By Prince William E. Morris
Currentlymy European travels have taken me to the city of Leipzig, Germany. It is abeautiful city with lots of things to do and see for the gay travelerinterested in history, culture and legend. While it has a moderate gaypopulation, there are not many gay clubs for dancing, but there are gay bars,darkrooms and plenty of gay-friendly venues. If you are looking for cheapaccommodations, the perfect place to stay would be the Central GlobetrotterHostel. It is only 150 meters from the main station. Being near the trainstation you are able to get to any point in Leipzig with ease via bus, train ortram to make your stay in Leipzig fun and gay!
WHAT DOI GET WHILE I’M THERE?
The CGHis a great place. Check in time is 2pm and check out is 11am. The staff isfriendly, alert and ready to serve 24 hours a day. Young, vibrant andinteractive they aren’t just sit-behind-the-counter and check-you-in people!They will join you to watch a movie (in German or English), play table soccer(even if you aren’t so good), eat/cook a meal with you, and/or join you for abeer.
If youneed to connect with the outer-world, Wi-Fi internet (works best in common roomarea) is available for free if you have your own computer/notebook. If not,there are computer terminals to use for a fee.
Allrooms are smoke-free, but there is an enclosed backyard area with a barbequegrill and covered seating area. If you get hungry, the guest kitchen is fullyequipped with cups, dishes, silverware, pots and pans. Breakfast is serveddaily for a small fee. Various drink and beer are available forpurchase in a cooler behind the counter.
LEIPZIG?WHAT ABOUT IT?
Leipzigis the largest city located in the Saxony federal state of Germany. It has apopulation of over 500,000. In 2010, Leipzig was ranked 68th in the worldas a livable city, by consulting firm Mercer in their quality of lifesurvey. In 2009, Leipzig was ranked 35th in the world out of 256 cities forcultural, economic and social innovation. It was home of the famous composer andconductor Johann Sebastian Bach.
Leipzighas been through plenty of cultural and physical changes throughout its life.In 1813, the Battle of Leipzig between the Napoleonic France and alliedcountries of Prussia, Russia, Austria, and Sweden was the biggest battle inEurope before World War I ending Napoleon’s presence in Germany.
Sincethen Leipzig has become the center of German and Saxon liberal movements. Eventhough the city was heavily damaged by allied forces during World War II, ithas continuously worked to improve its infrastructure throughout the city.Currently, there is a new shopping center being built in the city’s center!
WHATTHE HELL CAN I DO?
Votedas one of top 31 places to go in 2010 by NY Times, Leipzig provides many thingsto do from its many museums to its enriched, beautiful parks. Monument ofthe Battle of Leipzig, the symbol of Leipzig, is one of city’s highestbuildings. The St. Nikolai Church was the starting point for the peacefulpolitical upheavals in 1989. You can visit the Bach-Museum and Back Monumentwhere the legendary composer lived for 27 years. The Mädler Passage andAuerbachskeller is famous through Goethes "Faust". The home of thewell-known Thomaner choir is also in Leipzig at the St. Thomas Church.
Leipzigis a very “green” city. If you love being outside, you will enjoy visiting themany parks of this great city! The Zoological Gardens is world famous for itssuccessful lion breeding. It is home to over 1000 species of animals. Not farfrom here is the very large Clara Zetkin Park. Great for walking, hiking, oreven sneaking off into the bushes to do what animals do!
Afterseeing the many sites of Leipzig, it may be time to cool down with a refreshingbeer or heat up with a sultry wine. Cafe Apart is located in the center. It isa friendly café, bar and lounge with moderately priced drinks. You will findthe staff here to be welcoming and lively. There are two other gay bars calledHavanna and Comeback that are also nice for both gays and their friends.
Afterhaving some drinks you may want to go party with all your glam and glitter.Leipzig has three main parties each month for the gay twirler: PonyClub (lastSaturday of the month), Gay Fever (first Thursday of the month), andKissKissBangBang (second Friday of the month). If you aren’t in town duringthese parties and want to dance, you can visit Berlin or Dresden which is alittle over an hour away by train.
If youare in the mood to get your rocks off, then visit Cocks. It is a cruise barwith a one-drink minimum. It has a labyrinth, cabins, slings, and videos. Allfetishes are welcome. United is a gay porn cinema with cruising areas and asmall bar located in the same area as Cocks. And if you like it dark and dirty,visit the vaulted cellar at the X-Club. There is also Germany’s biggest gaysauna called Stargayte Sauna Leipziig. It houses private cabins and is alsoopen non-stop from Friday until 1am on Monday. Of course, when visiting anycruising areas or saunas, I always say, “Safe sex isn’t the question, it’s theanswer!”
If youchoose to spend time in the hostel, you will definitely find people with commoninterests to spend your days. As most of the people who come to the hostel arefrom Germany, they are sure to have some insights on places to visit in thewonderful country.
HOWMUCH WE TALKING?
Thishostel is priced nicely for its location. It was difficult to find a hostelthat was centrally located and also provided maximal amenities for minimalprices. The prices are listed below per bed.
7/8bedroom 12.50euro
5/6bedroom 14.00euro
4bedroom 15.50euro
3bedroom 17.00euro
2 bedroom 19.00euro
2bedroom (shower) 21.00euro
1bedroom 27.00euro
1bedroom (shower) 29.50euro
Breakfastbuffet 3.50euro
Whileyou can bring your own bed linen, it can be provided for a one-time fee of2.50euro.
Foodcan easily be found in the city center. There are fast food restaurants in thetrain station: KFC and McDonalds. Another on-the-go option is to stop in andeat currywurst for only 2.20euro. If you want a more cultural experience walkin to the center and eat at one of the many restaurants which provide anythingfrom sushi, pizza, pasta, or German cuisine. For a good meal, expect to payabout 15-30euro for each person depending on the venue.
HOW DOI GET THERE AND AROUND TOWN?
FromCentral Train Station: 150meters. Easy walk from the train station. Take the Kurt-Schu exut and walk overthe tram tracks, go to the right and walk down the street and you will see thehostel’s yellow sign on the left-hand side.
Driving? From motorway A9 take exitLeipzig "West" and from motorway A14 exit Leipzig "Mitte"or "Nordost". Follow the signs in the direction of City Center/MainTrain Station.
If youwould like to get around town and see Leipzig, being at the Central GlobetrotterHostel is a very good start. Because of its central location you are withinwalking distances to some of the best places. If you wish to venture more intothe city and the surrounding districts, you can hop on a tram or take a bus.You can purchase day tickets for only 5.00euro. Visit http://www.lvb.de formore information and tickets.
WHERECAN GET SOME MORE KNOWLEDGE?
Beloware some websites that will help you plan your stay while visiting the greatcultural city of Leipzig
CentralGlobetrotter website: http://www.globetrotter-leipzig.de
LeipzigCity Website: http://www.leipzig.de
LeipzigPublic Transport: http://www.lvb.de
BachMuseum: http://www.bach-leipzig.de
St.Nicolai Church: http://www.nikolaikirche-leipzig.de/englisch-topmenu-100
St.Thomas Church: http://www.thomaskirche.org/
LeipzigZoological Gardens: http://www.zoo-leipzig.de/index.php?lang=2
CaféApart: http://www.cafe-apart.de/
PonyClub: http://ponytanz.de/
KissKissBangBang: http://www.kisskiss-bangbang.de/
Cocks: http://www.cocks-bar.com
United: http://www.united-gay.com
X-Club: http://www.xclub-leipzig.com
Stargayte: http://www.stargayte.de
CurrencyConvertor: http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/
TELL METHE TRUTH, YOU LIKE IT?
Ienjoyed staying at the Central Globetrotter Hostel in Leipzig. Once there, Ifelt at home and at ease. The train station was large and welcoming and thepeople seemed to be friendly and accommodating. This is one of the best hostelsto stay while on your visit to Leipzig. But remember, where ever youdecide to go keep your colors bright and a smile on your face! Make sure totell them Prince William sent you!