The thousand-year-old city of Leipzig, Germany is known for its famed university and various historic churches and monuments, but it also has a green side that's worth exploring. The Auenwald Floodplain Forest stretches in a wide band from north to south through the city, offering hiking, biking, and horseback riding opportunities through this unique natural setting. Guided tours are available that point out the unique flora and fauna, or else you can grab a map and a compass and hit the trail on your own. The green belt is crisscrossed with several water channels that feed picturesque Auensee Lake, where you can go boating or fishing. Don't forget your camera! Even Leipzig's industrial side has been getting greener in recent years. Karl Heine Canal, for example, was once choked with pollution, but a major cleanup effort in the nineties has restored it to its original beauty, and it's now a great waterway to enjoy a boat tour of the city's Plagwitz neighborhood, which features a collection of 19th century factories that are nothing short of architectural treasures. Guests at the Hotel Fuerstenhof (a member of Starwood's Luxury Collection) will enjoy the greener side of this charming German city.
