Leipzig, which calls itself a city of music, has an exceptionally strong claim. Composer Richard Wagner was born here, and Johann Sebastian Bach composed much of his life's work in the 27 years he lived here.
These and other luminaries provide the underpinnings for a 21st century selection of events and related attractions that make this a must-visit city for lovers of classical music. But the metropolis of 520,000 in eastern Germany is not a one-note town.
The city, which celebrates its 1,000th anniversary in 2015, has been noted for its trade fairs for much of its history. Today, the historic center has the requisite Market Square, site of the Old Town Hall and the Old Weigh House, both from the 16th century. (View a slideshow of Leipzig here or by clicking on the photos.)
But this Old Town is distinguished most from others by architecture connected to its trade fairs. From 1893, about 30 exhibition sites were constructed. Most have been repurposed, often with restaurants and retail shops lining their arcades.
One example is Specks Hof, an early 20th century shopping arcade. Specks Hof now boasts creative artwork added to the decor in 1995 renovations.
It's clear this is not a static city. There were so many cranes outside our hotel -- the Furstenhof, a member of the Starwood Luxury Collection located just outside the Old Town -- that I asked our guide what was up. She said, "It's been like this since 1990 [the year of German reunification]. At least, there is something going on here."
Now, about the city of music: Although Wagner left home to make his name, other celebrated musicians adopted the city. Besides Bach, who was choirmaster for the boys choir at St. Thomas Church, others who lived and worked here included Felix Mendelssohn and Gustav Mahler.
This year's celebrations of the 800th anniversary of the St. Thomas Boys Choir will bring on a raft of events, highlighted by a Jubilee Week in March to celebrate the choir.
It doesn't take a special event, however, to get in touch with the city's musical life.
The Bach Museum is lots of fun because of its interactive exhibits. When eyeing an organ Bach played, visitors wrap their hands around large pipes to hear organ music. In another room, they push buttons to hear what various period instruments sounded like.
Finally, a look at one more famous person is necessary: The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who spent part of his youth hanging out at Auerbachs Keller, set a scene in his drama "Faust" in the restaurant.
The eatery's cellars are commodious, attractive and lively. And the food is good. In times past, it was said he who traveled to the Leipzig Fair without visiting Auerbachs had not seen Leipzig. The same could be said of tourists today.
See www.leipzig.de/int/en/tourist.