Halle

Halle is a city that deserves a second look. The first impression given by the ever-under-construction train station and dismal tram ride into town doesn't do justice to this 1,000-year-old city built on the salt trade. It straddles the river Saale, whose name is derived from the German word for salt, and the name Halle comes from the Celtic word for salt. The city has suffered from the shortfalls of Communist urban planning, yet the Old City has an unusual beauty, particularly in its spacious central marketplace, the Markt, with its five distinctive sharp-steepled towers.