Leipzig Local Customs

Leipzig's annual "Bierbörse" is one of the large beerfestivals with over 150.000 visitors each year. European brands but also the small house breweries whose beers are not often offered on draught outside can be found here. It is also possible to try very exotic beers, like tequilla beer from Mexico or dark beer from Africa. All the different bands make the atmosphere boiling. And what would be a beer fest without me?

In April 2003 Leipzig and its regional partners Dresden, Chemnitz, Riesa, Halle and the Free State of Saxony won the national competition for the Olympic Games 2012. In Rostock the sailing competitions will be held. I attended the big party at market square in Leipzig. Check out this travelogue for some impressions.
I'd like to say thank you to our national opponents Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt for the fair competition and hope they are supporting Leipzig.

more info here

What are the other Bid Cities:

Havana, Cuba
Istanbul, Turkey
London, United Kingdom
Madrid, Spain
Moscow, Russia
New York, USA
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Paris, France

On May 18 at 13:30 CEST in Lausanne, the International Olympic Committee reported the evaluation of the 2012 bids based on their questionnaire. All selected cities are official applicants for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. The final election of the host will be in Singapore on July 6, 2005.
My hometown didn't get into the top5. I was with ten thousands in the city centre to watch the dicision on one of the huge screens. One second after we knew Leipzig isn't allowed to apply for the Games all people were shocked. They all loudly disapproved the dicision and a lot of tears were rolling through faces.

"Leila Helau" - - "Rosensonntag", the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, is the day of the annual Carnival parade in Leipzig. Like in most German towns several decorated trucks roll through the streets. Disguised people on those trucks play party-music, sing popular songs and throw sweets in the crowds.
The shout "Leila Helau" is dedicated to the lioness Leila, maskot of the carnival. The town's animal is the lion, also integrated in the coat of arms.
The best decorated truck gets "s' Leibzscher Bliemchen" (local dialect for the Leipzig Flower) as award. This flower is a golden rose.

Leipzig Christmas Market is one of world's oldest and largest. It attracts with live music, choirs, orchestras and of course the real Santa Claus! The scent of gingerbread, cinnamon, sweet roasted almonds and mulled red wine is always in the air. World's biggest Advent-calendar (857 square meters), an iceskating course and hundreds of individual market stalls sell you traditional crafts, food and Gluehwein (spiced red wine).

coming soon

In every German city you'll find stree musians playing the music of their home-country or even blues or jazz.

This wonderful man from Hungary was playing the violin.

In Leipzig, as elsewhere in Saxony, a funny and sometimes ununderstandable dialect is spoken. Unless you want to annoy the Saxons you shouldn't laugh at them.