This little communal cafe has a nice variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic cocktails and a very alternative, lefty and studenty atmosphere; it doubles up as a little bit as a community centre, arthouse cinema, theatre and concert hall and event space.

The group associated with it also organises some of the best fun events of the city: the bathtub regatta, the soapbox derby, the naTo-cup (football), Bollywood in Leipzig and has also been caring for the restoration of the historic GDR advert 'Löffelfamilie'; which shows a family eating soup (donations urgently needed).

It's a fantastic little venue with cult status and as one of my favourite places only suitable for nice, friendly, open-minded, easy-going and in general just lovely people.

Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 46
04275 Leipzig,
Germany

telephone: 0049/0 341 3014398
E-mail: info@nato-leipzig.de
Web: www.nato-leipzig.de/english.php

Several trams are just stopping in front of it. Can't remember which ones, but all which go to "Connewitzer Kreuz".

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Haha, you don't believe me?

Oh yes, we have got everything here in Edinburgh, and these ruins of a very curious attempt can still be seen behind the emergency exit of the library in Morningside.

Unfortunately, the owners are quite protective of the old cinema, which is not open to the public.

Entry via Springvalley Gardens;
Pics and article: blog.fempages.org/wp/?p=197

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

... Is, in my opinion, in Broughton Street, and looks so posh from the outside that I hardly dare to go in. Everything is spotless, and it isn't even that expensive. They also sell award winning self-made ale pies and Haggis in one-person sausage-like portions.

The head butcher has a really big belly, which in my opinion is a quality trademark of good butchers, as they want to serve customers fresh produce but don't like to throw their high quality products away - so they eat it themselves. That's the same with my village butcher at home.

Apart from that, there is a wide variety of special sausages to try for free - from wild boar to beef with blackberries and Lucifer's matchsticks.

The butcher is also very friendly and chatty, and they have leaflets on their products such as the history of Haggis and Burn's supper, including a variety of poems. They might even recite them for you at the till to get you to hear them with the original Scots language.

Crombie's of Edinburgh: 97 Broughton Street;
www.sausages.co.uk

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

One of the most loved places for hippies, lefties, backpackers and young artists: the Forest Cafe, run by a DIY collective of artists, is the best place in Edinburgh to hang out in a non-capitalist fashion and meet like-minded people.

With free internet access, an art gallery, vegan and vegetarian food and stunning entertainment and events during and outside of the festival, this is the craziest place in town for dissidents and thinkers.

No matter if you want to watch films, read the latest protesting leaflets, or drop off your clothes and old books in the free shop, the Forest is the space for you. Just around from the university, it constantly changes.

It’s usually open from about 11am -11pm, licensed - sometimes with bring-your-own bottle - and during August it’s open till 3am. Also, it sells famous organic heather ale and seaweed beer.

3 Bristo Place, EH1 1EY;
tel: 0131 220 4538;
theforest.org.uk;
bus stop: 2, 42

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

A lovely out-of-town place with a wonderful pub, The Cramond Inn, which has a big beer garden and parking space, and serves loads of good and traditional food for really good prices and has also drinks from a small, independent brewery Scintilla and spectacular beers and ales.

Its near the wonderful seaside promenade, with about 45 min if walked in full.

The path to Cramond Island is only walkable when the tide is out, so take some water with you in case you'll get trapped there with the tide rushing in.

Nice for doggies, kiddies and their owners as there is a big beach, too.

Take bus no 41 directly to Cramond or 42 to first walk the seaside promenade to Cramond;
Cramond Inn: 30 Cramond Glebe Road, EH4 6NP;
tel: 0131 336 2035;
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/edinburgh/cramond/index.html

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Nuremberg provides easy access to the very well-maintained cycle paths that go to Prague and Vienna.

Cycling is also the quickest and cheapest way to get around the city, and the cycle path goes along the river Pegnitz.

Down at "Woerther Wiese" there is a nice beer garden and a sensory garden for kids. Community sports like football and juggling take place there too - just ask, and most of the time you are very welcome to join in.

At "Woerther See", the little lake near the inner city meadows you can rent a boat, and it's also a good place for jogging and keeping fit - running round the lake usually takes about 30-45 min if you are fit.

Of course, cycling is also good during the World Cup. Especially if you want to avoid traffic jams around the stadium.

For a detailed map of Bavarian cycle paths (German language) see:
www.bayerninfo.de/radler/h_radler_e.html

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Based in the former stables of a 500 year-old castle. Cheap, central and it has rooms with a view. There is a total of 320 beds.

Burg 2, Nuremberg;
tel: +49 (911) 2309360;
www.jugendherberge.de;
Reviews: www.hostelz.com/hostel/20713-Jugendherberge-N%FCrnberg

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Whilst the gardens are free, and it’s a pleasure to walk in the huge park overlooking the Firth of Forth, the castle is by guided tour only. However, there are also arts events organised in the castle. It is a really nice and relaxing place with astonishing views.

There is also a restaurant at the back of Lauriston Park called Lauriston Farm, which is run by Brewer's Fayre, so the meals are pretty low priced and the quality is OK, though the menu is a bit mainstream. Pub is quite child friendly, and has a nice beer garden and huge parking space.

It is also situated near the famous seaside promenade by Cramond, and near the community golf course. Lots of sheep and cows in the fields, too.

Lauriston Castle. 2a Cramond Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 5QD; tel: 0131 336 2060;
For more information see: www.information-britain.co.uk/showPlace.cfm?Place_ID=740;
www.cac.org.uk/venues/lauriston.htm;
For pictures see: www.flickr.com/photos/idleberry/sets/72057594130404977/

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

In and around Nuremberg, you'll find a festival most weekends celebrating local beer varieties, usually every weekend in the summer, and mostly every month in winter.

Last weekend in June:
Altstadtfest Lauf - local bands play for free, market, car boot sale, beer gardens, crafts fair,
www.lauf.de/index.php?goto=termindetails&tid=3838 (German language site)

First weekend in July:
Kunigundenfest Lauf - historic parade including local groups and associations, free school theatre event on top of the local hill, lots of horses and costumed school children, fireworks, beer gardens, and a funfair.

First weekend in August:
Altstadtfest Hersbruck - beer gardens with free gigs, antique fair, little marathon and donkey race.
www.altstadtfest-hersbruck.de (German language site)

Last Sunday in August
There is a flower festival and parade in Roethenbach, which is tremendous. Since 1929, local groups and associations have designed puppets and logos and decorated them with flowers.
www.roethenbach.de/cmsweb/index.asp?menu=c_1008&style=100 (German language site); There are pictures at www.roethenbach.de/blumenfest2005/index.htm.

The most impressive funfair is usually in Nuremberg, but the beer is expensive and the atmosphere is better in Erlangen. The flower festival is very impressive, whereas the costume-rich celebrations are nice for children to watch and participate in.

There are many more festivals in the region that go under the names Kirchweih and Altstadtfest. There is also a garlic festival northwest of Nuremberg.

All the parades and festivals are usually free, but unfortunately the beer is not.

Local trains leave from the main train station out into the countryside. Get the information on the festivals from the local event magazine Plaerrer (www.plaerrer.de - German language site) or the tourist information office: Hauptmarkt 18; email: tourismus@nuernberg.de (www.tourismus.nuernberg.de)

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Nuremberg has a lot of small arthouse cinemas, a multiplex, a MAD simulation and a 3-D IMAX cinema. Most are owned by the same person Wolfram Weber.

The arthouse cinemas are now used more as cafes and pubs and places to hang out locally in a nice atmosphere, whereas the big one is more trendy and basically seems to support the little ones economically. Some nice arthouse cinemas are Casablanca, Meisengeige, and Metropolis.

There are no people inspecting tickets in Cinecitta, as this is done electronically. There is a foreign-language cinema for films screened in their original language at the Southern Cemetery, called Roxy.
And Nuremberg is also hosting annually the International Human Rights Film Festival: see www.fitame.de for details.

Filmhouse im KOMM has a filmarchive and makes them available for the public to copy and also to convert from US format into European format and similar, but it is pretty expensive.

Casablanca Cinema: Kopernikusplatz; tel: 0911 454 824
Cinecitta: various locations, see www.cinecitta.de
Meisengeige Cinema: Am Laufer Schlagturm 3; tel: 0911 204 724
Metropolis: Stresemannplatz 8; tel: 0911 538 848
Roxy Cinema: Julius-Loßmann-Strasse 116; tel: 0911 488 40; www.roxy-nürnberg.de; U-Bahn: Frankenstrasse; S-Bahn: Südfriedhof; Tram 8
Full cinema listings: nuernberg.stadtus.de/kino/kinoprogramm.html

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Best community and free radio station in the whole world with about 2000 members in total and 200 contributors a week. Libertarian, left-wing focus, multi-lingual, with good links to the local DIY and music scenes. Women's hour, prisoners' hour, Kurdish, Turkish, Greek, Italian, Romanian, Portuguese, jazz, world music, punk, heavy metal, pensioners, disabled, mental health, hip hop …

1pm - 1 am daily with arts at 4pm and politics at 5pm.

radio-z.net; 95.8 Mhz;
Kopernikusplatz 12;
tel: 0911 45 00 60;
email: info@radio-z.net

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends