tourist info leipzig

Tourist-Information

Sie sind das erste Mal in Leipzig zu Gast? Dann ist die Tourist-Information in der Katharinenstraße nur einige Meter vom Marktplatz Leipzig entfernt, der perfekte Anlaufpunkt für Sie. Hier wird Ihnen mit freundlicher fachkundiger Beratung, zahlreichen Tipps, Infomaterial und Stadtplänen weitergeholfen. Die Tourist-Information ist außerdem Verkaufsstelle für die LEIPZIG CARD , Stadtrundgänge und Leipzig-Souvenirs.

Hier finden Sie uns

Tourist-Information Leipzig

Katharinenstraße 8 04109 Leipzig

Öffnungszeiten

Montag bis Freitag: 10:00 Uhr - 18:00 Uhr

Samstag, Sonntag und Feiertage: 10:00 Uhr - 15:00 Uhr

Call Center der Tourist Information

Sie haben eine Frage oder möchten telefonisch eine Unterkunft reservieren? Die Kollegen aus dem Call-Center der Tourist-Information stehen Ihnen von Montag bis Freitag zwischen 9:00 und 17:00 Uhr telefonisch gern zur Verfügung.

Telefon: +49 341 7104-260 Fax: +49 341 7104-271 E-Mail: [email protected]

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Telefonnummern der Tourist-Information und der touristischen Partner

Touristische informationen.

Telefon: +49 341 7104-260 (Montag bis Freitag 09:00-17:00 Uhr)

Zimmervermittlung

Telefon: +49 341 7104-255 (Montag bis Freitag 09:00-17:00 Uhr)

Einzel- und Gruppenreisen

Telefon: +49 341 7104-275 (Montag bis Freitag 09:00-17:00 Uhr)

Stadtspaziergänge und -rundfahrten

Telefon: +49 341 7104-280

Ticketverkauf

Telefon: +49 341 141414

Tourist Information

The Tourist Information Centre provides the following services:

• information leaflets and brochures
• street maps
• insider tips
• souvenirs of Leipzig
• travel offers for individuals and groups
• LEIPZIG CARD

Tours of the city on foot or by vehicle and tickets for events can be purchased from our highly competent partners.

Get more information on the website of the Leipzig Tourismus and Marketing GmbH .

Call Center of the Tourist Information:

Telephone: +49 (0)341 7104-260 Fax: +49 (0)341 7104 271 E-Mail: [email protected]

Opening Times

Monday to Friday: 9.30 am to 6 pm Saturday: 9.30 am to 4 pm Sunday: 9.30 am to 3 pm

Phone Numbers of the Tourist Information and Touristic Partners

Tourist information.

Telephone: +49 341 7104-260 (Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm)

Accommodation service

Telephone: +49 341 7104-255 (Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm)

Individual and group travel

Telephone: +49 341 7104-275 (Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm)

City walks and tours

Telephone: +49 341 7104-280

Ticket sale

Telephone: +49 341 14 14 14

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Leipzig – Das ist nicht nur eine vielfältige und lebendige Stadt voller Kultur , Kreativität , Geschichte und Zeitgeist. Zu Leipzig gehört auch eine groß(artig)e Region mit erfrischenden Seen und Wasserwegen , märchenhaften Burgen und Schlössern und kilometerlangen idyllischen Rad- und Wanderwegen . Entdeckt Leipzig mit allen Facetten der City und dem Umland. Mit unseren Tipps wird eure Leipzig-Reise garantiert unvergesslich!

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'Hypezig!' cry the papers, 'the New Berlin', says just about everybody. Yes, Leipzig is Saxony's coolest city, a playground for nomadic young creatives who have been displaced by the fast-gentrifying German capital, but it's also a city of enormous history, a trade-fair centre and solidly in the sights of music lovers due to its intrinsic connection to the lives and work of Bach, Mendelssohn and Wagner.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Nikolaikirche

This church has Romanesque and Gothic roots, but since 1797 has sported a striking neoclassical interior with palm-like pillars and cream-coloured pews…

Museen im Grassi

The university-run Museen im Grassi harbours three fantastic collections that are often overlooked, despite being a five-minute walk from Augustusplatz…

Museum der Bildenden Künste

This imposing modernist glass cube is the home of Leipzig's fine art museum and its world-class collection of paintings from the 15th century to today,…

Asisi Panometer

The happy marriage of a panorama (a giant 360-degree painting) and a gasometer (a giant gas tank) is a panometer. The unusual concept is the brainchild of…

Museum für Völkerkunde

At Leipzig's Ethnological Museum, you can plunge into an eye-opening journey through the cultures of the world.

Südfriedhof

Leipzig's largest cemetery is a vast and beautiful park, filled with rosebay shrubs, populated by squirrels, rabbits and foxes and centred on a building…

Stasi Museum

In the GDR the walls had ears, as is chillingly documented in this exhibit in the former Leipzig headquarters of the East German secret police (the Stasi)…

Zeitgeschichtliches Forum

This fascinating, enormous and well-curated exhibit covers the political history of the GDR, from division and dictatorship to fall-of-the-Wall ecstasy…

Latest stories from Leipzig

Jul 31, 2020 • 2 min read

The Restart-19 project will see scientists teaming up with soul-pop singer, Tim Bendzko, to run the concerts in Leipzig.

Aug 15, 2019 • 6 min read

Jan 20, 2016 • 4 min read

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• 1.1 Tourist Information
• 2.3 By train
• 2.4 By plane
• 3.1.1 Tickets
• 3.1.2 Leipzig Card
• 3.1.3 Night Bus Network
• 3.2 By taxi
• 4.1 Churches
• 4.2 Museums
• 4.3 Famous houses
• 4.4 Fair-houses and passages
• 4.5 Architecture
• 4.6 Other sights
• 5.1 Sightseeing tours
• 5.2 Concerts
• 5.3 Festivals
• 5.4.1 Riverside woods and parks
• 5.4.2 Leipzig by boat
• 5.4.3 Lakes
• 5.5 Other activities
• 7.1 Specialities
• 7.2.1 In the city center
• 7.2.2 Around the Südplatz
• 7.3 Mid-range
• 7.4 Splurge
• 8.2 Bars and pubs
• 9.1.1 Camping
• 9.1.2 Hostels
• 9.1.3 Hotels
• 9.2 Mid-range
• 9.3 Splurge
• 10 Stay safe

Leipzig is the largest city in the German federal state of Saxony , with a population of approximately 600,000 (Oct 2019). It is the economic centre of the region, known as Germany's "Boomtown" and a major cultural centre, offering interesting sights, shopping and lively nightlife. The Gewandhausorchester is the biggest and one of the most prominent classical orchestras in Germany, and Leipzig Zoological Garden is one of the most modern zoos in Europe. The Neuseenland, outside of Leipzig, is a huge lake district.

Understand [ edit ]

First documented in 1015, and endowed with city and market privileges in 1165, the city of Leipzig has fundamentally shaped the history of Saxony and of Germany. It was founded at the crossing of two ancient trade routes, Via Regia and Via Imperii. Leipzig has always been known as a place of commerce and still has large trade fairgrounds and exhibition halls known as the Leipzig Messe north of the city. Before it became common to dedicate a specific area to trade fairs, they took place in the city. Which is why many of the historical buildings were constructed by merchants, as were Leipzig's unique system of arcades and courtyards.

Other forms of exchange soon followed the trade of goods. The University of Leipzig (Latin: Alma mater lipsiensis ) was founded in 1409, which makes it the second-oldest university in Germany. University facilities are scattered throughout the city, and you cannot miss the central campus at Augustusplatz. Leipzig acquired the nickname Klein Paris ("Little Paris") in the 18th century, when it became a centre of a classical literary movement largely lead by the German scholar and writer Johann Christoph Gottsched.

The city is also the home of the Nikolaikirche (Church of St. Nicholas) – the starting point of peaceful demonstrations against the East German regime which led to German Reunification. The collapse of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) regime hit Leipzig's economy very heavily (as had communism), but after being on the mend since 1990, it has emerged as one of the success stories of the "New German States".

Traces of Leipzig's history are everywhere: the ring of streets around the city centre marking the former course of the city wall, the city trade houses, abandoned and repurposed industrial buildings in Plagwitz, small town structures in the outskirts where surrounding towns were incorporated during phases of rapid growth, and the battlefields of the Napoleonic wars in the south and southeast of the city.

Today it competes with long time rival Dresden for the title of "biggest city in Saxony" . In the 2011 Census, Dresden overtook Leipzig, but according to 2016 estimates, Leipzig has an edge once more. Leipzig's trendy districts are rapidly gentrifying, especially the Südvorstadt neighborhood and it has thus gained the nickname "Hypezig" which is both used derisively and somewhat appreciatively.

Tourist Information [ edit ]

• 51.34223 12.37521 1 Tourist Information , Katharinenstraße 8 ( near Markt in the city centre ), ☏ +49 341 71 04-260 , fax : +49 341 71 04-271 , [email protected] . You can download some leaflets from their website.  

Get in [ edit ]

Leipzig is a transportation hub in Saxony and offers fast connections by rail, road and air throughout Germany. Important east-west and north-south routes have crossed here for a long time and they still do today.

By car [ edit ]

Leipzig can easily be reached by car, as it is very well connected with the Autobahn system. The nearest Autobahns are A14 (North, Northeast), A9 (West) and A38 (South).

By bus [ edit ]

• 51.345101 12.384954 1 Intercity bus station .  

Long distance buses connect Leipzig with several major German cities. Buses stop at a bus terminal next to the Central Station's east exit and/or at the airport railway station. Bus operators include Flixbus .

By train [ edit ]

Deutsche Bahn operates regular train service between Leipzig and nearby cities such as Halle (€7.60, 25 minutes), Dessau (€14, 45 minutes), Chemnitz (€19, 65 minutes), Dresden (€30, 65 minutes), Magdeburg (€31, 75 minutes), Weimar (€22, 75 minutes), and Jena (€21, 85 minutes).

High speed trains are available to major cities in Germany including Lutherstadt Wittenberg (€21, 30 minutes), Erfurt (€28, 42 minutes), Berlin (€49, 75 minutes), Nuremberg (€87, 2 hours), Frankfurt (€88, 3 hours), Hamburg (€106, 3 hours) and Munich (€117, 3:15 hours). Prague (€59, 4 hours) can be reached with a transfer in Dresden , but direct busses between Leipzig and Prague are faster.

If you book well in advance reduced-fare (limited refunding, set date and train) tickets are available starting at €29 (€21.75 with Bahn card 25, no Bahn card 50 discount). Your best chance on reduced fares are off-peak hours on weekdays. Even if you buy your ticket one day prior to departure on an ICE, you have a good chance of finding a reduced fare that is cheaper than the full prices (called "Normalpreis" in German) quoted above. However unlike with the Normalpreis you will have to use the train you booked and can't change it. If you aren't travelling alone, it might make sense to see whether there is a discount for the second person travelling the same route or for groups. For more on the price system of German trains see rail travel in Germany ..

Also Flixtrain serves the city.

By plane [ edit ]

Berlin Brandenburg airport ( BER  IATA ) is just two hours away by train and offers more options. As an intercontinental flyer you should also consider Frankfurt Airport ( FRA  IATA ). During daytime, hourly direct trains take you from the airport station Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof to Leipzig Hauptbahnhof in about 4 hours for €74 (book in advance and you can get tickets for as little as €29). Many (but not all) airlines flying to/from German airports offer rail&fly. For more see rail air alliances

Get around [ edit ]

Public transport [ edit ]

The primary means of public transport is the tram. LVB operates trams and buses in Leipzig. Most lines run every 10 minutes during the day and at least hourly at night. A single-trip ticket costs €3.20. A full day bus & tram ticket, valid until 04:00 the next morning, costs €9.20; a day ticket for 2-5 people travelling together costs €13.80-27.60. A weekly pass costs €32.90. After 20:00, you must enter buses through the driver's door and show/purchase your ticket.

The tram network is structured like a star with a circle in the centre. Tram lines generally lead from the outskirts into the city, which they half-circle on the ring, and continue to someplace else in the outskirts. Bus lines provide additional direct connections that often do not touch the centre.

Trains ("S-Bahn") cross the city centre in a north-south direction through the city tunnel, connecting Hauptbahnhof and Bayerischer Bahnhof via underground stations at Markt and at Wilhelm-Leuschner Platz. From both ends of the tunnel, lines branch off in several directions towards Leipzig suburbs like Connewitz, Stötteritz, Thekla, fair area and Miltitzer Allee and beyond. The city tunnel provides fast connections north - south, but is not of great help in the east - west direction.

Tickets [ edit ]

LVB is part of the regional integrated transport network MDV . Tickets to nearby towns and cities (e.g. Halle ) are available at LVB ticket offices and vending machines. They are valid for all participating means of transportation. The fares quoted above are for MDV fare zone 110, which is more or less identical with the city. A single-trip ticket includes transfers to other lines. You have to complete your trip within one hour. Buy tickets from:

• Vending machines at some stops and at all train stations, payable with coins or (small) bills
• Vending machines inside the trams. Coins only
• Bus drivers
• One of the LVB service offices
• Some tobacco, stationery, or press shops

Stamp your ticket after boarding the first bus or tram on your itinerary, or on the platform when using a train. Week tickets are issued for 7 days from the set date, month tickets for calendar months. Day and week tickets are valid until 04:00 the next day after their validity has ended; month tickets until noon the day after their validity has ended.

Ticket and service offices:

• LVB-Mobilitätszentrum , Willi-Brand-Platz ( opposite of central station towards Nikolaistraße ). M–F 08:00–20:00, Sa 08:00–16:00 . LVB service and ticket office  
• 51.3367 12.3748 2 LVB-Servicezentrum , Petersstraße/Markgrafenstraße ( city centre near Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz ). M–F 08:00–20:00, Sa 08:00–16:00 . LVB service and ticket office  
• LVB online shop . LVB service and ticket office  

Leipzig Card [ edit ]

A ticket with benefits is the Leipzig Card . You can buy it at the LVB ticket offices listed above, at tourist information, or online. At a price moderately higher than the corresponding LVB tickets, in addition to unlimited rides, the Leipzig Card offers discounts at a number of tourist attractions. The Leipzig Card is available in three versions:

• Day ticket (valid for one person): €13.40
• 3-day ticket (valid for one person): €26.90
• 3-day group ticket (valid for two adults and up to 3 children under 14): €51.90

A leaflet listing all the benefits is available online .

Night Bus Network [ edit ]

Regular services operate until around midnight. A network of Nightliner bus lines (N1...N10) takes you around at night. All Nightliner buses start from Hauptbahnhof at 01:11, 02:22, and 03:33. They service most parts of the main tram network, but on different routes. Each line makes a loop, returning to Hauptbahnhof at the end. Check the blue network plans at stops or inside trams.

By taxi [ edit ]

Plenty of taxis are available. They wait for customers in various designated locations around the city. You can also wave a taxi on the street if its sign is lit up. To order a taxi to your current location call 4884 . Pubs, restaurants and hotels will be happy to do that for you if you are their customer. Expect a fare of €15–20 for a trip from the outskirts to the centre or vice versa.

Leipzig suffers from the same traffic problems as all cities of its size. Access to the city centre is restricted, so don't plan to go anywhere inside the inner ring of main streets.

If you still want to use a car within the city, be prepared to pay a fee for parking around the centre. Car parks are available at Hauptbahnhof, Augustusplatz, Burgplatz, and several other locations. A parking guidance system is installed on the main streets. Around the inner ring, signs point you to the different car parks and display the current number of unused parking spots. Signs are colour-coded, each color representing a car park location. Since the city centre is pretty compact, for most purposes it won't matter much where you leave your car. When you visit the Gewandhaus or the opera, the car park underneath Augustusplatz is the most convenient option with exits to both buildings.

Watch for the trams when making turns. They are stronger than your car and sometimes come from behind beside the street. At marked tram stops, if the driving lane is to the right of the track, you have to wait behind a stopping tram and let passengers get on and off. After everyone is off the street, you may pass slowly.

Most of the city of Leipzig is a designated low-emission zone ( Umweltzone ). Cars operating within city limits must comply with strict emission standards and have a special green sticker ( Feinstaubplakette ). If you enter the city without the sticker, or with a yellow or red sticker, you risk being fined.

See [ edit ]

Churches [ edit ]

Museums [ edit ]

• 51.28749 12.387713 13 Torhaus Dölitz , Helenenstraße 24, 04279 ( tram 11 to Leinestraße ), ☏ +49 341 33 89 10 7 . W F Sa 10:00–16:00 - subject to change, please call before . Exhibition of pewter figures in historically themed dioramas. The location, the gatehouse and only remainder of an old manor, was one of the hotspots in the battles of the Napoleonic wars. €3 .  
• 51.332388 12.36824 15 Universitätsbibliothek Bibliotheca Albertina , Beethovenstr.6, 04107 ( bus 89 to Wächterstraße or Mozartstraße ). M-Sa 08:00-00:00 . The university's library.  
• 51.355334 12.390119 21 Straßenbahnmuseum ( Tram museum ), Apelstraße 1 ( tram 9 to Historischer Strbf. ), [email protected] . May-Sep: 3rd Sunday of the month 10:00-17:00 . Dozens of historic trolleys that once ran on Leipzig's tram network. €3 . ( updated May 2019 )

Famous houses [ edit ]

Fair-houses and passages [ edit ].

Unique to Leipzig is its number of passages in the city centre. Some have big entrances, while others may look from the street just like a gate left open. Some belong to historical buildings, some have appeared only a few years ago.

• 51.3394 12.37544 25 Mädlerpassage , Grimmaische Straße/Neumarkt . Upscale shops and bars. The entrance to Auerbachs Keller is inside. Forms a bigger system with Königshauspassage and Messehofpassage.  
• 51.341189 12.373459 26 Barthels Hof , Hainstraße/Barfußgäßchen .  
• 51.340214 12.377418 27 Speck's Hof and Hansahaus , Nikolaistraße/Reichsstraße/Grimmaische Straße . The oldest passage in Leipzig.  
• 51.34212 12.37283 28 Jägerhofpassage , Hainstraße/Große Fleischergasse . Calm atmosphere in the middle of the city. Inside you'll find the arthouse cinema Passage Kinos .  
• 51.33845 12.37694 29 Städtisches Kaufhaus , Neumarkt/Universitätsstraße/Kupfergasse/Gewandgäßchen .  

Architecture [ edit ]

• 51.342921 12.37479 30 Romanushaus and Fregehaus , Katharinenstraße 23 ( city centre near tourist information ). Baroque architecture.  
• 51.2962 12.3935 31 Rundling ( Nibelungensiedlung ), Siegfriedplatz, Siegfriedstraße ( tram 16 to Lößnig or tram 11 to Raschwitzer Straße or local train to Leipzig-Connewitz ). Apartment houses in concentric circles, built in the late 1920s/early 1930s. Streets are named after characters from the "Song of the Nibelungs".  
• Stalin era architecture , Roßplatz ( Tram to Augustusplatz or Roßplatz ). Curved to follow the street, huge like a castle -- Leipzig's most prominent relic of the Stalin era sits at the Ring next to the Gewandhaus.  
• 51.34571 12.36031 32 Waldstraßenviertel ( northwest of the city centre; Tram 3, 4, 7, 8, 15 to Waldplatz; follow Waldstraße and walk into sidestreets at your discretion ). Europe's largest uninterrupted Gründerzeit district.  
• 51.32875 12.33461 33 Plagwitz . An industrial district whose time of glory has passed. Many of its factories died a slow death during the GDR years, which suddenly became visible with the reunification of Germany. Today it is a mixture of old industrial buildings, some in ruins and others repurposed; fallow land; and new developments. Walk around Karl-Heine Straße between Felsenkeller and the railway station Bahnhof Plagwitz, Weißenfelser Straße and Gießerstraße to get a feeling for the place, or walk the path alongside the Karl-Heine Kanal. May appear a bit spooky at night.  
• Meyersche Häuser , Several locations: Herrmann-Meyer-Straße in Kleinzschocher; between Erich-Köhn Straße and Demmeringstraße in Lindenau; Hofer Straße in Reudnitz; between Bernburger Straße and Theresienstraße, Hamburger Straße and Schönfelder Straße in Eutritzsch . Herrmann Julius Meyer, owner of a publishing company, initiated in the late 19th century several development projects to provide adequate but cheap housing to factory workers and their families.  
• 51.339932 12.379891 34 Krochhochhaus , Goethestraße 2 .  
• 51.337489 12.38157 35 Europahaus , Augustusplatz 7 .  
• 51.34265 12.38393 37 Wintergartenhochhaus .  

Other sights [ edit ]

Do [ edit ]

If you understand some German, get a copy of the monthly city magazine Kreuzer or use the event calendar on their website to get information on upcoming events. You can buy the Kreuzer for €2.50 in press shops and bookstores throughout the city.

Sightseeing tours [ edit ]

• 51.342 12.375 1 Sightseeing tour , Katharinenstaße 8 ( starts at Tourist Information, ends on Augustusplatz ), ☏ +49 341-71 04-230 . Daily 13:30 (in German also 10:30) . The tour lasts 2½ hours, comprising a 1-hour guided walk through the city centre and a bus tour of 1½ hours to sights elsewhere. You can also book each part of the tour individually. Buy your ticket at tourist information, where the tour starts. €15 .  
• 51.346 12.379 2 Sightseeing by tram , Kurt-Schumacher Straße ( coming from Hauptbahnhof/Westhalle, walk a few steps towards Berliner Straße/Wilhelm-Liebknecht Platz ), ☏ +49 341-19449 . Saturdays, starting at 11:00 and 14:00; May–September also Sundays 11:00 . Every weekend, LVB offers sightseeing tours in a modified tram called "Gläserner Leipziger" . Buy your ticket in advance from any of the LVB service offices listed above; it includes a day ticket for zone 110 (Leipzig) of the MDV network. The tour takes about 2 hours. €15 per person .  
• 51.364 12.376 3 videoSightseeing Leipzig , Lützowstr. 19 ( you decide where to meet your guide when you book ), ☏ +49 341-902 902 89 , [email protected] . individual starting time for small groups . In addition to the comments of a live guide in English or other languages, on-screen historic film footage and photographs give you a deeper insight into Leipzig's history and life today. The standard length of the tour is 2 hours. You can also combine it with a walking tour through the historic centre. from €25 . ( updated Jul 2020 )

Concerts [ edit ]

• 51.33804 12.38062 4 Gewandhaus , Augustusplatz , ☏ +49 341 1270 280 (Tickets) . Mendelssohn's orchestra still exists, but the concert hall is new. Inside is a huge painting by Sighard Gille, visible through the windows from Augustusplatz.  
• Motets in St. Thomas Church , Thomaskirche, Thomaskirchhof . Friday 18:00 and Saturday 15:00; unreserved seating, come early (church opens 45 min before) . Listen to the St. Thomas Boys Choir performing Bach's music in its original environment. Be aware that a guest choir may sing instead at any time as the St Thomas Choir travels a lot. Since the motet is primarily a musical form of devotion and not a musical performance for tourists, applause is uncommon and frowned upon. Admission €2 (includes program); children free .  

Festivals [ edit ]

• Wave-Gotik-Treffen Leipzig . Date follows Pentecost, late May or early June . World's largest goth festival includes a pagan village, medieval market, and goth music.  
• Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta , Leipzig-Lößnig ( Tram 10 or 16 to Lößnig ). late July . Meeting of hot air balloon pilots. Lots of flying balloons if the weather permits flying.  
• International Festival for Documentary and Animated Film . every October .  

Outdoors [ edit ]

Riverside woods and parks [ edit ].

• 51.357 12.347 11 Aussichtsturm Rosentalhügel ( follow Marienweg from Waldstraße, the hill with the tower is to the right after about 400 m; when you reach a small lake to your right you went too far ). Observation tower. See the city from above. Admission is free. You'll have to climb up stairs in the open and stand on a platform that may shake a bit in the wind. Free .  
• 51.31714 12.3622 12 Fockeberg ( west of Fockestraße ). This hill was built as a landfill for World War II debris. It is now a park and the location for several recurrent events: the Fockeberglauf in March and November (a running competition), the Fockebergzeitfahren (an uphill bicycle race), and the Prix de Tacot (a soapbox car race). Admission free .  
• 51.3 12.372 13 Wildpark , Koburger Straße ( Tram 9 to Wildpark ). 09:00–18:00/19:00/20:00 depending on the season . Watch wild animals in the woods. If you feel like hiking, after passing through the Wildpark you can turn northwards and walk to Clara-Zetkin Park, or walk south/southeast to Cospudener See. Both are about 2.5 km away. Free .  

Leipzig by boat [ edit ]

Leipzig is not located on any major river; instead there are several smaller rivers, their tributaries, and canals from the industrial era, creating a network of waterways that is grandiloquently touted as a "little Venice". Currents are weak to non-existent and motorboat traffic is rare. Thus, Leipzig's rivers and canals are perfect for amateur canoe paddlers and rowers, even for complete rookies in this field. Urban districts like Plagwitz or Schleußig and even the western parts of the city centre as well as the extensive riverside forest and parks may be discovered from the waterside, providing a completely different perspective of the city. There are several boat rentals, typically charging €7–8 per hour for a two-seater kayak or Canadian canoe.

• 51.31865 12.3397 14 Bootsverleih Herold , Antonienstraße 2 ( Tram 1, 2 oder Bus 60 "Rödelstraße" ), ☏ +49 341 480112 . Boat rental offering skiffs (up to 4 persons), kayaks (for 1, 2 or 2+child) and Canadian canoes (for 2, 3, 4 or 5 persons); as well as guided motorboat tours (advance booking required). €7.50/hr for two-seaters; motorboat tour (70 min incl. drink) €14 . ( updated Aug 2019 )
• 51.33 12.34842 15 Bootsverleih am Klingerweg ( SC DHfK Leipzig canoe department ), Klingerweg 2 ( Tram 1, 2 "Klingerweg" ). Boat rental offering skiffs (up to 4 persons), kayaks (for 1, 2 or 2+child) and Canadian canoes (for 3 or 4), large Canadian for 10 (requires a professional cox, advance booking); guided motorboat tours. €8/hr for two-seaters; motorboat tour (70 min incl. coffee) €14 . ( updated Aug 2019 )

Lakes [ edit ]

Leipzig is surrounded by several lakes , resulting from former open-cast lignite mining and now developed into places for various outdoor activities. You can spend a day on the beach, ride a canoe, or go fishing or scuba diving 10 km from the city centre. Be warned that, due to their origins as open-cast mines, the lakes are very deep and have steep sides: don't enter the water unless you are a strong swimmer. The closest lakes are:

• 51.315 12.252 16 Kulkwitzer See , Grünau/Miltitz ( Tram 1 to Lausen, S-1 to Miltitzer Allee, Tram 15 to Plovdiver Straße, or Bus 65 to Straße am See ). Beach; camping; fishing, water sports. This one is the oldest of the close lakes. Converted from a mine in the 1960s, the city grew towards it in the 1980s with the Grünau development. Beach access free; fishing requires a permit, available in the camping office .  
• 51.282 12.345 17 Cospudener See , Markkleeberg-West/Knautkleeberg ( Bus 65 via Markkleeberg Bahnhof - tram 9 or local trains - or via Großzschocher - tram 3, change to bus 65 at Huttenstraße. The bus stops right at the northern beach. Buy a ticket for fare zones 110 and 151. The main parking lot is accessible from Brückenstraße. ). Named after Cospuden, a village that fell victim to opencast mining, this lake was the first lignite mine conversion in the region after the end of the GDR. Locals instantly and enthusiastically adopted their new Costa Cospuda . The northern Beach (Nordstrand) is broad and sandy, the perfect place to spend a hot summer day.  
• 51.27 12.399 18 Markkleeberger See , Markkleeberg-Ost ( Tram 11 to Markkleeberg-Ost (buy a ticket for fare zones 110 and 151; from the terminal stop proceed on Bornaische Straße in the same direction until you reach the lake ). The youngest of the nearby lakes and perhaps a bit quieter than the other two. It has rather small beaches but a long promenade.  
• 51.25805 12.42697 19 Kayaking and Rafting at Markkleeberger See , Wildwasserkehre 1, 04416 Markkleeberg - Auenhain ( by public transport : Bus 106 direction Auenhain or Markkleeberg Bahnhof to stop "Auenhain Kanupark" or bus 141 to "Auenhain Seepark"; by car either (1) roads B2/B95 to Markkleeberg, exit Markkleeberg-Ost or Wachau, respectively and follow the signs for "Markkleeberger See" and "Kanupark" or (2) via highway A38 to exit Leipzig-Südost and follow the signs for Markkleeberg/Auenhain/Kanupark ), ☏ +49 - 34 297 - 14 12 91 . This site was planned for staging the Olympic Games 2012, and was built even though the games were awarded to London. This is one of the two most advanced whitewater kayak parks in Europe.  

Other activities [ edit ]

• 51.37 12.32 20 Parkeisenbahn am Auensee , Gustav-Esche Straße 8 ( Tram 10, 11 to Wahren, bus 80 to Auensee ), ☏ +49 341 461 11 51 . operates April–October, M–Sa 14:00–18:00, on Su also 10:00–13:00 . Take a ride on a miniature railway circling around the Lake Auensee in the northwest of the city. €6.50 for a family of 4 .  
• 51.4038 12.44684 22 BMW Werk Leipzig , BMW Allee 1, 04349 Leipzig . The BMW assembly plant in Leipzig, which builds the 1er-series and X1 models, offers guided tours of its premises. They require previous appointment - you need to send a request with your preferences in advance and wait for the Visitor's Centre to get back to you. €6 per person (adult), €130 for an individual tour (for up to 30 persons) .  
• 51.40563 12.29671 23 Porsche Leipzig , Porschestraße 1 . The Porsche factory in Leipzig, which builds the Cayenne and the Panamera, offers plant tours as well as driving experiences on the test track, combined with meals at the on-site restaurant. A much wider choice of events is offered to users booking in German, via the German version of the website. Factory tour and brunch from €45 .  

Buy [ edit ]

There are lots of shops in the city centre, mostly frequented by pedestrians. Leipzig and Germany souvenirs can be found at shops around the Old City Hall. Many independent retailers unique to Leipzig can be found in Südvorstadt; with many interesting clothing stores, food places, and cinemas.

• Christmas Market . As in many other German cities, Leipzig hosts the Leipziger Weinachtsmarkt, or Leipzig Christmas Market, which opens in the last week of November, first week of December and continues until a few days before Christmas Day. The Leipzig Christmas Market is a major event in the city and is essentially a large winter-themed carnival, complete with a giant Ferris Wheel on Augustusplatz in between the Opera House and the Gewandhaus, carrousels and other small rides in addition to the usual market stalls and food vendors. The festivities take place throughout the inner city of Leipzig, with a majority of the market stalls stationed on Market Square in front of the Old Town Hall, but also on Petersstraße, Grimmaische Straße and Nikolaistraße next to Nikolai Church. The market stalls sell a variety of gifts unique to the Ore Mountain region south of Leipzig, as well as various traditional market foods such as fried potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer), Heurigen (roasted roll with cheese and meat) and Glühwein (a mulled wine). There are also carolers and Christmas-themed events.  
• 51.34451 12.38091 2 Hauptbahnhof , Willy-Brandt-Platz 7 . The Hauptbahnhof is not only one of the biggest train stations in Europe, it's a great shopping mall as well (on three floors boutiques and restaurants are located next to drug stores and supermarkets)  
• Fresh Food Market ( on the market square in front of the old town hall ). Tuesday and Friday . local vegetables and all kinds of fruits and flowers.  
• Fresh Food Market ( near Leipzig Central Stadium ). Saturdays . may be a bit cheaper (mostly lower-grade goods at a lower price and some discount offers) but the atmosphere is not so nice. Sometimes there are market criers around.  
• Antik- und Trödelmarkt ( fleamarket ), Agra Messepark, Bornaische Straße ( tram 11 to Dölitz Straßenbahnhof ). last weekend of every month, 08:00–15:00 .  
• [formerly dead link] Westpaket ( fleamarket ), Karl-Heine-Straße ( tram 3, 13, 14 to Felsenkeller ). 4 times a year . A nice alternative fleamarket with approx. 100 booths of locals selling handmade stuff, some antiques and second hand clothes on the pavements. there are also some music groups and food.  

Eat [ edit ]

Specialities [ edit ].

Try specialities of Leipzig:

• Lerchen , a sweet dough-wicker filled with marzipan, sold in bakeries.
• Quarkkeulchen , served in traditional restaurants as a dessert
• Leipziger Allerlei , a vegetable dish
• Reformationsbrötchen , a pastry, sold in bakeries in October prior to Reformation Day

Budget [ edit ]

For breakfast or for a snack during the day, turn to one of the many bakery shops you'll find all over the city. Most are open 7 days a week, typically from 06:00 to 18:00 (or from 07:00 to 06:00 on Sundays). €5 buys you a sandwich, a pastry or a piece of cake, and a cup of coffee.

In the city center [ edit ]

• 51.33769 12.372898 1 Zur Pleißenburg , Ratsfreischulstraße 2 . ( updated May 2022 )
• 51.343928 12.37732 2 Wurstmeister , Richard-Wagner-Straße 10A . A Snackbar with German food ( updated May 2022 )
• 51.342458 12.377154 3 Leos Brasserie , Reichsstraße 20 . ( updated May 2022 )
• 51.341634 12.378036 4 Soup&nem Restaurant , Nikolaistraße 18 . Vietnamese-inspired dishes and vegetarian options. ( updated May 2022 )

Around the Südplatz [ edit ]

• 51.322137 12.373251 5 Gaststätte Kollektiv , Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 72 . A nostalgic German restaurant ( updated May 2022 )
• 51.315799 12.37359 6 Schnellbuffet Süd , Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 139 . ( updated May 2022 )
• 51.323748 12.373425 7 La Strada Pizzaria & Eiscafe , Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 56A . ( updated May 2022 )
• 51.325957 12.373594 8 Olive Tree , Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 38 . A kebab restarant ( updated May 2022 )

Mid-range [ edit ]

• Apels Garten , Kolonnadenstraße 2 ( Tram: Gottschedstraße ). Saxon cuisine. ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 51.340795 12.373202 9 Zills Tunnel , Barfußgäßchen 9 . Saxon food. Large portions. Outdoor terrace, rustic cellar, or tunnel courtyard. €9–13 .  
• 51.307042 12.379907 10 Zest , Bornaische Straße 54 ( Tram (10 or 11): Pfeffingerstraße ), ☏ +49 341 2319126 . W-M 11:00–23:00 . Vegetarian/vegan restaurant. Try the strawberry basil smoothie. €10–15 .  
• Tobagi , Riemannstraße 52 ( Tram: Hohe Straße ). Korean food. ( updated Sep 2022 )
• 51.341189 12.373459 11 Barthel's Hof , Hainstraße 1 . Exotic Saxon dishes. €8–25 .  
• Safran , Karl-Liebknecht-Straße . Indian food. ( updated Sep 2022 )
• Ubuntu , Beuchaer Straße 2, Leipzig, Germany, 04318 . ( updated Apr 2023 )

Splurge [ edit ]

• Medici , Nikolaikirchhof 5 . Classy Italian restaurant 3–5 course set: €46–62 .  
• 51.338123 12.380117 12 Stadtpfeiffer , Augustusplatz 8 ( inside Gewandhaus ), ☏ +49 341 2 17 89 20 , [email protected] . Tu-Sa from 18:00; closed in July and August . 4 course set: €108 .  

Drink [ edit ]

A local beer specialty is Leipziger Gose , a top-fermented brew, containing salt and coriander, with a characteristic, slightly sour flavour, that originated from Goslar but was immensely popular in Leipzig during past centuries. It has however become rather rare and is only served in a few specialised breweries and pubs nowadays, namely Gosenschenke Ohne Bedenken and Bayerischer Bahnhof (see listings below). Gose can be flavoured with green (woodruff) or red (raspberry) syrup, or mixed with liquor.

Today, most Leipzigers prefer more mainstream Pils beers and if you just order "a beer" you will most probably get a Pils by default. Ur-Krostitzer , for example, is brewed just a few kilometers north of Leipzig and was purportedly favoured by the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus during his stay in the region. Leipzig's Sternburg Export is one of the cheapest among German beer brands (c. 50 cents a bottle in most supermarkets) and is preferred by the young and poor who want to get lit for little money, while only a few enthusiasts actually appreciate its taste.

A local liquor specialty is Leipziger Allasch , a kümmel (caraway-flavoured liquor), and a variety of liquors of Horn's distillery.

You can find a lot of pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants and also some smaller dance clubs along the multicultural Karl-Liebknecht-Straße ("Karli"). The street starts in the south of the inner city and leads you to Südvorstadt and Connewitz (student and alternative quarters). Many pubs, bars and cafés can also be found on 51.34082 12.373658 1 Barfußgässchen .   , a narrow lane in the old town.

Cafés [ edit ]

Leipzig has a long and lively coffee house tradition. Although many of the old cafés have disappeared, this tradition lives on. Besides Zum Arabischen Coffee Baum (listed under Museums above) a number of cafés give you a place to relax and have a cup of coffee during the day.

• 51.340656 12.376941 2 Riquet , Schuhmachergäßchen 1 ( city centre ), ☏ +0341 9 61 00 00 . 09:00–20:00 . Built in 1908-09. Two copper elephant heads guard the entrance. The interior is put under preservation and has been restored to its original glory in the 1990s. Wide selection of cakes and gateaux. ( updated Dec 2018 )
• Café Grundmann , August-Bebel-Straße 2 ( tram 10, 11 to Südplatz, then follow Schenkendorfstraße ). Art-deco style. Opened in 1919, refurbished in 1998–2000. Outside the city centre.  

Bars and pubs [ edit ]

• 51.329159 12.381344 4 Bayerischer Bahnhof Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei , Bayrischer Platz 1 . Brewery and restaurant in the former ticket hall of Leipzig's oldest railway station. Home-bewed beers (0.5l): €4.60 . ( updated Jul 2021 )
• Chocolate , Gottschedstraße 1 . Sleek design.  
• 51.357753 12.367571 5 Gosenschenke Ohne Bedenken , Menckestraße 5 ( Tram 12 to Fritz-Seger-Straße ). Includes the city's prettiest beer garden but not many vegetarian options. Try their beer specialty 'Gose'. It's made with coriander and salt, and is very much an acquired taste. It is usually served with a shot of liquor. Beer (0.5l): €4.50; Food: €11–19 .  
• Sixtina , Sternwartenstraße 4 . Has the largest number of different brands of absinthe.  
• Tonelli's , Neumarkt 9 . Right in the centre of town. Good German food and drink at a low price. A local mainstay. The only location that offers live music Monday to Saturday starting at 21:00. Tuesdays is "Guitarnight" with guitar guru Christian Rover and occasional international guests, Thursdays the blues scene meets, changing events on other nights.  
• Volkshaus , Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 32 ( Tram: Hohe Straße, LVB ). Always a happening place. DJs, football games, and partying all night.  
• Spizz , Am Markt 9 ( S-Bahn: Markt ), [email protected] . Right in the centre of town. Popular with all age groups. A place to see and be seen. Also a jazz bar with brass instruments hanging from the ceiling.  

Clubs [ edit ]

• 51.302407 12.373948 6 Conne Island , Koburger Straße 3 ( In the suburb of Connewitz, Tram 9 to Koburger Brücke ). Former squat house, now a top venue for punk, rock, ska, and hip-hop concerts.  
• Dark Flower , Hainstraße 12–14 . gothic music and dark wave, on Thursday rock music.  
• 51.325169 12.330927 7 Elipamanoke , Markranstädter Str. 4, 04229 Leipzig . Dark and dirty techno club with two floors in an old industrial building in the Plagwitz district.  
• Flowerpower , Bernhard-Göring-Straße 16 . Weirdly decorated place with hippie 1970s theme. Mostly classic rock. Party lasts well past 04:00.  
• 51.31085 12.376238 8 Ilses Erika , Bernhard-Göring-Straße 152 ( Tram: Wiedebachplatz ). Small club features indie and electronic music. Student crowd.  
• 51.320916 12.389097 9 Institut für Zukunft , An den Tierkliniken 38–40, 04103 Leipzig . Industrial-style techno club in a former cold store, playing techno on the lower floor, and house on the upper floor.  
• 51.337258 12.379006 10 Moritzbastei & Cafe Barbakane , Universitätsstraße 9 ( Tram: Roßplatz ). Very old and big student club bar and cafe. Underground cellars. Live bands or DJs most nights, outdoor films are shown in the summer. Moritzbastei was once a part of the city wall. Students dug it out in the 1970s and turned it into a club.  
• 51.325081 12.373331 11 naTo , Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 48 ( Tram 10 or 11 to Südplatz ), ☏ +49 341 30143 97 . Jazz, experimental, and indie music. Also shows film and theatre.  
• 51.310295 12.37215 12 Werk II , Kochstraße 132 . In an old factory, now used for concerts, film, theatre, and circus acts.  

Sleep [ edit ]

Leipzig is a major trade fair location: occupancy and rates at hotels may starkly rise during fair periods. Consult the calendar at the website of Leipziger Messe for their dates.

Camping [ edit ]

• Campingplatz Leipzig Auensee , Gustav-Esche-Straße 5 .  
• Campingplatz am Kulkwitzer See / LeipzigSeen .  
• Caravan-Zentrum Leipzig , Prager Straße 200 .  

Hostels [ edit ]

• 51.341406 12.373011 1 Hostel & Hotel Five Elements , Kleine Fleischergasse 8 , ☏ +49341355 83 196 . Great hostel right in the centre of Leipzig. Extraordinary good breakfast buffet for another €5 extra. €15 for a bed in 6-bed dorm . ( updated Jun 2018 )
• [formerly dead link] Fairschlafen - Ferienwohnungen in Leipzig , Brühl 61 ( near Hauptbahnhof ), ☏ +49 160 96604793 , [email protected] . Good for budget, comfort and ecological visitors.  
• Ferienwohnungen Leipzig ( ferienwohnungen-leipzig.net ), Wintergartenstraße 2 ( Tram 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16 to Hauptbahnhof ), ☏ +49 341 2425951 , [email protected] . Popular with families and groups.  
• 51.347924 12.377724 2 Central Globetrotter Hostel , Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 41 ( Tram 9, 10, 11, 14, 16 to Wilhelm-Liebknecht Platz ), ☏ +49 341 1498960 , [email protected] . While it's in a somewhat shady area (next to a shop for cannabis paraphernalia) near the main station, the hostel is nice and family-friendly. Dorm bed: €12.50–22; single: €27–31; breakfast €3.50; linen: €2.50; laundry: €3 .  
• 51.344339 12.3689 3 Sleepy Lion Hostel , Jacobstraße 1 ( Tram (several lines) to Goerdelerring ), ☏ +49 341 9939480 , [email protected] . In a neat, beautifully refurbished old building close to the city centre. Caters to families and culture-lovers, not party animals. The whole hostel is non-smoking. Dorm bed: €14–22; single: €30–31; breakfast €3.50; linen: €2.50; laundry: €3 .  
• 51.354082 12.419357 4 Jugendherberge Leipzig , Volksgartenstr. 24 ( Tram 1 to Löbauer Straße ), ☏ +49 341 245700 , [email protected] . HI hostel. Popular with school groups and families. 4 km outside the city centre (11 minutes by tram). Dorm bed: €17.50–26.50 .  

Hotels [ edit ]

• Hotel Plagwitzer Hof , Gießerstraße 28 ( Tram 14 to K.-Heine-/Gießerstraße ), ☏ +49 341 4928606 . Cheap, but service is lacking. €26–68 .  
• Weisses Ross , Auguste-Schmidt Straße 20 ( Tram 2, 9, 16 to Roßplatz ). Humble accommodations but close to the centre. Owner is very friendly but speaks only German. Single: €28–35; double: €42–55 .  
• 51.40413 12.36917 5 ACHAT Comfort Hotel Messe-Leipzig , Salzhandelsstraße 2 , ☏ +49 341 52460 . €45–79 .  
• 51.32128 12.41531 6 Balance Hotel Leipzig-Alte Messe , Breslauer Straße 33 ( Tram 4 to Weißestraße ). €43–83 .  
• 51.36666 12.45623 7 B&B Hotel Leipzig - Hotel an der Messe , Torgauer Straße 277 A ( Tram 3, 13 to Portitzer Allee ), ☏ +49 341 271160 . Single €50, double/twin €60, triple €80 . ( updated Dec 2018 )
• 51.35043 12.441 8 City Partner Suite Hotel , Permoserstraße 50 ( Tram 7 or 8 to Theodor-Heuss-Straße ). 4-star hotel. Great value. €60-80 .  
• 51.33779 12.39384 9 [dead link] Grand City Hotel Leipzig Zentrum , Gerichtsweg 12 ( Tram 4 or 7 to Gerichtsweg ). 3-star hotel. €39–77 .  
• 51.30586 12.37842 10 Hotel Alt-Connewitz , Meusdorfer Straße 47 ( Tram 11 to Pfeffingerstraße ), ☏ +49 341 3013770 . €53–80 .  
• 51.32504 12.37534 11 Hotel Markgraf Leipzig , Körnerstraße 36 ( Tram 10 or 11 to Südplatz ). €53–110 .  
• 51.3285 12.37439 12 Hotel Michaelis , Paul-Gruner-Straße 44 ( Tram 10, 11 to Hohe Straße, LVB ). €89–129 .  
• 51.3119 12.36914 13 [dead link] Leonardo Hotel & Residenz , Windscheidstraße 21 ( Tram 9, 10, 11 to Connewitz, Kreuz ), ☏ +49 341 3033 . €60–140 .  
• 51.34974 12.31801 14 Lindner Hotel Leipzig , Hans-Driesch-Straße 27 ( Tram 7 to Rathaus Leutzsch ). One of the best values in Leipzig. €39–78 .  
• 51.34955 12.37599 15 Mercure Hotel Art Leipzig , Eutritzscher Straße 15, 04105 Leipzig , ☏ +49 341-303840 , [email protected] . This Mercure is more about modern comforts than art, but unless you are looking for striking new frontiers in hotel room design, you should be very fine with its reasonably-appointed rooms and free WiFi. €67.50 .  
• 51.33197 12.38722 16 Mercure Hotel Leipzig Am Johannisplatz , Stephanstraße 6 ( Tram 12, 15 to Gutenbergplatz ), ☏ +49 341 9779 . €55–102 .  
• 51.40279 12.38969 17 NH Leipzig Messe , Fuggerstraße 2 ( Tram 16 to Messegelände ), ☏ +49 341 52510 . €44–79 .  
• 51.34074 12.37785 18 Motel One Leipzig , Nikolaistraße 23 ( Tram 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16 to Augustusplatz ). Double €69-84 . ( updated Dec 2018 )
• 51.34335 12.37894 19 Park Hotel Seaside Leipzig , Richard-Wagner-Straße 7 ( Tram 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 to Hauptbahnhof ). €78–120 .  
• 51.34075 12.38686 20 Pentahotel Leipzig , Grosser Brockhaus 3 ( Tram 4, 7, 12, 15 to Johannisplatz ). €272-351 . ( updated Dec 2018 )
• 51.33672 12.39332 21 H+ Hotel Leipzig City Centre , Gutenbergplatz 1 ( Tram 12, 15 to Gutenbergplatz ), ☏ +49 341 1293 . Breakfast included. €80-120 . ( updated Dec 2018 )
• 51.35017 12.46825 22 Ramada Leipzig , Schongauer Straße 39 ( Tram 3, 7 to Sommerfeld ), ☏ +49 341 254 . €70–99 .  
• 51.36496 12.38542 23 Top Vivaldi Hotel Leipzig , Wittenberger Straße 87 ( Tram 14, 16 to Eutritzscher Zentrum ), ☏ +49 341 9036 . €50–84 .  
• 51.34356 12.38382 24 Best Western Premier Victors Residenz , Georgiring 13 ( Tram 8 to Wintergartenstraße ), ☏ +49 341 6866 . €90–153 .  
• 51.34336 12.37695 26 Leipzig Marriott Hotel , Am Hallischen Tor 1 ( Tram 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 to Hauptbahnhof ), ☏ +49 341 9653-0 . 231 guest rooms. Wi-fi. €95–188 .  
• 51.33795 12.38228 27 Radisson Blu Hotel, Leipzig ( Tram 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16 to Augustusplatz ). €86–155 .  
• 51.3437 12.37713 28 Royal International Leipzig , Richard-Wagner-Straße 10 ( Tram 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 to Hauptbahnhof ), ☏ +49 341 231006-0 . This hotel is very close to the train station and to downtown. The rooms are big with a built-in kitchen. Free internet. Single €75–120; double €95–180 .  
• 51.34667 12.37554 29 The Westin Leipzig , Gerberstraße 15 ( Tram 9, 10, 11, 14, 16 to Wilhelm-Liebknecht Platz ), ☏ +49 341 9880 . €71–141 .  

Stay safe [ edit ]

Leipzig's safety is on par with other major German cities. The basic precautions you would normally take when travelling in Germany will be enough to feel safe. The city center is safe at all times.

As in much of Saxony, there are a lot of far-right extremists in and around Leipzig. But unlike in rural Saxony, they are countered by a strong, active Antifa community , which seldom hesitates to use violence to stop far-right activities. Police reaction to scuffles from both sides can consequently be heavy handed, and they have been attacked by both right- and left-wing political activists.

Cope [ edit ]

• Consulate Generals and other foreign authorities in Leipzig . Online list maintained by tourist information.  
• Ludwig Press Shop ( Hauptbahnhof, platform level, in the old waiting hall in the middle ). Broad selection of international newspapers  
• Polizeirevier Innenstadt , Ritterstraße 17-21 , ☏ +49 341 7105-0 , toll-free: 110 (for emergencies) . Police station city centre.  
• Polizeirevier Mitte , Dimitroffstr. 1 , ☏ +49 341 966-34299 , toll-free: 110 (for emergencies) . Police station for central districts around the immediate centre.  
• Bundespolizei Hauptbahnhof ( Federal Police ), Willy-Brandt-Platz 2c ( central station, platform level, near platform 2 ), ☏ +49 341 997990 , toll-free: 110 (for emergencies) .  
• Lost Property Office ( Fundbüro ), Technisches Rathaus, Prager Straße 130 ( tram 12 or 15 to Prager/Riebeckstraße; take the side entrance between blocks A and B of the administration building ), ☏ +49 341-123-8400 , fax : +49 341-123-8402 , [email protected] . Tu 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–18:00 .  
• Railway Lost Property Office , Willi-Brandt-Platz 7 ( Hauptbahnhof, Querbahnsteig, near western side exit ), ☏ +49 341-9683255 . 06:00–22:00 . If you lost something on a train or in a station.  

Go next [ edit ]

• The Central German Lake District surrounds Leipzig
• Lützen — about 20 km southwest, where two great battles have been fought during the Thirty Years' and the Napoleonic Wars, and where Gustavus Adolphus, one of the most famous kings of Sweden died in the Thirty Years War . Birthplace of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
• Merseburg – more than thousand-year-old town with interesting old centre, Romanesque/Gothic cathedral and Renaissance palace (30 km west)
• Halle — Leipzig's "twin city" some great things to see. Largest city in Saxony-Anhalt , birthplace of Händel and has a few castles. The cities are linked by frequent local trains, taking half an hour from one main station to the other (40 km northwest)
• Colditz — known for its castle that was used as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II (50 km southeast)
• Naumburg — with its impressive, UNESCO-listed Romanesque cathedral, home town of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, centre of the Saale-Unstrut cultural landscape and wine-growing region can be reached in 40–50 minutes by train (60 km southwest)
• Dessau — former residence of the small principality of Anhalt; both the beautiful Dessau-Wörlitz "garden realm" and the Bauhaus school that pioneered modern architecture and arts are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Local trains run every hour, taking 45–55 minutes (70 km north)
• Lutherstadt Wittenberg — one of the most important sites of Protestant Reformation, is just half an hour away in ICE trains (75 km north)
• Dresden — a must-see with its old baroque centre, the Frauenkirche and its other attractions. Go there in just over an hour by train or car (120 km east)
• Weimar — Germany's "classical city", where several poets, philosophers and artists of the classical era lived and worked, is little more than an hour away by train (130 km southwest)
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12 Top Tourist Attractions in Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig is an historic city at the confluence of three rivers in eastern Germany. Just 160 km (100 miles) from Berlin, Saxony’s largest city was an important trade city during the days of the Roman Empire. The city is famous for its musicians: Bach, Wagner Mendelssohn and a boys choir that originated in the early 13th century. Martin Luther preached here.

Though a bloody battle in which Napoleon was defeated 200 years ago was fought here, the city is famous for peace today. In more recent times, Leipzig was where peaceful demonstrations to reunite Germany started. To make sure you find all the best places to visit and things to do, use this handy list of the top attractions in Leipzig.

Map of Leipzig

12. Zeitgeschichtliches Forum

The history of Germany since 1949 is the focus of the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum. This history museum begins when Germany was split in two following World War II, covers the building of the Berlin Wall and reunification in 1989, and continues until the present day.

The Palace of Tears centers on life in the Soviet section with East German opposition to the one-party regime. It pays particular attention to everyday life under Soviet domination. Personal experiences are detailed in 3,200 items in the permanent exhibition as well as another 200,000 items on history of the German Democratic Republic.

11. Bach Museum

Though he lived 300 years ago, Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the greatest composers of all time, his works including Brandenburg Concerto and Mass in B minor. Leipzig’s Bach Museum is a great place to explore his music and life.

The museum is located in a house across from where he lived – his house was torn down but that of his wealthy neighbors wasn’t. It features a “treasure room” containing Bach’s original manuscripts. There’s even a room where visitors can listen to audio recordings of his greatest pieces.

10. Madler Passage

If Goethe were alive today, he probably wouldn’t recognize Auerbach’s Keller, the wine bar he made famous in Faust, or its surroundings. The basement wine bar was built in 1529, and over the centuries buildings were restored or new ones built, until today it is a huge shopping arcade called Madler Passage.

The glass-covered complex also includes restaurants and offices. But it is the ambiance, the decorative buildings, the statuary and the opportunity to experience surroundings from years gone by that draws everyone in. OK, the upscale boutiques filled with unique items probably helps, too.

9. Museum in der Runden Ecke

Avid fans of spy novels definitely won’t want to miss visiting the Museum in der Runden Ecke (Museum in the Round Corner). The outside of the curved building belies what’s inside. For forty years it was the office of the East German secret police who kept close tabs on Leipzig residents.

The museum is devoted to disguises, surveillance equipment, torture equipment and propaganda the Stasi used to control and manipulate citizens. The Stasi was in the process of destroying everything when a citizens group wrested control. Al the displays are in German but audio guides in English are available.

8. City-Hochhaus

City-Hochhaus soars over the rooftops of Leipzig as well it should, since it is the city’s tallest building. The 30-story skyscraper climbs 142 meters (466 feet) into the sky. Completed in 1975, the City-Hochhaus has a unique multi-faced architecture that presents a very modern style in a city that’s been around since the early 11th century.

Locals refer to the City-Hochhaus, officially known as the Panorama Tower, as the “sleep tooth” because of its design. There’s a restaurant on the 29th floor. Go up another floor to the observation deck for breathtaking views as far as the eye can see.

7. New Town Hall

New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) looks more like a palace or castle than a town hall, just that’s what is has been since construction was completed in 1905. It is a landmark not only in Leipzig but also in all of Germany, since its tower is the country’s tallest city hall tower at 115 meters (377 feet) high.

The New Town hall sits on the site of an old palace; the city fathers decided the palace’s Rapunzul tower silhouette should be maintained. The town hall was occupied by Nazis during World War II, with numerous suicides happening here in the waning days of the war.

6. Leipzig Zoo

On its website, Leipzig Zoo (Zoologischer Garten Leipzig) boasts about its animal welfare, species conservation efforts and how it’s the most modern zoo in the world. These things are important, but it’s not why people visit the zoo: They want to see the 850 species of animals the zoo has.

They want to see animals in settings that resemble their native habitat – the Leipzig Zoo is good at that, no longer using cages for the animals. These settings include Gondwanaland, an indoor tropical rainforest the size of two soccer fields, Pongoland where gorillas and chimps live, or the rare Chinese pangolin, a mammal with scales.

5. St. Nicholas Church

Over the centuries the 12th century St. Nicholas Church, or Nikolaikirche, has been Romanesque, Gothic and now Baroque. Its graceful white interior columns soar to the ceiling; the Luther Pulpit, so named because it existed in Martin Luther’s time, can be found in the north chapel. Leipzig’s first Lutheran service took place here.

Everything about the interior of this Lutheran church evokes elegance, serenity and peace. Johann Sebastian Bach was its musical director. In more recent times, the 1,400-seat church became the starting site of the Monday Demonstrations, peaceful demonstrations that eventually led to the reunification of Germany in 1989.

4. Panometer

From the outside the old gasometerr, a container built in 1909 and used to hold natural gas, doesn’t look like much. Go inside the Panometer, however, to see the world’s largest cloth murals. The murals are 344 feet in circumference and 30 meters (98 feet) high; visitors view them from a platform that is almost 50 feet above the ground.

These murals are digitally printed on strips of cloth, pieced together and then hung. The theme changes periodically. The theme for 2018 is Titanic; past themes have included Leipzig in 1813, Amazonia, ancient Rome and Mount Everest.

3. St. Thomas Church

St. Thomas Church is a late Gothic Lutheran church with an important music and religious history. Great composers like Richard Wagner, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy played here. Bach served as its music director and is buried here. Martin Luther preached from the pulpit in 1539.

St. Thomas is famous for its Thomanerchor, a boy’s choir that has been in existence since 1212 – the church was founded in the 12th century. The current building dates to 1496, with a tower and chapels added over the centuries. Gothic paintings can be found inside.

2. Market Square

Market Square dates back centuries ago when knights played games here. Old City Hall, now a history museum, was built in 1509. The grand ballroom is used for concerts. Other old buildings surrounding the square house restaurants and shops. The city’s top markets and festivals, including Christmas and Easter, take place here every year.

The rest of the year Tuesdays and Thursdays are the best days to visit the market. That’s when farmers sell beautifully arranged fresh produce and bouquets of flowers. The market is a good place to get food for a picnic to enjoy in one of Leipzig’s many parks.

1. Volkerschlachtdenkmal

Volkerschlachtdenkmal is a massive monument that commemorates the defeat of Napoleon in the October 1813 Battle of the Nations. The battle involved 800,000 soldiers from 20 countries, with 100,000 killed or wounded. The monument was built for the 100th anniversary of the battle in 1913, paid for by donations from Leipzig residents and the City of Leipzig.

The monument is nearly 300 feet (91 meters) tall with 500 steps. There’s a viewing platform at the top. Made from concrete and stone, the monument stands where some of the battle’s bloodiest fighting took place. Statues of soldiers killed surround the first floor.

Best Time to Visit Leipzig

From May through to September is the best time to visit Leipzig as this is when the weather is warmest and the sun is shining brightest. Average temperatures of 19 to 23°C (66-73°F) allow you to comfortably stroll around its center, hike about its woods or explore its nearby rivers and lakes.

While this is when the city is busiest and prices are highest, numerous events are also held all around town. These include Bachfest and the Wave Gothic Festival; both important parts of ‘Hypezig’’s alternative and contemporary culture scene.

April and October are also fine for visiting Leipzig though the temperature already drops to around 13 or 14°C (55 to 57°F). The colors of the blooming flowers and golden trees are very picturesque, however. The popular Leipziger Kleinmesse funfair also takes place each spring and autumn.

December again has an increase in tourist numbers as people head to Leipzig for its magical Christmas market which impressively dates to 1458. As every month of the year sees about 12 and 16 days with at least some rainfall, make sure to take a coat when you go!

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November 21, 2019 at 8:04 pm

Not sure what town square the picture in your article is from but it is for sure not the one in Leipzig.

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Home » Travel Guides » Germany » 15 Best Things to Do in Leipzig (Germany)

15 Best Things to Do in Leipzig (Germany)

Having long been a centre for trade, culture and learning, the city of Leipzig was where East Germany’s Peaceful Revolution gained traction in the 1980s. The Monday Demonstrations were held at St. Nicholas Church, blooming into a peaceful protest movement that eventually toppled the GDR’s government.

Long before then, the composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn were Leipzig residents, and there are compelling visitor attractions for both figures. The city was founded in the 11th century at the intersection of two key trade routes, the Via Imperii and the Via Regia. So it was natural that during the Medieval Holy Roman Empire Leipzig made name for its international trade fairs. That tradition persists today at the Leipzig Messe, the exhibition halls to the north of the city.

Let’s explore the best things to do in Leipzig :

1. St. Thomas Church

Between 1723 and 1750 Johann Sebastian Bach was the cantor at this 13th-century Gothic church.

It has also been Bach’s burial place since 1950, and you can find his ledger stone on the floor of the choir and see a statue in his honour outside in front.

The St. Thomas choir is still one of the most prestigious in the world, and you can come to hear them on Fridays, Saturdays on Sundays.

Following the concert on Sundays you can take a tour of the Baroque tower, which was finished in 1702. Richard Wagner was also baptised in this church, while around 20 years earlier in 1789 Mozart played the organ here.

2. St. Nicholas Church

This Gothic and Baroque Church was the scene of the Monday Demonstrations that eventually helped reunite Germany.

With less of a Stasi presence than Berlin, and regular foreign visitors for the Leipzig Messe (Trade Fair), Leipzig was the first large city in the GDR to have peaceful anti-government protests in 1989. And because the church backed those protesters, holding a prayer for peace every Monday since 1982, St. Nicholas was the venue for the demonstrations.

In the space of a few weeks the numbers had swelled from a few hundred to 120,000 by 16 October 1989. And when the security forces failed to intervene the movement had the momentum to bring down the Berlin Wall a month later.

Going back 250 years, St. Nicholas was also where Bach premiered many of his pieces including the seminal St John Passion.

3. Museum der Bildenden Künste

Leipzig’s fine arts museum reopened in 2004 in a bold glass cube in the centre of the city on Katharinenstraße.

The previous building had been wiped out in the war, although the most valuable art had already been stored away.

With art from Medieval times to today, one of the museum’s strong points is its works by German Renaissance masters like Lucas Cranach the Elder and Frans Hals.

Later, Caspar David Friedrich’s painting, the Stages of Life is one of the masterworks of the German Romantic movement.

At the new building’s inauguration in 2004 the museum also received a donation of over 40 pieces of 19th-century French art, running the gamut from Delacroix and Camille Corot to Impressionists like Monet and Degas.

4. Völkerschlachtdenkmal

A lasting piece of Wilhelmine architecture is this monument to the Battle of Leipzig.

The battle took place in 1813, and brought about one of Napoleon’s final defeats, against a coalition of armies from Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden.

Over 600,000 fought at Leipzig, making it the largest battle until the First World War.

The monument was inaugurated on the battle’s centenary in 1913 and is still one of the tallest war monuments in Europe at 91 metres.

It has a concrete frame clad with granite and is on two storeys.

The first is a crypt decorated with eight statues representing fallen soldiers, accompanied by Totenwächter (Guardians of the Dead). On the upper storey are four 9.5-metre statues symbolising the idealised German qualities of faith, fertility, bravery and sacrifice.

5. Zeitgeschichtliches Forum

This museum is all about East Germany from 1949 to Reunification.

The permanent exhibition documents all aspects of life in the GDR under the repressive SED (Socialist Unity Party) regime.

There are 3,200 exhibits like personal accounts, excerpts from speeches, propaganda posters, jerseys worn by the GDR national football team, communications equipment, art, consumer products, photographs, medals and archived documents.

A big slice of the exhibition handles the resistance and civil courage leading up to the Monday Demonstrations and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

There are also informative galleries dedicated to life in the former East Germany after Reunification.

6. Bach-Museum

Opposite St. Thomas Church is a museum on the life and work of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Maybe the most exciting exhibition is the treasure room, where music manuscripts hand-written by Bach are kept in glass cases.

These documents are so delicate that they can only be kept on show for a few months at a time before going back into storage, so the display is constantly rotated.

There are also musical instruments like the console of an organ that he played, a violone from his orchestra and a viola d’amore designed by his close friend Johann Christian Hoffmann.

You can trace Bach’s family tree and see just how many members of his family were involved in music, as court musicians, cantors, instrument makers or organists.

Whenever you visit Leipzig the chances are that something will be happening on the market square.

The core of the Christmas market is located here, where you’ll find a 20-metre Saxon spruce amid hundreds of stalls.

At other times there are weekly produce markets and an Easter market, while during the Wave-Gothic-Treffen (The world’s largest gothic festival) there are medieval themed stalls and sideshows like jousting in the square.

For architecture, the square is a blend of old and new: The west and south sides are traced by the Old Town Hall and the 16th-century Alte Waag building, which housed the city scales and for centuries was the hub of Leipzig’s trade fairs.

8. Altes Rathaus

Begun in 1556, the arcaded old town is the most beautiful historical landmark in Leipzig.

The Altes Rathaus is considered one of Germany’s best examples of Renaissance architecture, and is embellished with gables, mullioned windows and a tower that is slightly offset to the left.

Under those arcades on the ground floor are all kinds of restaurants, while the building has hosted the Leipzig city museum since 1909. This attraction shows off the town hall’s interiors, examples of period decoration from around the city interiors and dips into Leipzig’s past.

There’s a complete historical model of Leipzig in the monumental Festsaal, remnants of the city hall’s former dungeon, decoration from the destroyed St John’s Church and Roman artefacts.

Don’t miss the hand-written copy of the Sachsenspiegel, the 13th-century law-book and custumal of the Holy Roman Empire, one of the earliest texts in German.

9. Leipzig Zoo

First opened in 1878, Leipzig Zoo has the honour of being one of the oldest in Germany, but it is also one of the most modern.

The attraction has pioneered new habitat concepts like the Gondwanaland biome.

This is a 16,500-square-metre indoor environment where the temperature is a steady 25°C and humidity is kept at between 65 and 100%. The edifice supports all kinds of tropical plants and animals like squirrel monkeys, giant otters, komodo dragons, leaf-cuter ants and a host of fish, turtles and frogs.

Another indoor hall is Pongoland, which opened in 2001 and provides a 30,000-square-metre indoor habitat for gorillas, two groups of chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans.

10. Museum in der Runden Ecke

On 4 December, less than a month after the wall fell the Monday demonstrators occupied this building which had been the headquarters of the Stasi in Leipzig.

This gesture was one landmark events of the Peaceful Revolution and landed a symbolic blow on the SED government.

Now, a lot of the interior of the building has been kept as it was up to 1989, and the Stasi – Power and Banality exhibition goes into the history and methods of the infamous state security service.

There are tons of documents like confiscated correspondence, along with equipment for doctoring letters, uniforms, shredders, uniforms and all manner of surveillance equipment, from listening devices to cameras.

11. Grassi Museum

On Johannisplatz and Housed in a historically preserved building from the 1920s, combining Art Deco design with New Objectivity, the Grassi Museum is three museums rolled into one.

There’s a Musical Instruments Museum, an Ethnography Museum and maybe most interesting of all is the Leipzig Museum of Applied Arts.

If you have an eye for Art Deco design make for that applied arts museum, which is rich with ceramics, glassware and furniture from the 20s and 30s in the Art Nouveau to the Present Day exhibitors.

There’s also a Roman hall with artefacts recovered from Eythra close to Leipzig.

The musical instruments museum has pieces from the 1500s to the 20th century, while the ethnography museum boasts 200,000 exhibits from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania, Australia, Africa, the Americas and Europe.

12. Leipzig Panometer

In the southern suburb of Connewitz, a disused gasometer has been turned into a visual panorama by the Austrian artist Yadegar Asisi.

Fifty metres tall and 57 metres in diameter, the gasometer dates to 1909 and has a brick-built shell.

This building has been showing Asisi’s panoramas since 2003 and they tend to be updated every two or three years.

The images are 30 metres high and 105 metres in circumference.

At the time of writing this post in 2017 the current theme is the Titanic, while past panoramas have depicted the Battle of Leipzig, the Amazon, Ancient Rome and Mount Everest.

Accompanying each panorama is also small exhibition on the given topic.

13. Leipzig Hauptbahnhof

If you’re wondering why a train station should be on the list, Leipzig’s Hauptbahnhof is no typical train station.

First it’s the largest station in the world by floor area, covering 8.3 hectares and with a facade almost 300 metres long.

The station is also a museum, as on track 24 there are five historic locomotives like a Second World War-era DRB Class 52 steam engine and an aerodynamic DRG Class SVT 137 diesel locomotive introduced in the 1930s.

And besides all this the station’s concourse was converted into a three-storey shopping mall 20 years ago, with boutiques and high-street shops under the epic brick arches.

14. Mädlerpassage

In the centre of Leipzig there’s a plush shopping passage between Grimmaische Straße and Neumarkt.

The passage was developed in the 1910 by the leather manufacturer Anton Mädler and designed in an understated historicist style by the architect Theodor Kösser.

Once you step in off the street, the size of the development is astonishing, at four storeys in height and with a length of more than 140 metres.

Within is an extension of the Auerbachskeller, a wine tavern that dates back to the 15th century and counted Goethe as one of its patrons in the 18th century.

And this is joined by up to 40 specialty shops, cafes and restaurants, all in an opulent setting.

15. Mendelssohn-Haus

In a Neoclassical edifice on Goldschmidtstraße is the last and only preserved private apartment belonging to the 19th-century composer Felix Mendelssohn.

The building is from 1844, Mendelssohn moved in with his family in 1845 and passed away here in 1847. The building was turned into a museum for Mendelssohn’s life and work in 1997 on the 150th anniversary of his death.

On display are hand-written documents, watercolours composed by Mendelssohn and original furniture.

The museum was updated in 2014 and a new interactive display allows you feel what it’s like to conduct your own orchestra.

The grounds are also maintained as an historic garden, and the coach house has been converted into a venue for chamber music.

15 Best Things to Do in Leipzig (Germany):

• St. Thomas Church
• St. Nicholas Church
• Museum der Bildenden Künste
• Völkerschlachtdenkmal
• Zeitgeschichtliches Forum
• Bach-Museum
• Altes Rathaus
• Leipzig Zoo
• Museum in der Runden Ecke
• Grassi Museum
• Leipzig Panometer
• Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
• Mädlerpassage
• Mendelssohn-Haus

• 15 Must Visit Attractions In...

15 Must-Visit Attractions in Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig is Saxony’s coolest city – it’s young and vibrant and has been proclaimed the ‘New Berlin’. A playground for nomadic creatives who are looking for cheap rent, roomy studios and a similar energy to the quickly gentrifying German capital, it’s also a city steeped in history, having played an instrumental part in bringing down the Berlin Wall. With modern architectural gems, a wide array of spots for music enthusiasts and plenty of museums and galleries to explore, a trip to Leipzig can quickly fill up with a wealth of sites. Here are the 15 must-visit attractions to see in Leipzig.

1. nikolaikirche leipzig.

Nikolaikirche is famous for playing an instrumental part in the nonviolent movement that led to the downfall of the Berlin Wall . The church hosted ‘ peace prayers ’ as early as 1982, to show solidarity against the East German government and empowering the city’s citizens to confront injustices brought by the Wall. Held every Monday at 5pm, these prayer sessions are still held to this day. Starting in late 1989, the ‘peace prayers’ were followed by candlelit demonstrations, which reached their peak in October 1989, when some 70,000 citizens took to the streets to participate. Aside from this pivotal role in Germany’s history , the church also has a stunning interior which dates back to 1797 with Romanesque and Gothic roots.

2. Old Town Hall

Market, Museum

The Old Town Hall in Leipzig is both a stunning architectural landmark and a museum exploring the town’s history from the Middle Ages to the present day. The building is considered one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Germany, and its position facing the large market square make it a wonderful place to sit and people watch. Inside, the building houses the Museum of City History Leipzig, which invites visitors to enjoy a permanent exhibition that tours through the turbulent history of Leipzig . From old prison cells in the basement to historic rooms on the main floor, it’s a comprehensive look into the city’s past.

3. Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig

Art Gallery

Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig showcases the best in art with rolling exhibitions and an impressive permanent collection. Centrally located, this modernist glass cubed building houses an impressive collection of world-class painting from the 15th century to today, including works by Caspar David Friedrich, Munch and Monet . The museum also sets aside rooms to showcase local talent, with works from Neo Rauch and Max Klinger on display. Exhibits are juxtaposed to range from sculpture and installation to painting or religious art. The collective is extensive and is best explored at a leisurely pace, so set aside a few hours to experience the museum to its fullest.

5. Museum in der 'Runden Ecke'

Museum in der ‘Runden Ecke’, also known as the Stasi Museum in Leipzig, delves into GDR history. Housed in the former East German police headquarters, also known as the Stasi , this chilling and archival exhibition explores what life was like behind the Iron Curtain. English guides are available, and necessary, to fully understand and appreciate the extensive collection of Stasi propaganda, cunning surveillance equipment and other machinations that explore the GDR ‘s controlling and oppressive rule.

6. Monument to the Battle of the Nations

Leipzig was once site to an epic battle in 1813, that led to the decisive victory of Prussian, Austrian and Russian forces over Napoleon’s army. Centuries later, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations was built in honour of this bloody battle. An impressive 91 meters high, the sombre shrine has a distinctive Gothic look, and atop the colossal site are sweeping city views that are well worth the trek up.

7. Panorama Tower

Restaurant, Fusion

8. Augustusplatz

9. Mädler Passage

Shopping Mall

10. Leipzig Zoo

11. Panometer

12. Conne Island

Park, Skate Park

13. Bach-Museum

The Bach-Museum presents the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach . The interactive museum delves into all things Bach, letting visitors listen to Baroque instruments, treat their ears to compositions he wrote and peruse rare original manuscripts.

14. St Thomas Church Leipzig

15. Alte Börse

The Alte Börse , or the Old Stock Exchange at Naschmarkt, is Leipzig ‘s oldest Baroque building . It has served as a gathering place for 200 years and was originally built by merchants in 1678. Here, auctions were held, money was exchanged, as the site was a mecca of business. Today, the Alte Börse is used for concerts, readings and theatre performances.

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17 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Leipzig

Written by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Updated Dec 26, 2023 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

Germany's fastest-growing city, Leipzig is one of the most popular tourist destinations in eastern Germany , and thanks to its rich cultural and musical heritage, is regularly cited as one of the most livable cities in Europe . It's also cited as one of the continent's greenest cities, with one-third of its land covered in parks, green spaces, and forests.

A center of art and learning since the Middle Ages, as well as an important center for the book trade, it has long been a city of culture and was the home of Bach and Mendelssohn. Martin Luther preached here, and Goethe set scenes of Faust in one of its restaurants.

The city's attractions reflect all these and more. Music lovers will find concerts in the magnificent Gewandhaus, home of the world-famous Gewandhaus Orchestra, and in the church where Johann Sebastian Bach served as choirmaster; they can conduct a virtual orchestra at the home of Felix Mendelssohn, and pause for coffee and cake at Coffe Baum, a favorite of Schumann, Grieg, and Wagner.

The Leipzig zoo, one of Europe's best, is a favorite place to go with children, and families will also enjoy the ample parks. For tourists, it is a very manageable city, with many things to do right in the compact Old Town. If traveling by train, you will arrive at the grand Leipzig Central Station right in the heart of the city.

However close its attractions, don't think you can spend just one day in Leipzig — you will want time to see its excellent museums, pause for a concert in one of its churches, and savor the pastries in at least one of the coffeehouses it is famous for. Find the best places to visit with this handy list of the top tourist attractions and things to do in Leipzig.

See also: Where to Stay in Leipzig

1. Markt and Old City Hall

2. hear the music at st. thomas church, 3. st. nicholas church and the miracle of leipzig monument, 4. battle of the nations monument, 5. leipzig zoo, 6. neues gewandhaus, 7. museum of fine arts, 8. forum of contemporary history (zeitgeschichtliches forum), 9. mädlerpassage and naschmarkt, 10. coffe baum coffee museum, 11. mendelssohn house, 12. canoe or bike along the karl-heine canal and weisse elster, 13. grassi museum, 14. the leipzig cotton mill, 15. take a day trip to torgau and hartenfels castle, 16. leipzig university and the paulinum, 17. leipzig botanical garden, where to stay in leipzig for sightseeing, map of attractions & things to do in leipzig.

The Markt in Leipzig, for many centuries the hub of city life, is dominated by the Old City Hall (Rathaus), a Renaissance building erected in 1556 and considered one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Germany . The tower, with its Baroque crown, is placed asymmetrically over the main entrance, above which is a roofed balcony used for public proclamations, often involving trumpeters in traditional costumes.

The colonnades along the front were built in 1907, replacing the wooden shops and booths that once stood here, but you'll still find shops under the arcade. Inside the Rathaus is a museum filled with artifacts and pictures from Leipzig's history, from its medieval fairs to the 1989 "peaceful revolution."

The large square is the scene of a farmers market , and during the city's many music festivals (the annual Bach Festival fills the city's churches and concert venues with music each June), it is fitted with a stage for performances.

Address: Markt 1, D-04109 Leipzig

Southwest of Leipzig's Markt stands St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche), home of the world-famous St. Thomas Boys' Choir . The choir dates from 1212, the year the church was built. Originally serving as an Augustinian monastery, St. Thomas was altered in later centuries, and in the 15th century was given the form of a Late Gothic hall-church, a style popular in Upper Saxony.

The west front dates from renovation work carried out between 1872 and 1889. Martin Luther preached here in 1539, and the church choir became a center of Protestant sacred music. Frequent choir and organ concerts, twice-weekly motets, Bach Passion concerts, and the Christmas Oratorio draw music lovers to St. Thomas throughout the year.

Johann Sebastian Bach was the church's choirmaster from 1723 to 1750, and his remains are interred here. Outside the church in a small square stands a statue of Bach, commemorating his years as choirmaster. Opposite the church is the Bosehaus , home of the Bach Research Institute and Memorial and the Bach Archives.

Address: Thomaskirchhof 18, 04103 Leipzig

Built in the 12th century, St. Nicholas Church (Nikolaikirche) has been altered in various ways over the centuries, the most recent transforming its interior into the Neoclassical style in the 1700s. The entire interior is white, and its fluted columns rise to capitals from which palm fronds seem to spring out and support the groined ceiling.

It's a surprising flourish to an otherwise Neoclassical interior. Several works by Johann Sebastian Bach , who was music director both here and at St. Thomas Church, premiered here, and the church's organ is known for being one of the finest in Europe.

In the Nikolaikirchhof square outside, a monument echoing the design of the columns and their palm capitals commemorates the church's role as the rallying point for demonstrations against communist rule in East Germany in 1989. This uprising, known as Monday Demonstrations , began spontaneously, not planned or organized, in Leipzig following the weekly Friedensgebet (prayer for peace) in the St. Nicholas Church on September 4, 1989.

These continued each Monday, to the growing alarm of the communist government, until on October 9 about 70,000 peaceful demonstrators carrying lighted candles faced an armed security force of 8,000, who had been given orders to shoot. The size of the crowd and their non-violence convinced the forces not to fire, and the result became known as the Miracle of Leipzig . As news of the night spread, similar demonstrations were repeated in other East German cities, eventually leading to the reunification of Germany.

Address: Nikolaikirchhof 3, 04109 Leipzig

One of Germany's most important monuments — and a leading example of the Wilhelmine school of architecture — is the imposing Battle of the Nations Monument, the Volkerschlachtdenkmal. The largest war memorial in Europe, it was completed in 1913 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig in 1813.

On this battlefield, nearly 600,000 soldiers clashed in the largest battle in Europe prior to World War I. Napoleon's army was decisively defeated and forced to retreat to France, eventually leading to his exile to Elba the following year.

Heroic statues, 12 meters tall, surround the monument and its interior chamber, and there's a spectacular view from the viewing platform, 91 meters above (it's a long climb and there is no elevator). Below the monument is a museum about the Battle of Leipzig, illustrating the equipment and the military life of the soldiers who fought here. The monument is a 15-minute tram ride from the city center.

Address: Straße des 18 Oktober 100, 04299 Leipzig

More than just a day's outing for children, Zoo Leipzig is among Germany's best, where 850 different animal species live in habitats very close to their natural homes. Here, you can watch through an underwater glass wall as elephants swim, be greeted by the calls of black howler monkeys, see penguins play, look for alligators in the murky re-creation of the Everglades and find shy koalas lazing in their own eucalyptus forest.

In tropical environments, meet Germany's only Komodo Dragon , a lizard that can grow up to three meters long; drift in a boat through a rainforest inhabited by 100 exotic animal species; walk jungle paths; or get a bird's-eye view across the lush green canopy from the treetop trail. More than 24,000 plants create a tropical environment, where you can also see a garden with 60 exotic fruits and spices growing.

Enter a volcano tunnel to meet living fossils, creatures that look just as they did millions of years ago, or watch Amur tigers — the world's largest cats — in a Siberian landscape. Sit on the terrace of the Kiwara Lodge to enjoy the panoramic view of the savannah as giraffes munch on leaves and zebras gallop past ostriches, oryx, gazelles, and flamingos.

Added in 2017, the high-mountain landscape of the Himalayas is home to the zoo's snow leopards and red pandas , and the renovated walk-in aviary housing griffon vultures. One of Germany's largest aquariums holds an underwater world of colorful fish and living corals, where reef sharks and other species swim in circles around visitors.

Address: Pfaffendorfer Str. 29, Leipzig

Immediately east of the University in Leipzig is the Gewandhaus, the magnificent home of the world-famous Gewandhaus Orchestra . Built in 1981, the three-story hall is decorated with paintings by modern artists and is well known for its excellent acoustics.

In the Grosser Saal, the main concert hall is one of the city's two Schuke organs (the other is at St. Thomas Church). In addition to its first-rate concert program, the hall hosts organ concerts during the Bach Festival in June and a number of other special events.

Address: Augustusplatz 8, 04109 Leipzig

Although housed in one of Leipzig's newest architectural wonders, the Museum of Fine Arts (Museum der bildenden Künste) was in fact founded in 1837 and only settled into its new large-cubed home in 2004. One of Germany's most important national cultural institutions, the museum contains more than 3,500 paintings from the Middle Ages to the present, including works by Dutch, German, and Italian Masters.

While the museum displays few works by "big name" Old Masters — works by Frans Hals and a unique collection of 18 works by the two Lucas Cranachs being the exceptions — the collection of more than 400 paintings by 17th-century Dutch artists is exceptional in showing the development of this school.

More than 700 19th-century German works illustrate the progression from Classical to Romantic to Impressionism to Symbolism. The collection of 55,000 drawings and graphics includes works by William Hogarth, Daniel Chodowiecki, and Anton von Dyck, and the museum holds the definitive collection of works in all genres by Max Klinger , including 70 sculptures.

The building itself is a glass cube, 36 meters high, with its courtyards and terraces, where some of the larger three-dimensional works are displayed, visible from the outside. Its design is intended to reflect Leipzig's traditional passages.

Address: Katharinenstrasse 10, 04109 Leipzig

Through objects, photographs, recorded accounts, films, and thousands of artifacts, the Forum of Contemporary History tells the story of Germany from the end of World War II in 1945 until the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 and the subsequent reunification of Germany.

There is a heavy focus on everyday life for Germans under the communist dictatorship in the Soviet Occupation Zone, and on the opposition and civil disobedience to the repression of the Socialist Unity Party.

Permanent exhibitions examine the changes and challenges that reunification brought and consider the influences of globalization, international terrorism, and the digital revolution on the process of melding the two societies that had lived under such different economic and governmental systems.

If you are interested in a further look at Germany under the Communist occupation, visit the Stasi Museum and Memorial in the former headquarters of the "Stasi," the oppressive secret service of the former GDR. Admission to both museums is free.

Address: Grimmaische Str. 6, Leipzig, Germany

Opposite one end of the Old City Hall is the entrance to the Mädlerpassage , one of the charming old shopping arcades that tunnel through buildings in the heart of the old city. It leads to two other passages, Königshofpassage and Messehofpassage. Originally connecting merchants' houses and shops in the trade fair days, these covered alleyways protected tradesmen from the weather, and gradually they became the elegant arcades they are today.

Other European cities have such passages, but nowhere else is such an extensive network preserved. These covered streets are worth exploring for the shops, cafés, and restaurants they hide, and for their fascinating décor. At several points, they open out into covered courtyards, and elsewhere smaller passages intersect.

Decorations range from a beautiful tooled leather ceiling to a courtyard with modern tile artwork. In the Mädlerpassage, look for the statue of Faust and Mephistopheles in front of Auerbach's Keller , one of the most popular restaurants in Leipzig and where Goethe set the infamous cellar scene (Goethe was a frequent guest of the Keller, as was Martin Luther).

Opposite the entrance to the Mädlerpassage, behind the Old City Hall, is the Naschmarkt, a quiet little square laid out in 1556. On the north side is the Old Commercial Exchange (Alte Handelsbörse), an Early Baroque building dating from 1678.

One of the oldest coffee shops in Europe still in its original form, Coffe Baum opened in 1717.

Coffe Baum honors that heritage with a museum of coffee that fills 15 rooms on the upper floors of the historic building. More than 500 artifacts trace the history of coffee itself and the rise of the coffee house culture in Saxony — where many believe the German obsession with coffeehouses began.

Displays include roasters, various methods and machines for brewing coffee, vintage containers and advertising, early porcelain coffee cups, and the leather cases made to protect them. The museum is free, but you won't be able to pass the display case in the café without stopping for a slice of their signature Baumkuchen.

Address: Kleine Fleischergasse 4, 04109 Leipzig

The Mendelssohn House in Leipzig is the only authentically preserved residence of the great composer, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Originally built in 1844, and occupied by the composer and his family from 1845, the house has been restored according to the original plans and furnished in the late Biedermeier style popular at the time.

In his study and music salon are personal belongings, sheet music, and watercolor paintings by Mendelssohn, as well as documents and displays relating to his life and work.

In 2014, new interactive features were added to the museum, including a video library and the "Effektorium" — a conductor's podium where visitors can conduct a virtual orchestra. The music salon is used, as it was in Mendelssohn's days, for weekly Sunday Concerts, Leipzig's Piano Summer. A statue of Mendelssohn stands in a small park outside St. Thomas Church .

Address: Goldschmidtstrasse 12, D-04103 Leipzig

The Karl-Heine Canal leads from the river Weisse Elster through the old industrial district of Plagwitz, past beautiful brick industrial buildings and under tree-lined banks. The canal, Weisse Elster, and other waterways form an interlocking system of natural rivers and canals, a web of opportunities to discover another side of Leipzig.

The canal and some rivers are bordered by walking and bicycle paths, and wind through residential, industrial, and natural areas.

Waterside landmarks include the beautiful brick Buntgarnwerke Leipzig, built in 1875, Europe's largest architectural complex in Wilhelminian style. You can paddle under massive stone arched bridges, past the 1867 racecourse at Scheibenholz, and the impressive villa of the Baedeker family of guidebook fame.

Rent kayaks at Stadthafen Leipzig, the city's harbor, to paddle on your own, or join a canoe tour at the harbor to discover the waterways with a guide. You can rent bicycles at the harbor or at other locations around the city, or contact either nextbike or the Deutsche Bahn's Call a Bike service.

The Grassi Museum was established in 1895 and moved to its current home in 1929. The building is in fact three excellent museums in one, housing the city's ethnography, applied and decorative arts, and musical instrument collections.

The Museum of Musical Instruments is a particular favorite for visitors and includes instruments from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, as well as hands-on sound laboratories and extensive archives. Be sure to take a stroll through the city's impressive train station. Built in 1915, it is the largest railroad terminal in Europe.

Address: Johannisplatz 5-11, 04103 Leipzig

An area that's becoming increasingly interesting to explore is the Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei, the Leipzig Cotton Mill, in the district of Lindenau. This 10-hectare former industrial site was an important commercial center focusing on the cotton trade. At its peak before WWI, the complex formed a complete community that included 20 factories, homes, schools, and parks, along with more than 240,000 spindles.

In the past two decades, the Spinnerei has been transformed into a cultural destination, with art galleries, vast exhibition spaces, art studios, and workshops. About 100 artists, including fashion and other designers, printers, potters, sculptors, a goldsmith, and porcelain manufacturer, have settled here, and the complex is also home to a café, restaurants, and a film club.

The largest of the Spinnerei buildings has become a non-profit center for contemporary art , and the entire complex is the epicenter of Leipzig's vibrant art scene and the "New Leipzig School." A highlight of the complex is what may be Europe's largest and most comprehensive art supply store , a vast supermarket of art and craft materials and tools; an entire wall is devoted to brushes alone. To get there, take tram 14 from Leipzig Bahnhof to the S-Bahn Plagwitz station.

Address: Spinnereistraße 7, 04179 Leipzig

About an hour from Leipzig by car or 45 minutes by train, the hilltop town of Torgau is one of the major sites connected with Martin Luther and the Reformation . It was the political center of the Reformation, where Luther wrote some of his most significant works. The first Protestant songbook was published here, and it was where the Protestant rulers signed the Torgau League of Princes.

The town is dominated by the early Renaissance Hartenfels Castle , and it was in its wing that the world's first Protestant church was built, according to Luther's ideas, and consecrated by him in 1544. A beautiful spiral staircase rises from its broad courtyard, constructed without a central supporting column. The staircase and the Schöner Erker, a richly decorated oriel window dating from 1543, have been restored to their Renaissance splendor.

Luther's wife, Katharina von Bora, died in Torgau, and her grave memorial is one of the treasures of the church of St. Marien . Her house, where she died in 1552, is a museum, one of more than 500 late-Gothic and Renaissance buildings in Torgau. The beautifully decorated City Hall overlooks Torgau's market square, surrounded by other restored Renaissance buildings.

A monument in Torgau commemorates the meeting here of eastward-advancing US troops and westward-moving Soviet troops on April 25, 1945, signaling the approaching end of World War II.

The dominant feature in Augustusplatz is the 34-story building occupied by Leipzig University, with its lofty café, Panorama Tower - Plate of Art, at 110 meters above the city. One of the world's oldest universities — and the second oldest in Germany — Leipzig University was founded in 1409, and more than 60 percent of its buildings were destroyed in World War II.

Surviving the war undamaged, only to be destroyed by dynamite in 1968 under the Soviet occupation, the Paulinerkirche was built in 1231 for the Dominican monastery and inaugurated by Martin Luther in 1545 after the Protestant Reformation.

In 2007, construction began on the Paulinum, in the exact location of the former church and reflecting its Gothic architecture.

Inside the Post-modern exterior, the soaring nave reflects its Gothic predecessor with rows of reeded columns rising to an intricate vaulted ceiling. The Paulineraltar, the Gothic altar , was saved from the original church and, along with several large polychrome sculptural works, relieves the stark white of the interior. The hall is now used primarily as a concert venue.

The university is home to four museums: the Egyptian Museum ; the Museum for Musical Instruments ; the Museum of Antiquities ; and the University Art Collection , with paintings and sculptures dating back to the Middle Ages.

Incorporated in the lecture theater block is the Schinkeltor from 1836 and the surviving entrance to the old university, the Augusteum. Of interest nearby is the old Moritzbastei , a bastion dating back to 1515 and the only relic of the town's old fortifications.

The Leipziger Botanische Gärten can trace its roots back as far as 1542 as the medicinal plant garden for the former Dominican monastery of St. Paul, in Augustusplatz. It was re-established at the current site in 1877.

Despite devastation during World War II, this nine-acre site features 4,500 species of plants representing in 1800 genera, with examples from Eastern Europe, North America, Asia, and South America. Highlights are the herb garden; the "scent and touch" garden; and the series of large greenhouses with cacti, subtropical, and tropical plants from around the world.

Address: Linnéstrasse 1, 04103 Leipzig

The Rathaus, the old city hall in Leipzig, lies between the historic squares of the Naschmarkt and the larger Markt. Around these attractions are St. Nicholas Church and several of the fine old shopping arcades that characterize the historic center of the city. The train station is conveniently nearby. Here are some highly-rated hotels in the old center of Leipzig:

Luxury Hotels:

• In a historic building with modern amenities that include a spa with a sauna and steam room, Steigenberger Grandhotel Handelshof is right in Naschmarkt and next to St. Nicholas Church.
• With a pool, parking, and elegant rooms, Hotel Furstenhof, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Leipzig is equidistant between the Hauptbahnhof (rail station) and the Markt.
• Also with a fitness area and pool, Leipzig Marriott Hotel is a block from the Markt and two blocks from the Hauptbahnhof, close to the shopping streets.

Mid-Range Hotels:

• Opposite St. Thomas church and a five-minute stroll from the Markt and Old City Hall, INNSIDE Leipzig is one of the city's newest hotels, an excellent value with upscale and contemporary rooms at moderate rates.
• Radisson Blu Hotel Leipzig is at the outer edge of the old town center, a 10-minute walk from the train station and two minutes from the pedestrian shopping streets. For those concerned with sustainability, this is a Certified Green Hotel.
• Close to the train station, shops, and restaurants and an easy walk to the historic center, pentahotel Leipzig has a Club Level, which includes breakfast and dinner.
• Opposite the Hauptbahnhof and two blocks from the Markt, Seaside Park Hotel Leipzig is surrounded by restaurants.

Budget Hotels:

• A block from the train station and a 10-minute walk to the old town center, IntercityHotel Leipzig is only five minutes from the zoo.
• Three blocks from the Markt, BEST WESTERN Hotel Leipzig City Center faces a side entrance of the rail station.
• Art Hotel City Leipzig has spacious, well-decorated rooms, about a five-minute walk from the train station and 10 minutes from the old center.

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Places to Visit near Leipzig: Several fascinating cities are within an easy day trip from Leipzig. A 30-minute train ride takes you to the old university town of Wittenberg , the birthplace of Martin Luther's Reformation. A 40-minute train ride west of Leipzig, Erfurt also has connections to Martin Luther and has an interesting Jewish history as well.

Where to Go Next : Leipzig sits almost equidistant from eastern Germany's two most important cities, Dresden , with its magnificent palaces, and Germany's capital, Berlin , with its many museums and art galleries , both places you will want to spend some time exploring.

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