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Best music destinations in Europe

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Leipzig
Bach, music and a lively creative scene
7.7
Like a living classroom of classical music, the old town has the Thomaskirche, where Johann Sebastian Bach was music director from 1723 until his death in 1750. The St. Thomas Boys Choir, founded in 1212, still sings there in weekly concerts on Friday and Saturday. The Gewandhaus Orchestra, founded in 1743, plays nearby.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Explore the vibrant Markt square and Old City Hall
  • 🎼 Visit St. Thomas Church, Bach's historic music site
  • 🗼 Climb the Völkerschlachtdenkmal Battle of Nations monument
Berlin
Wall history, Museum Island and all-night clubs
9.1
Club nights often start after midnight and last through Sunday into Monday morning, with techno played in former factories and power stations such as Berghain, which is in a former power plant. For classical music the Berlin Philharmonic plays in a tent shaped hall designed by Hans Scharoun, which opened in 1963.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Visit the Reichstag Dome for panoramic city views
  • 🌉 Admire the Brandenburg Gate illuminated at night
  • 🧱 Explore the Berlin Wall Memorial and East Side Gallery
Hamburg
Port city with warehouses and the Elbphilharmonie
8.1
From 1960 to 1962 the Beatles played hours long sets in small clubs on the Reeperbahn in the St. Pauli district, where a small square now has steel statues of the band. The Elbphilharmonie, a glass concert hall on top of an old brick warehouse, has a public plaza with harbor views.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Climb St. Michael’s Church tower for sweeping city views
  • 🚤 Cruise the Elbe River and see Hamburg’s harbor from the water
  • 🏰 Walk through the historic Speicherstadt and admire its red-brick canals
Bayreuth
Wagner, baroque theaters and Franconian beer
9.4
Operas by Richard Wagner are staged each year from late July to late August in the Festspielhaus on a green hill above the town, a theater he designed and opened in 1876. The orchestra plays in a covered pit below the stage while tickets sell out quickly each year.
Highlights:
  • 🛍️ Stroll through Bayreuth's historic market square
  • 🍷 Taste Franconian wines at a local vineyard
  • 🏰 Explore Neuschwanstein Castle from the base trail
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