Apartment at the Goethe Park, Leipzig

Helenenstrasse makes a great base for hiking, cycling to the Leipzig New Lake District, or driving into Leipzig. We had a wonderful week in an apartment that was brilliantly laid out, very cozy, and spotless. The only letdown was the Wi-Fi, which kept dropping.

The location worked perfectly for us: ten minutes to the town center, ten minutes by car to the nearby lakes, or about half an hour by bike. The landlady was incredibly friendly and always available. The apartment was beautiful, well equipped, and spacious enough for two. Highly recommended, and we'll definitely return :)

We won't return, though the apartment itself is otherwise lovely. It's quite expensive, perhaps because the furnishings are tasteful and high quality. We were also invited to breakfast as compensation. But there were several obvious hygiene problems: the small balcony was filthy, toothpaste was left in and around the toothbrush holder, a used razor blade was in the bathroom cabinet, and a thick cobweb on a bedroom window clearly hadn't formed overnight. The backsplash behind the stove was greasy, the extractor hood had a visible layer of dust at eye level, and the microwave was disgusting. There was a huge grease mark in front of it, and something, maybe tomato sauce, had spilled over half the turntable. After we complained, the apartment was meant to be cleaned. We listed the worst problems, and it was clear someone had tried to address only those. The microwave still looked as though it had just been rinsed or wiped with cold water, and was greasy inside and out. Given the apartment's size, families with children are presumably guests too, so plastic dishes and a bathroom stool would have been useful. A toilet roll holder and hairdryer would also have been nice.

The owner is super friendly and easy to reach by phone, and you can borrow bikes for free. Tram 11 is right around the corner and goes all the way to the main station and beyond without a change. There's a tasty, reasonably priced Asian restaurant by the stop, plus an Aldi nearby. The apartments are cozy, with country-style decor and a modern touch, and they're very well equipped: high-tech security, coffee, tea, a hairdryer, toiletries, a travel guide, and a flat-screen TV. Netflix would be a nice extra, especially for 20-30 year olds^^