CNS*2023 Leipzig: Local Info

Travel to Leipzig

Most international flights will arrive at major German hub airports, like Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, or Cologne-Bonn. From there, you may use a train that takes you to Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (Leipzig main station), which is located right in the city center. Alternatively, you may use a commuter flight to Leipzig-Halle Airport, from where a short (ca. 30 minutes) train ride also takes you to the city center. Alternatively, taxis are available at the airport and at the main railway station. A taxi ride from or to the airport costs about 40 Euros.

Safety

Germany, including Leipzig, is generally a safe place. The usual caution as for any larger city should, however, be observed.

Official Language

The official language of the meeting is English. Interpreting is not provided. For getting around, English is normally quite usable, although not everybody will be able to speak and understand it sufficiently well.

Insurance

Organizers do not accept responsibility for individual medical, travel or personal insurance. All participants are advised to take out their own personal insurance before travelling to the conference.

Currency & Banking

Exchange of foreign currency is available at airports and at most hotels and banks throughout the city. International credit cards are accepted for payments in hotels, as well as in most restaurants and shops, although there might be exceptions. Please get in touch with your bank in advance for overseas travel advice. The official currency in Germany is the Euro. Visit www.xe.com for current exchange rates.

Taxes

In Germany, a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 19% applies to all consumer goods and services, and is included in retail prices. Some types of goods are subject to a reduced rate of 7%, such as groceries, books and journals, tickets for concerts, theater, and museums. In some cases, the VAT is able to be claimed back on exiting the country. Full details can be found here.

Electricity

Mains voltage in Germany is 230V 50Hz. Delegates from most nations in Asia, Africa and Europe should have appliances that work on the same mains voltage as Germany - therefore you will not need a voltage converter. Exceptions to this are Japan, USA and Canada, which use 100/120V 50/60Hz.

If your country does use the same mains voltage as Germany, all you need is a power adapter. Power plugs in Germany are of types C or F.

Time Zone

Central European Summer Time in July (GMT + 2). During the meeting, days are long - sunrise will be around 5:20 am and sunset will be around 9:15 pm.

Tipping

Tipping is not necessary in Germany, but often done. If you feel that you have been looked after well and appreciated as a client or guest, a tip of 5 to 10% of the check amount is appropriate.

Weather

The weather in Leipzig in July is usually dry and warm. Due to its location in the rain shadow of the Harz Mountains in the Northwest, there is less precipitation than on average in Germany. The average temperature high is around 25 °C and the low around 14 °C.

Getting Around - Public Transportation

For getting around within the city limits, trams and buses are the most convenient means of transportation, for the wider environment, also commuter trains (S-Bahn) may be used. Apart from single tickets, there are also day tickets for visitors, see here for more information. Tickets can be obtained from vending machines at bus/tram stops and within the trams, and from bus drivers (limited choice). Another convenient way of buying tickets and planning trips is the LeipzigMove app.

Long-distance trains leave at the main station (Hauptbahnhof). For time tables and purchasing tickets visit here.

Another convenient way of getting around is by rental bike or scooter. Shared bicycles can be obtained from Nextbike[www.nextbike.de] an app basis. The app allows you to localize, unlock, and pay for free bikes within the city limits. Scooters can be rented from VOI and TIER at fixed stations.

Finally, Leipzig being a fairly compact city, many of its attractions can easily discovered on foot. Especially, the inner city within the ring road is a largely car free pedestrian zone, where walking is actually the smartest way of getting around.

Eating and drinking

Leipzig offers an expansive range of eating options. While there are some nice restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the venue, a large selection of eating opportunities can be found in the city center, which starts only 500 m away. For nightlife and evening dining there opportunities throughout the city. Particular hotspots are found, besides in the inner city (Barfußgäßchen and around), along and near Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, in the area around Gottschedstraße just adjacent to the center, and along Karl-Heine-Straße in the district of Plagwitz.

Sights and activities

Leipzig is the largest city in Saxony with a population of around 600,000. It has a historical city center that is unusually well preserved for German cities and elegant districts from the Wilhelminian period. In the field of music and fine arts, the city enjoys a worldwide reputation. It was from here that the essential impulses came from that led to the peaceful revolution and reunification of Germany (1989/90) came.

With its 15,672 cultural monuments, Leipzig is, in terms of overall area, Germany's largest historic monument. Alongside the grand and imposing architecture of the 19th century Gründerzeit era (sometimes called the era of Promoterism), there are elements here of art nouveau and art deco, baroque and rococo. In "Auerbachs Keller" and in the Schiller House we retrace the steps of Germany's great literary figures, Goethe and Schiller and, on Leipzig's "Music Trail", we follow the milestones associated with some of our most famous composers – Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Edvard Grieg, Gustav Mahler, Clara und Robert Schumann etc. At the heart of the city centre you will find the magnificent Mädler-Passage arcade (and plenty of other arcades) and the famous Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas' Church). Moreover, it is worth visiting Leipzig's historic Monument to the Battle of Nations (Napoleon against the rest), which is situated just outside the city center.

And, if you want to relax …. there are more than 120 hectares of green and wooded areas, where you can enjoy a deep breath of fresh air. They include the multi-faceted Zoo Leipzig (right next to the congress venue) and the oldest botanical gardens in Germany, but also extended parks and forests. Leipzig is also on the water. It lies at the confluences of the rivers Elster, Pleiße and Parthe and offers opportunities for canoeing and organized boat trips. For more extended walks or bike tours, you may explore the nearby Neuseenland lakeland park just south of Leipzig – a beautiful area of forests and interconnected lakes, originating from the recultivation of a former lignite mining area.