Leipzig, the city of Bach, has long been a centre of German arts, culture and learning. The city’s university dates back to the 15th century, and counts Goethe, Nietzsche and Wagner among its alumni. Now housed in an unsightly 70s concrete tower, Leipzig University continues to exert a major presence in the city, not only in loftier intellectual matters, but also with a vibrant student nightlife and music scene, which in recent years has given rise to media reports that Leipzig is the new Berlin. Whether Leipzig will live up to such hype remains to be seen, but this lively university town certainly holds enough interest to merit a weekend visit. The renaissance and baroque old town, flattened during the second world war, has newly undergone restorations and is packed with street markets and historical churches. Most notable among the latter is the Thomaskirche (www.thomaskirche.org), where Bach served as cantor and where his sarcophagus now lies. Fans of the composer can also hit the adjacent Bach Museum (www.bach-leipzig.de). The impressive Museum der Runden Ecke (www.runde-ecke-leipzig.de), located in the one-time Stasi headquarters, documents the methods of history’s largest per capita secret police force; don’t miss the collection of Stasi disguises. Leipzig once flourished as a market town, and much of the inner city remains around narrow market passages well worth a stroll. One in particular, the Mädlerpassage, allows you to combine a drink with literary sightseeing in a visit to 16th century tavern Auerbachs Keller (034 121 6100, www.auerbachs-keller-leipzig.de), the setting for the scene in Faust where Mephistopheles carries Faust off on an enchanted beer barrel. Restaurants, cafes, and bars pack the old town, especially along Barfussgasse, off the market square. You can find another, less touristy, cluster of cafes and bars on Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, south of the inner city. In general, prices in Leipzig are among the lowest in Germany. Leipzig is two hours from Berlin by car; an hour and a quarter by express train.