collapse Into Now” (R.E.M., 2011)

R.E.M. was one of the most popular bands in the last few decades, with the added advantage that they managed to keep their integrity and artistic credibility intact. They split up in September 2011, a few months before the release of their last album, Collapse Into Now. Recorded in the Hansa Tonstudio, this is a standout farewell bordering on the sublime, as in Discover, Mine Smell Like Honey and Überlin.

Berlin Musictours offers an extensive, more than interesting gamut of tours to the hotspots of Berlin’s ever effervescent musical activity. Among the various itineraries to choose from, notable routes include the Bowie Berlin Tour, U2 Berlin Tour, Depeche Mode Berlin Tour and Hansa Studio Tour. Why wait to discover an à la carte musical Berlin? Check our flights here.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación