Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig

10 largest cities in Germany
Berlin
Hamburg
Munich
Cologne
Frankfurt am Main
Hanover
Dusseldorf
Leipzig
Bremen
Dresden

 

With around 600,000 inhabitants, Leipzig is the largest city in Saxony. It has an unusually well-preserved historical city center for large German cities and elegant districts from the Wilhelminian era. In addition, it was an industrial center and trade fair city with many passages in the city center, which today invite you to stroll. The city enjoys a worldwide reputation in the field of music and fine arts. The main impetus that led to the peaceful revolution and reunification of Germany (1989/90) came from here. Leipzig is rich in sights, shopping opportunities and one encounters a pronounced nightlife. The university is right in the center.

 

Districts

Since 1992, Leipzig has consisted of ten city districts, which in turn are divided into districts. The statistical districts including the districts, however, have little in common with the historically grown districts. Therefore, and because a large part of the sights are concentrated in the center, it makes more sense to make a spatial and structural subdivision.

Center
Core of the city from the main train station via the city center to the German library in the east and the green belt of the alluvial forest in the west.

North
mainly residential and commercial areas. Gohlis, Eutritzsch, Möckern, Mockau, Wahren, Stahmeln, Lützschena, Wiederitzsch with the New Exhibition Center and Seehausen.

West
shaped by former industrial areas, today the center of art, culture and creative industries. All districts west of the Auwald: Schleußig, Lindenau, Plagwitz, Leutzsch, Kleinzschocher, Großzschocher, Grünau, Knautkleeberg, Knauthain, Lausen, Böhlitz-Ehrenberg, Rückmarsdorf, Burghausen, Miltitz, Knautnaundorf and Hartmannsdorf.

East
mainly residential areas with a mixed social structure; In recent years, however, there has been an increasing number of cultural offers and nightlife options. Neustadt, Neuschönefeld, Reudnitz, Volkmarsdorf, Anger-Crottendorf, Sellerhausen, Stünz, Stötteritz, Schönefeld, Abtnaundorf, Paunsdorf, Thekla, Heiterblick, Mölkau, Engelsdorf, Baalsdorf, Holzhausen, Liebertwolkwitz, Althen, Kleinpösna, Portitz, Plaußig.

South
is considered the center of a left and alternative cultural scene. Südvorstadt, Connewitz, Probstheida with the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, Lößnig, Dölitz, Dosen and Meusdorf.

 

Getting here

By plane
Leipzig Halle Airport internet (IATA: LEJ), Terminalring 11, 04435 Leipzig/Halle Airport. Tel.: +49 (0)341 224 11 55, fax: +49 (0)341 224 22 55, e-mail: information@leipzig-halle-airport.de. The airport is located about 15km northwest of Leipzig. Within Germany, Lufthansa flies from Frankfurt (Main) and Munich. There are international scheduled flights from Vienna and Istanbul, among others. In the summer months, the holiday airlines offer flights to the mostly southern European travel destinations.

From the Leipzig/Halle Airport train station, which is located directly below the central terminal, the S-Bahn line S 5 and S 5X runs every 30 minutes to Leipzig Hbf (approx. 15 minutes travel time, MDV tariff, single journey €4.40) and on through the City Tunnel Leipzig towards Altenburg and Zwickau. Some of the ICs currently stop at the airport on the Leipzig-Halle-Magdeburg route and on towards Hanover.

A taxi ride to Leipzig city center costs around €45. There are several paid parking lots and a multi-storey car park at the airport. You can reach Leipzig by car via the A14.

By train
long-distance
Leipzig's main train station internet is located just north of the city center. Two ICE lines cross here:
Hamburg-Berlin-Leipzig-Erfurt (every hour; further every two hours from/to -Nuremberg-Munich or -Frankfurt am Main-Stuttgart),
(Wiesbaden)–Frankfurt am Main–Erfurt–Leipzig–Dresden (every two hours).

There is also an hourly IC connection from Hanover via Magdeburg. Every second train comes from Oldenburg and Bremen, the rest from Cologne and the Ruhr area.

Demand on the long-distance trains from Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt am Main is very high on weekday afternoons as well as on Fridays and Sundays, so reservations are recommended.

regional transport
Leipzig main station is the hub of local transport lines (RE, RB and S-Bahn), including half-hourly from/to Bitterfeld (30 min), Altenburg (45 min), Zwickau (1:20 hrs.); hourly Grimma (35 min), Riesa (45 min), Torgau (45 min), Dessau (50 min), Naumburg (Saale) (50 min), Chemnitz (1 hour), Falkenberg (Elster) (1 hour) , Gera (1:05 hrs), Döbeln (1:10 hrs), Dresden (1:30 hrs), Magdeburg (1:35 hrs), Saalfeld (2 hrs); every two hours Lutherstadt Wittenberg (1:10 hours), Jena, Weimar (each 1:20 hours), Cottbus (1:50 hours) and Hoyerswerda (2:30 hours)

The Halle (Saale) junction is about 30 minutes' drive away and can be reached several times an hour with the S3 and S5 S-Bahn, with only the S5 going via Leipzig/Halle Airport.

By bus
Most long-distance buses stop at the long-distance bus terminal on the east side of the main train station, which is on the ground floor of a multi-storey car park. If you leave the station via the platform tunnel or the eastern exit of the transverse platform, you only have to cross the Sachsenseite side street.

The stop of some lines for Leipzig is on the outskirts of the city at the exhibition center (long-distance bus stop at the terminus of tram 16). There is also a long-distance bus stop at the airport.

Few European long-distance bus connections with Eurolines exist from Zagreb, Sofia and Varna.

In the street
In Leipzig, environmental zones have been set up in accordance with the Fine Dust Ordinance. If you don't have the appropriate badge, you risk a fine of €100 when entering an environmental zone. This also applies to foreign road users.
Entry ban for vehicles of pollutant groups 1+2+3 (Info Federal Environment Agency)

Leipzig can be easily reached by car: the two autobahns A 14 (Magdeburg-Dresden) and A 9 (Berlin-Nuremberg) pass directly by Leipzig. In the meantime, the ring around Leipzig has been closed by the A 38 (from Göttingen).

Coming from the north (Berlin, Dessau) on the A 9, it is advisable if you want to go to the center to change to the A 14 at the Schkeuditzer Kreuz junction and drive to the Leipzig-Mitte junction. From there, the B 2 has been expanded to the edge of the city center as a four-lane expressway.

If you are coming from the south on the A 9 (Munich, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Erfurt), navigation software usually indicates that you should take the Leipzig-West junction. On Merseburger Straße (the western arterial road), however, there is often heavy traffic and there are many traffic lights, which is why progress is slow and the journey to the center can be dragging on. This is often not sufficiently taken into account by the software when calculating the travel time. An alternative is to switch to the A 38 at Kreuz Rippachtal and drive from the south to the city center: either from the Leipzig-Südwest junction or from Kreuz Leipzig-Süd, from which the B 2 as a four-lane expressway almost goes to the city center leads. Ultimately, all three variants mentioned do not take much in terms of travel time and it depends on the specific traffic situation and traffic light switching.

On the A 14 from the west (Magdeburg, Hanover), if the destination is in the center of Leipzig, drive to the Leipzig-Mitte junction and then continue on the B 2.

If you are coming from the east (Dresden) on the A 14, you can use the Leipzig-Ost, Leipzig-Nordost or Leipzig-Mitte junctions. The travel time to the center is similar in all three cases.

By bicycle
The Berlin-Leipzig cycle route (250 km), the Leipzig-Elbe cycle route (80 km), the almost 60 km long Parthe-Mulde cycle route, the 105 km long Pleiße cycle route and the 250 km long Elster- Bike path.

On foot
The ecumenical pilgrimage route Central Germany leads through Leipzig, along the course of the medieval trade route Via regia (Görlitz-Bautzen-Leipzig-Naumburg-Erfurt-Eisenach-Vacha, a total of approx. 450 km, section from Bautzen 176 km, from Erfurt 143 km), the also used as a branch of the Way of St. James in Germany. It crosses here with the Way of St. James Via Imperii (Stettin-Berlin-Wittenberg-Leipzig-Zwickau-Hof, a total of approx. 590 km, section from Berlin 212 km, from Hof 192 km, from Zwickau 104 km).

 

Transport

Public transportation
Leipzig has a dense network of public transport with very short cycle times - even on weekends and in the evening.

S-Bahn Central Germany In December 2013, the City Tunnel Leipzig between Leipzig Hbf and Leipzig Bayrischer Bahnhof train station was opened. Six S-Bahn lines run through it, mostly at intervals of 5 minutes. The tunnel has stops at Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (low), Markt, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz and Bayerischer Bahnhof. The Leipzig MDR stop is already south of the tunnel, but is also served by all lines. Some of the trains then go to Leipzig-Stötteritz (S1, S2, S3) and some further to Wurzen and Oschatz (S3). The other lines (S4, S5/S5X, S6) go to Leipzig-Connewitz or beyond via Markkleeberg to Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz (S4), Borna and Geithain (S6), Altenburg and Zwickau (S5, S5X). To the north, after the Hauptbahnhof stop, the lines split in the directions (Leipzig) Miltitzer Allee (S1), Halle via Schkeuditz (S3), Leipzig Messe (S2, S5/S5X, S6) and Halle via Flughafen (S5/S5X) or Delitzsch/Bitterfeld/Dessau/Lutherstadt Wittenberg (S2) and Taucha, Eilenburg/Torgau/Falkenberg (Elster)/Hoyerswerda (S4). You can jump on any train between the MDR and the main train station, and at the latest at the stops mentioned you should make sure that you are on the right train.

In addition, the tram is the means of choice in the city. With the exception of line 2, all of the 13 tram lines stop at the main train station. From the inner city ring, the lines run in a star shape on the arterial roads in all directions. From Monday to Saturday there is a ten-minute cycle during the day, which is compressed to a five-minute cycle on the most important routes due to the overlapping of two lines. From 7 p.m. and on Sundays and public holidays, there is a 15-minute cycle. From 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., the trains run every 30 minutes, with a collective connection at the main station: daily at 11 p.m., 11:30 p.m., 12:00 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. from the main station in all directions. Since the opening of the City Tunnel, the departure times of the S-Bahn between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. have also been aligned with the bus lines for the trams, although not all S-Bahn lines operate at all bus line times.

The buses connect the main axes with each other. Lines 60, 65, 70, 80 and 90 have the character of a Metrobus – they run at the same intervals as the trams and create tangent connections between the districts outside the city center. Line 89, on which midibuses (smaller than a normal city bus but larger than a minibus) are used, is the only bus line that runs through the city center every quarter of an hour and connects the main station with the music district southwest of the city center and Connewitz.

Night buses – so-called Nightliners – start at the main station at 1:11 a.m., 2:22 a.m. and 3:33 a.m. On the weekend nights from Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday, additional buses depart from the main station at 1:45 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.

A tram or bus stop is rarely more than a 5-minute walk away in Leipzig, so it is worth leaving the car at home and exploring the city by public transport. In most cases, the tram is also significantly faster thanks to its own track bed and priority circuit at traffic lights.

The tariffs of the MDV (Central German Transport Association) apply throughout the city and in the surrounding districts. A single ticket within the city costs €3 (children aged 6 to 13 €1.20), a 24-hour ticket costs €8. A group ticket for €12 to €24 is worthwhile for families and groups of two to five people. Trips to the surrounding area cost a little more, depending on the number of fare zones required. As of August 2021. Saxony/Saxony-Anhalt/Thuringia tickets are valid on all means of transport in the MDV.

An extra ticket (2 €) must be purchased to take your bike with you. Bicycles can be taken along on S-Bahn and regional trains in and around Leipzig (MDV area) free of charge.

By bicycle
Leipzig can be described as a bicycle city. The largely flat landscape, the short distances between the most important facilities and sights and the many green spaces contribute to this. However, the cycle path network is still very patchy. Bike shops and repair shops can actually be found everywhere in the city. The only bicycle shop organized as a cooperative that also has a self-help workshop is Veloismus eG in the east of Leipzig (Bahnstrasse area).

There is a Nextbike rental system in the city. After registering via the website, app, hotline or at a station computer, you can get to more than a dozen stations in the city (including Hauptbahnhof, Augustusplatz, Nikolaikirchhof, Marktplatz, Goerdelerring, Westplatz) for €1 per half hour or €1 per half hour. Use a bike for €9 per day and return it at another station.

Other bike rentals:
Tandem rental Matthias Stefan (Plaußiger Str. in the east of Leipzig). Phone: +49-163 78 33 0 74, email: tandem-leipzig@web.de. Tandems of different types.
Zweirad Eckhardt, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 4 (at the main station, west side). Phone: +49-341-9617274. City bikes with 3 gears, hub dynamo. Open: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-6pm. Price: €8 for 24 hours
Grupetto, Waldstraße 13 (near Waldplatz/Arena Leipzig). Phone: +49-341-9104750, email: waldstrasse@grupetto.de. Open: Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm. Price: City bikes €10 for 24 hours
Little John Bikes, Martin-Luther-Ring 3-5 (across from New Town Hall). Phone: +49-341-4625919, email: leipzig-zentrum@littlejohnbikes.de. Open: Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm (winter).
Veloismus eG, Neustädter Str. 24, Tel.: +49-341-26512260. Opening hours: weekdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays 12 p.m. to 5 p.m

In the street
There is a chronic shortage of parking space in the city center and in the districts close to the city centre. Larger shopping centers such as Höfe am Brühl, Petersbogen and Promenaden/Hauptbahnhof have multi-storey car parks or underground car parks, and another large underground car park is located under Augustusplatz. It is worth considering to save yourself the stress of driving into the city center, which is not actually made for cars, and leave the car at one of the Park & Ride lots or at the accommodation.

 

Sights

In the center of the city
More detailed in the district article: Leipzig/Mitte#Sights.

The old town, in which most of the architectural sights are concentrated, lies within a ring road south of the main train station (completed in 1915) and is largely a pedestrian zone. It is less than 1.5 kilometers from one corner of the inner city ring road to the opposite. Before you reach the actual historical sights from the main train station, you pass the former Sachsenplatz, whose peripheral development dates back to the 1960s and where there was a densely built-up area before the war. The square has been redeveloped since the 2000s: the Museum of Fine Arts opened in the middle in 2004, and later the corner buildings were added, so that there is a complete street block again.

The market square is dominated by the Old Town Hall, built in 1556 in the Renaissance style. It houses the City History Museum with a permanent exhibition. On the northern edge of the market is the Old Scale, an old trading building that was destroyed in 1943 and rebuilt in 1963-1964. Behind the Old Town Hall is the Naschmarkt wikipediacommons with the Old Stock Exchange, which used to be the meeting place for merchants. In front of it the Goethe monument, which commemorates the poet's time during his studies in Leipzig.
The Mädlerpassage internet begins on the other side of the Naschmarkt, which is just one of the numerous passage systems. Right at the entrance to the Mädlerpassage is another famous landmark of the city: Auerbachs Keller - known from Goethe's Faust and, as expected, decorated with troupes of figures from the "Faust" scene. If you now follow Grimmaische Straße eastwards, you will reach the Hansahaus, which forms another large system of arcades with the neighboring Specks Hof. Opposite is the Nikolaikirche, which was the most important starting point for the demonstrations in autumn 1989.
At the eastern end of the old town is Augustusplatz, which, like Sachsenplatz in the north, was completely rebuilt after the war. It is the university complex with the university, the newly built Augusteum and Paulinum, the new Gewandhaus, the opera house (despite the new building with historical elements) and the city high-rise building Leipzig, formerly the university high-rise building. The City-Hochaus Leipzig is 142.0 meters high, including the antenna 155.4 meters high, making it the tallest building in Leipzig and Central Germany. It is in the form of an open book.
In the southwest of the old town you will find the Thomaskirche internet , which is known worldwide for the St. Thomas Choir. Again to the south is the Stadthaus Leipzig and next to it the New Town Hall, which has been the seat of the Leipzig city administration since 1905 and the largest town hall building in Germany.

Passages and trading yards
Messepalast Speck's Hof - oldest preserved shopping arcade in Leipzig, built 1908-11. With 10,000 m² of exhibition space, it was the largest exhibition center at the time. Passages redesigned in 1982/83 and 1993/95, opposite the Nikolaikirche
Barthel's farm
Stenzler's farm
Mädlerpassage with Auerbachs Keller
City department store
trading yard

In the districts
In addition to the inner city, the southeast of Leipzig is also of interest: Here you will find the two huge complexes of the German National Library (DNB) and the old exhibition center. Very close to the DNB is the Russian Memorial Church, which commemorates the Russian soldiers who died in the Battle of the Nations. The Monument to the Battle of the Nations is located in the district of Probstheida and is one of Leipzig's landmarks. From the viewing platform at a height of 90 meters you have a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

Typical of Leipzig are largely intact streets with residential buildings or villas in the historicist style from the early days of the Wilhelmine Empire (1870-1900), and to a lesser extent also from Art Nouveau. Most of these have been renovated since reunification. Particularly beautiful examples can be found in the Waldstrassenviertel, Musikviertel and Südvorstadt, but also in Leutzsch, Schleußig and Gohlis.

The "scene district" Connewitz in the south of the city is particularly interesting for young people; in the 2000s, Plagwitz in the west developed into a “hip” part of the city for people who are creative and interested in culture.

The new exhibition center, completed in 1996, is located in the north of the city and is one of the most important landmarks there.

Churches
The Romanesque Andreas Chapel in Knautnaundorf is the oldest preserved church in Saxony.
The Marienkirche in Stötteritz dates back to the Baroque period, which is unusual for Leipzig.
Otherwise, most of the churches outside the city center date from the late 19th century or the early 20th century, when Leipzig experienced a population boom and the surrounding villages were incorporated into districts. They are mostly kept in historicist styles such as Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic. Worth mentioning are e.g. B. the Peterskirche on Schletterplatz (popularly known as "Schletterkirche") located immediately south of the city center, the Michaeliskirche on Nordplatz ("North Church"), the Lutherkirche in the Bachviertel on the edge of the Johannapark, the Philippuskirche in the western district of Lindenau, the brick-red Heilandskirche in Plagwitz or the mighty double-towered Tabor church in Kleinzschocher.
The Church of Reconciliation in Gohlis is a striking monument of classical modernism (New Objectivity) from the 1930s.

"Castles"
Leipzig was never a capital or residential city, so there is no real palace in the sense of a royal or princely residence. However, some manor owners in the former villages around Leipzig have expanded their respective manor houses quite magnificently. These are called “Schloss” or “Schlösschen” – popularly, sometimes also officially. Examples are the Schönefeld Castle in the eastern suburbs or the Gohliser Schlösschen in the north.

Many a villa that was built around 1900 for a wealthy merchant or manufacturer, for example in the Bach or music district, can almost be described as a "little palace".

industrial culture
Former industrial plants such as the former fittings factory (“Westwerk”) in Plagwitz or the cotton spinning mill in Neulindenau have been rededicated as cultural venues.

Museums
Leipzig has a diverse museum landscape. The Leipzig museums are described in a separate article. Worth mentioning are the Museum of Fine Arts, the Grassi Museum with departments for applied arts (design and handicrafts), musical instruments and ethnology, the Stasi Museum in the "Runde Ecke" and the Contemporary History Forum dedicated to post-war, GDR and reunification history - a branch of the Bonn House of History (free entry) - as well as the museums in the former homes of famous composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Clara and Robert Schumann as well as Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

The City History Museum consists of several buildings. In addition to the main location of the old town hall on the market square, there has been a new building in Böttchergässchen since 2004 with the “Lipsikus” children’s and youth museum, the library and the photo library, as well as the Schillerhaus in Leipzig-Gohlis, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations and FORUM 1813, the museum at the Arabic Coffee Tree , the Old Stock Exchange and the Sports Museum. · Entry for each house between €3 and €8. · Entry to the Arabic Coffee Tree Museum on Kleine Fleischergasse is free. You can end your visit to the museum in the restaurant, the Café Français, the Viennese Café or the Arabic coffee shop of the Coffe Baum.

Vantage points
Viewing platform on the city high-rise at Augustusplatz. At 142.5m, the building is the tallest building in the city. From the roof terrace you have a beautiful view over Leipzig (admission: 5€). There is also a restaurant on the 29th floor just below the top of the building. (A little tip: If you don't want to be immediately recognized as a tourist, just call the building Uniriese, like everyone else in Leipzig.)
Fockeberg - The mountain was heaped up with the debris from World War II between 1947 and 1950. The 153.3m high mountain towers over the surrounding area by about 45m.The rubble heap is now a park-like facility with beautiful views. You can see the city center, about 2 km away, and the southern part of the Leipzig Auwald. The main access to the heap is in the extension of Hardenbergstrasse. From here an 850m long asphalt path lined with sculptures leads to the mountain top.
Rosental observation tower in the northern part of the Leipzig Auwald, about 3 km north-west of the city centre. The Rosental hill was created as a garbage dump at the end of the 19th century, which is why it is popularly called "Scherbelberg". At the top there is a simple tower about 20m high. Danger! The tower sways a bit in the wind.
Observation platform on the Monument to the Battle of the Nations - The platform in the south-west of the city (approx. 4 km from the center) is accessible via stairs, some of which are quite narrow, and via a lift.

Parks and lakes
Leipzig is a very green city. There are many smaller and larger parks within the urban area: from the city's Promenadenring to extensive park cemeteries (especially the 12 Südfriedhof), reminiscent of Paris or Vienna. The Leipzig floodplain forest, the largest urban floodplain forest in Europe and one of the largest floodplain forests in Central Europe, runs right through Leipzig.

Clara-Zetkin-Park on the western edge of the city center – merger of the disc wood and Albertpark parks, merges into Johannapark and Palmengarten (a total of around 125 hectares of connected parks).
Botanical Garden internet of the University of Leipzig – one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in Germany; with greenhouses (orchids, mangroves, cacti, butterflies) and outdoor areas and pharmacy garden.
Zoo Leipzig internet is one of the most visited German zoos. In many cases, the husbandry is comparatively advanced and species-appropriate, but this also means that some animals can only be seen from a great distance or not at all. In Gondwanaland's huge tropical hall, which opened in 2011, neither a lattice nor a pane of glass separates visitors from the animals. The facility, which is well worth seeing, is located in the middle of the city and can be easily reached with tram line 12 in the direction of Gohlis-Nord. Dogs are not allowed.
Admission April–October: €22, reduced: €18, children 6-16 years: €14, families: €54.
November–March: €18, reduced: €15, children 6-16 years: €11, families: €44 (as of 2020).
In the zoo display window on the edge of the Grosse Rosentalwiese, you can look into the zoo's "African savannah" without paying admission and, with a bit of luck, see zebras, giraffes or antelopes.
Kulturpark Die Nonne – wooded park between Clara-Zetkin-Park (western city center) and Schleußig, with nun's meadow, nightingale forest and AOK mini-golf course.
Friedenspark – in the south-east of downtown; with scent and touch garden (so-called blind park)
rose valley . Large park northwest of the city center with forest-like sections and the Great Meadow (popular for jogging, sunbathing, kite flying).
In the south, in front of the city limits, a lake landscape with 17 lakes, called Neuseenland, has formed due to the flooding of the former lignite opencast mines. On the southern outskirts west of Markkleeberg is the 7 Cospudener See Nordstrand, which opened in 2000. It offers sports, leisure and recreation opportunities and boat trips. Its northern and western banks still belong to Leipzig, the south and east are already in Markkleeberg. Further south you will find the twice as large Zwenkauer See; further east the connected Markkleeberger and Störmthaler lakes.
Leipzig has several park cemeteries: the largest cemetery is the Südfriedhof. It has 82 hectares and a chapel with a 60m high tower; numerous prominent musicians such as Erhard Mauersberger and Kurt Masur are buried here. The Ostfriedhof reminds u. a. to forced laborers during the Nazi regime.

 

What to do

city tours
Leipzig offers a variety of city tours for everyone who wants to learn more about the city and its sights. There are art and music tours, tram and bike tours, and even guided pub crawls. The tourist information at Katharinenstraße 8 offers a wide range of guided tours led by trained city guides.

City tour of Leipzig and the event agency Evendito offer a variety of city safaris to explore the city in a different way.

Culture
Leipzig is a cultural center that radiates far and wide. On the one hand, there are nationally or even internationally known "beacons", on the other hand, many smaller venues, stages, clubs and projects of the so-called "off-culture". These are in a certain rivalry for spectators and, above all, funding, but together they result in the diversity that makes up Leipzig's cultural landscape.

theatre
Leipzig Opera, Augustusplatz 12. Tel.: +49-341-12610. The Leipzig Opera consists of three sections: the actual opera, the ballet and the Musikalische Komödie (MuKo), which performs operettas and musicals. The first two perform in the big house on Augustusplatz, the latter in the Dreilinden house in the western part of Lindenau. The history of the Leipzig Opera begins in 1693, when it was an absolute rarity because it was not associated with a princely court, but was founded on the initiative of the bourgeoisie. Since 1840 she has been closely associated with the Gewandhaus Orchestra, which plays in all opera and ballet performances in the big house. Price: Tickets for full-paying guests in the opera house (opera/ballet) €15–73, depending on the seat; MuKo 12-35 €.
Schauspiel Leipzig, Bosestraße 1. Tel.: +49-341-1268168, e-mail: besucherservice@schauspiel-leipzig.de. The oldest precursor of today's drama was founded in 1766, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a frequent guest during his student days, and Schiller's Johanna von Orleans had its world premiere here. Under the direction of Sebastian Hartmann (2008-13), the theater was considered to be extremely avant-garde, under the directorship of Enrico Lübbe it was again classified as more conventional. There are several venues: the main stage of the actual theater, the backstage for chamber play-like performances with the audience particularly close to the performers, the discotheque, where particularly contemporary works by younger authors are performed, and the construction site, where open formats (no classical theatre) such as talks or concerts can be seen. A satellite venue is the so-called residence in hall 18 of the cotton spinning mill in the west of Leipzig. Price: Admission to the main stage, €9–40 depending on the play and the seat, considerable discounts for pupils and students (regardless of the seat); Backstage approx. €9-18, disco approx. €9-12.
Theater der Junge Welt, Lindenauer Markt 21. Tel.: +49-341-4866016 . Children's and youth theatre. Price: Admission adults €12, children €6.
Independent theaters with their own venues are the LOFFT, the Schaubühne Lindenfels and Lindenfels Westflügel, the Sterntaler puppet theater, the Fact theater and the Cammerspiele
Guest performances by theater companies without their own venue can be found in event calendars, e.g. B. in the Kreuzer, Prince Leipzig or the LVZ.

 

Music

Gewandhaus Orchestra, Augustusplatz 8. Tel.: +49-341-1270280, e-mail: ticket@gewandhaus.de . World-class symphony orchestra. The Leipzig Concert took place for the first time in 1743, today it is called the Great Concert. Like many cultural institutions in Leipzig, it was not founded by the prince and supported by the state, but brought to life on the private initiative of interested citizens. The Gewandhaus Orchestra plays symphony concerts in 48, but is also closely associated with the Leipzig Opera, whose performances (opera and ballet) it accompanies in the Opera House, and with the Thomanerchor, with which it makes music in the St. Thomas Church. The chief conductor, known as the Gewandhauskapellmeister, has been Andris Nelsons since February 2018. In addition to the orchestra, the Gewandhaus also includes a string quartet as well as other chamber music ensembles and the Gewandhaus Choir. Guest concerts by other orchestras and ensembles, in particular the MDR Symphony Orchestra, also take place in the Gewandhaus, which has a large hall and a small one – known as the Mendelssohn Hall. Tickets for the Great Concert are largely reserved for subscribers. Price: Admission to the Big Concert for full-paying adults €30–65.
MDR Symphony Orchestra. Germany's oldest radio orchestra (founded in 1923) and the city's second professional and renowned symphony orchestra. Kristjan Järvi has been chief conductor since 2012. Regular concerts in the Gewandhaus. Price: tickets €16.50–41.50.
Thomanerchor . One of the best-known boys' choirs in Germany, founded in 1212. Its performances focus on the vocal works of the former Thomaskantor Johann Sebastian Bach. Almost every Saturday at 3 p.m. (unless there is a guest performance or something similar), the Thomanerchor, accompanied by the Gewandhaus Orchestra, sings the traditional motet, which usually features a Bach cantata. He also makes music during church services in the Thomaskirche. Price: Admission Motet €2.

 

Cabaret, variety show

Leipzig has a lively and traditional cabaret scene. Already in the German Empire, authorities and social developments were targeted, often in Saxon dialect. In GDR times, cabaret was one of the few opportunities to publicly express criticism, often testing the limits of censorship. Well-known stages and ensembles are the Academixer, the Leipziger Funzel, the Leipziger Pfeffermühle and the cabaret Sanftwut.

The Krystallpalast Varieté, Leipzig's largest revue and variety theater, has a different programme. There are musical revues, shows with dance and acrobatics, but also hypnosis and magic shows, performances by cabaret artists and entertainers.

 

Sports

Water sports
Although Leipzig is not on a large river, several smaller rivers - including the Pleiße, Weiße Elster and Luppe, some of which branch into interconnected tributaries - and canals flow through it. This results in an extensive network of waterways in the middle of the city, one can speak of a "little Venice" somewhat boastfully. Before reunification, the waters were heavily polluted and in many places canalized underground. Since then, the water quality has greatly improved and the Pleiße has been brought to light again in many places. Since there is hardly any motor traffic or current, Leipzig's waters are ideal for paddling and rowing, especially for beginners in this field.

For example, the Karl Heine Canal and the Weiße Elster invite you to various boat tours. You can explore different parts of the city by water and see the city from a completely different perspective. The raft ditch, which was only freed from mud again in 2004 and thus made navigable, is particularly attractive. It leads through the floodplain forest and you can almost feel like you are in the jungle here - although you are still in the city. To protect the kingfishers, it may only be used from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., which is also strictly controlled.

At various entry points you can choose between different activities - from the coffee trip with stories about the Karl Heine Canal and the western city area, to a trip in an almost noiseless solar boat to the classic: the rental of canoes, kayaks and rowing boats. The Ristorante "Da Vito", which has a pier on the Karl Heine Canal, even offers rides in a real Venetian gondola (an hour €70).

Herold boat rental, Antonienstraße 2 (tram 1, 2 or bus 60 "Rödelstraße"). Phone: +49-341-480112. guided motor boat trips (only after telephone registration), rental of rowing boats, kayaks (1, 2 or 2+child) and canoes (2, 3 or 4 people) Price: 2-seater kayak or canoe for €7.50/hour; Motorboat ride €12 (70 min; incl. drink).
Boat rental at Klingerweg (SC DHfK Leipzig – canoe department), Klingerweg 2 (Tram 1, 2 "Klingerweg"). Tel.: +49-341-4806545, email: bootsmiete@scdhfk.de. Motorboat tours, rental of rowing boats, kayaks (1 or 2 people), canoes (3, 4 or 10 people, with the latter a helmsman is provided, only with reservation). Price: 2-seater kayak for €7/hour; Motorboat ride €12 (70 min; incl. coffee).
Boat rental at Leipziger Eck, Schleußiger Weg 2a (at the SG LVB boathouse; bus 60 to "Rennbahn" or "Nonnenweg"). Tel.: (0)163-2642003, e-mail: kontakt@bootsmiete-leipzig.de. Rental of kayaks (1 or 2 people), canoes (3 or 4 people), 10 canoes or dragon boats (helmsman is provided, only with reservation). At the end of the paddling tour you can have a barbecue on the lawn at the jetty. Open: May–August Fri 2pm–8pm, Sat–Sun, public holidays, summer vacation 10am–8pm; April, September, October Fri 2 p.m.–6 p.m., Sat-Sun, public holidays 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; during the week only with reservation. Price: 2-seater kayak for €7/hour.
Boat rental at Wildpark, Koburger Straße 17 (Bus 70 "Wildpark"). Tel.: (0)160-95411138, e-mail: service@bootsverleih-am-wildpark.de. Tours with an electric motor boat through the floodplain forest; Rental of rowing boats, kayaks (1, 2 or 2+children), canoes (2, 3 or 4 people) Open: April-October Sat-Sun 10am-8pm, otherwise on request. Price: 2-seater kayak or canoe for €7/hour; E-motor boat trip €11 (70 min).
MS Weltfrieden, at the Stelzenhaus, access opposite Industriestraße 85 (Tram 14 "Karl-Heine-/Gießerstraße"). Tel.: (0)152-53363058, e-mail: info@ms-weltfrieden.de. Journey on the Karl-Heine-Canal on the restored historical excursion boat from 1945. Open: Departs April-October Sat-Sun, public holidays 11am; 12.30; 14.00; 15.30; 17.00; 6.30 p.m. Price: motor boat trip €5 (80 min)

The Neuseenland in the south of Leipzig has been created since the 1990s by the flooding of former opencast mines. While the Cospudener See has been in use since 2000, the neighboring Zwenkauer See was only released for recreation and sport in the summer of 2015. In the area of the new lakes there are many leisure and sports facilities, such as jetties for sailing boats, a diving school, surfing opportunities, a golf course, beaches, cycling, skating and jogging paths, a whitewater route for canoes and rafting boats and much more.

To go biking
Leipzig and the surrounding area is a very nice area for cycling. There are numerous cycle paths that lead through the floodplain forest, the extensive parks, along the rivers and canals and around the city area. Recommended routes are, for example, from the city center through the Clara-Zetkin-Park, along the Pleiße, through the wildlife park and the Kees'schen Park in Markkleeberg to the Cospudener See (approx. 10 km); or along the Karl Heine Canal through the former industrial areas of Plagwitz (today a hip cultural area) to the Lindenau harbor (approx. 6.5 km); or through the northern alluvial forest along the Luppe to the Auensee, through the nature reserve Burgaue, the Sternburg Park to the Domholzschänke in Schkeuditz (approx. 13 km).

The cycle route Grüner Ring Leipzig (formerly "Ausserer Grüner Ring") leads around Leipzig, which leads through the surrounding communities (135 km). The Inner Green Ring (65 km) on the outskirts of the city has not been signposted since June 2020. Thanks to the flat topography, the paths are also suitable for untrained cyclists. Detailed information on the cycle path network and various tour suggestions can be found on the website www.Radfahren-in-Leipzig.de.

If you don't have the strength or inclination for the return journey, you can also take your bike with you on buses and trains (provided that there is enough space). You have to buy an extra ticket on the LVB lines (€1.80 in the city area), and you can take it with you on the S-Bahn and local trains for free.

sports to watch
Teams playing in higher divisions:
RB Leipzig, Red Bull Arena, Am Sportforum 3 . The football club set up by the well-known energy drink manufacturer (pro forma RB stands for RasenBallsport and not for Red Bull, but the association is still obvious) divides opinions: on the one hand, after a long dry spell in fourth-class Leipzig clubs, it offers the city high-class football in one also family friendly environment. On the other hand, die-hard football fans denounce the commercialism, lack of tradition and authenticity of the Brauseverein. Price: Tickets for league games €15–55 (so-called top games are more expensive).
Arena Leipzig, Am Sportforum 2. . Home of the handball and basketball teams.
SC DHfK Leipzig Handball. The men's handball team has been playing in the first Bundesliga since 2015/16. Price: Tickets for €16-24 (full-paying guests).
HC Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0) 341 2569 75 25, email: gs@hc-leipzig.de . The women's handball team played in the first Bundesliga and the EHF Champions League and has already been German champion six times. Price: Tickets for Bundesliga games €14 (full-paying adults).
USC University Giants Leipzig. The men's basketball team has been playing in the second division (ProB) since 2013. Currently 2. Regionalliga.
L.E. Volleys wikipedia. The volleyball club is the de facto successor to VCL, which went bankrupt in 2009. His first men's team plays in the 2nd Bundesliga. Venue is the sports hall in Brüderstraße. Price: Tickets for €6 (full-paying guests).

Amusement park
Belantis (on the A 38, junction Leipzig-Neue Harth). East Germany's largest amusement park on an area of 27 hectares. The layout is in the form of a map of Europe, the Mediterranean and the east coast of America (with an artificial lake in the middle meant to represent the Mediterranean and the Atlantic). 60 attractions and shows are designed according to the themes of ancient Egypt, Greek mythology, the European Middle Ages, fairy tales and legends, pirates and buccaneers, North American Indians and the Maya. The main attractions are the "curse of the pharaoh" (wild water ride in or water slide out of a 38m high pyramid visible from afar), "flight of the gods" (carousel on which you can decide for yourself whether and when you want to roll over), "kite flight" (high-altitude flight tower), "Dragon Ride" (roller coaster), "Capt'n Black's Pirate Baptism" (free fall tower), "Santa Maria" (giant swing boat), "Belanitus Rache" (giant swing pendulum) and "Huracan" (another large roller coaster with five rollovers and a free Case). But there are also more harmless offers for small children. Open: Open late March to late October, daily June to August, opening times vary seasonally, see website. Price: Admission €31.90 (online €27.90), free for children under 5, half price on Fridays in June and September.

 

Festivals and Regular Events

Leipzig Book Fair in March: one of the two major book fairs in Germany, with over 2,000 exhibitors and 186,000 visitors recently. Linked to the fair is the reading festival "Leipzig Reads", which takes place not only at the fairgrounds, but decentrally at over 400 locations throughout the city (a total of 3,000 events). It's also the manga comic convention, so visitors in cosplay costumes are omnipresent.
Halle-Leipzig Museum Night at the end of April: more than 80 museums in the two neighboring cities have special offers between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m., such as lectures and demonstrations, but also many activities to get involved. More on this…
The Wave-Gotik-Treffen is one of the largest music and performance festivals of the "black scene" (gothic, metal, alternative, medieval) in the German-speaking world. It takes place every year on the Pentecost weekend (end of May or beginning of June), spread over different locations in the city. The most important venues are the Moritzbastei (downtown, near the Gewandhaus), the old exhibition center and the medieval market "Heidnisches Dorf" on the Agra site in Markkleeberg. Many participants also camp on the Agra. The Wave-Gotik-Treffen is officially heralded on Friday afternoon with the “Victorian Picnic” around the park stage. Festival tickets (2022: €170 pre-sale price) can be pre-ordered online. A visit to the medieval market "Heidnisches Dorf" is possible without a festival ticket or wristband and costs 20 euros (as of 2022). Background information in the Wikipedia article.
Leipzig Bach Festival in June: international music festival, above all - but not only - with performances of the works of the former Thomaskantor Johann Sebastian Bach, with over 100 individual events.
Klassik airleben At the end of June or beginning of July: Large open-air concert by the Gewandhaus Orchestra on the Rosentalwiese, which 30,000 Leipzig residents and guests listened to free of charge.
Laughter fair in October: international cabaret and cabaret festival
DOK Leipzig Beginning of November: international festival for documentary and animated films
euro-scene in November: Festival for contemporary European theater and dance
Leipzig Christmas market: traditional Christmas market (since the 15th century) in the city center with 250 stalls, is considered one of the largest and most beautiful Christmas markets in the region, if not in all of Germany.

 

Shopping

The inner city, largely a pedestrian zone, invites you to go shopping. Former trading yards are now passages, covered paths through the buildings and courtyards. Particularly noteworthy here is the beautiful Mädlerpassage. In the city there are small and large shops as well as department stores and of course cafés, restaurants (from simple to noble) or a simple snack bar.

Shopping is possible until 10 p.m. on the promenades of the main train station, and selected shops also open here on Sundays.

There are also organic shops and shops selling fair trade goods.

There are also several large shopping centers in Leipzig, some with more than 100 shops. With the exception of the Höfe am Brühl shopping center, which opened in September 2012 and for which the historic, structurally intact "Kaufhaus Brühl" from 1908 had to give way, these are more on the outskirts of the city and have the shops typical of shopping centers. Outside the city center these are e.g. B. the Allee-Center in Leipzig-Grünau (S1 to "Allee-Center") and the Paunsdorf Center (P.C.) in Sommerfeld or around the city on the green meadow Nova Eventis and the Pösna Park.

1 Höfe am Brühl, Brühl 1, 04109 Leipzig. Open: Mon-Sat 8am-9.30pm.
2 Paunsdorf Center, Paunsdorfer Allee 1, 04329 Leipzig. Open: Mon-Sat 10:00 - 20:00.
3 Allee-Center, Ludwigsburger Str. 9, 04209 Leipzig. Open: Mon - Sat 9:30 - 20:00

 

Cuisine

Leipzig specialties
Leipziger Allerlei: The most famous dish from Leipzig is a mixture of young peas, carrots, asparagus and morels. Traditionally, crayfish are also included, but this is often dispensed with today.

Another local specialty is Leipziger Lerchen, a small shortcrust pastry filled with marzipan. It is reminiscent of the savory pies made with real lark meat that used to be served on festive occasions. However, hunting the songbirds was banned in 1876, so the Leipzig confectioners invented a sweet substitute.

For a Leipzig Räbchen, a pitted prune is filled with marzipan, turned in beer batter and fried in hot oil. The Räbchen are served in many traditional Leipzig restaurants, such as B. offered in the coffee house Zum Arabian Coffee Baum and eaten hot there.

Typical Saxon – if not exclusively Leipzig – cuisine includes potato soup and Quarkkeulchen (a pan-fried, somewhat savory dessert made from mashed potatoes, quark and raisins; eaten with apple sauce).

When it comes to cakes in Leipzig, as in other parts of Saxony and Thuringia, the Eierschecke is particularly popular, a sheet cake with the thinnest possible base made of yeast dough, a – if it’s good – also only a thin layer of quark pudding and a very wide layer on top fluffy egg yolk cream.

Leipziger Gose is an old type of beer based on the top-fermented brewing method, where, in addition to the alcoholic fermentation, another bacterial lactic acid fermentation takes place. That is why there is the typical sour taste, similar to that of the Berliner Weisse. Another special feature is the addition of salt and coriander. In Leipzig, Gose is brewed again according to the old recipe. You can drink it in the Gosenschenke Without Concerns, or in the in-house Gose brewery in the Bayerischer Bahnhof. But it can also be found on the menu in other inns in and around Leipzig.

You can drink the sparkling beer neat, right
with syrup red or green
with cherry liqueur
with a caraway liqueur
with Curaçao
with banana or strawberry juice.

Leipziger Allasch is a caraway liqueur with an alcohol content of 38% vol. and high sugar content.

A very special tourist and culinary experience is a visit to the Panorama Tower restaurant on the 29th floor of the city high-rise. In addition to the breathtaking view of Leipzig, the highest restaurant in Central Germany offers young and cheeky cuisine in the style of Jamie Oliver. In a modern ambience of clear lines and contrasts, nothing disturbs the view over the trade fair city and the unconventional culinary delight. The business lunch on weekdays is unbeatable in terms of value for money, with a three-course menu only costing €9.90. The program should also include Auerbachs Keller, which became world famous thanks to Goethe's Faust. When it comes to prices, however, you have to pay for the famous name.

If you want to eat very classy, you should visit the Stadtpfeiffer in Leipzig's Gewandhaus. Here you will find excellent cuisine with excellent service. However, the prices are also (reasonably) high. Another gourmet restaurant is the Falco, located on the 27th floor of the Hotel The Westin (Gerberstraße 15), which certainly cannot be surpassed in terms of quality and price in Leipzig at the moment. The former has one Michelin star, the latter two.

Further gastronomy facilities can be found in the district articles.

breweries and brewery restaurants
In addition to the Leipzig beer specialty, the Gose, a wide variety of beers are brewed in the Leipzig breweries. More on this in the Leipzig breweries section. Beer lovers can try out the craft beer range in the many small bars and brewery restaurants.

 

Nightlife

A stroll through the pubs almost always leads to Barfussgässchen, right next to the market. As long as the temperatures allow, there are over a hundred outdoor seats in the narrow alley. The cocktail bars are popular with students. In Leipzig, this "pub mile" is also known as Drallewatsch. Many other bars are in the city center and further west on Gottschedstrasse. It is a bit more alternative in the southern suburbs and if you like it particularly alternative or just different, you can go to Connewitz or Plagwitz.

A Leipzig beer specialty is the Gose, a post-fermented, cloudy beer with a very unique taste.

There is a lot going on in the city center especially on Fridays and weekends! Popular destinations are:
Night fever facebook. Smaller discotheque with music from the 1970s to the 90s. Open: only Fri+Sat 10 p.m.–5 a.m.
Dark Flower. Dance cellar for friends of dark music.
flower power Experience gastronomy with music from the 1970s and 1980s.
Moritzbastei. Europe's largest student club housed in a medieval fortress.
spice Café and restaurant during the day, jazz and music club in the evenings.
Tonellis, Neumarkt 9. Live music Monday-Saturday from 9:00 p.m., Tuesday Guitar Night, Thursday Blues and changing programme

As well as other cafes and bars that are great for sipping a coffee or small clubs for just about every taste from techno to heavy metal fans.

Outside the city center there is a concentration of pubs, bars and clubs along the "Südmeile" (Karl-Liebknecht-Straße), including:
Conne Island. Left-alternative youth center.
distillery . Longest-serving techno club in the new federal states.
Institute for the future. Phone: +49 (0)341 60 49 41 21, email: info@ifz.me. electronic music.
NaTo, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 48, 04275 Leipzig.
UT Connewitz
Plant II, Kochstrasse 132, 04277 Leipzig

But there is also a thriving nightlife in the western part of Plagwitz along Karl-Heine-Straße or Zschocherschen Straße:

Casa Pepe. Restaurant and Pop UP Club.
elipamanoke (electronic music; Leipzig Plagwitz). last change: Feb. 2019 (information may be out of date)
Felsenkeller wikipedia. Concerts, beer garden, restaurant in historical ambience.
New wave. electronic music.
Even better life

In the other parts of the city there are other isolated offers of nightlife, for example:
The anchor. Socio-cultural center (occasional concerts).
Haus Auensee wikipediacommons
myut. electronic music.
Gold Horn InfoEdit
tv club

 

Hotels

Leipzig has a wide range of accommodation. With flexible travel dates and timely booking, an overnight stay in an upscale hotel in the city center can also be very affordable. On popular dates, e.g. B. public holidays and trade fairs, but the prices skyrocket considerably.

Since most of the sights and tourist facilities are concentrated in the city center, it is, of course, most convenient to spend the night here. However, hotels or guesthouses in other parts of the city should also be considered, as there are often much cheaper prices available and you can still get to the city center quickly, especially if the accommodation is near an S-Bahn or tram stop. From Gohlis, Plagwitz, Reudnitz or the southern suburbs, for example, you need about 10 to 15 minutes by train or bike. Most tram lines run every 15 minutes until 11 p.m. and every half hour until 1 a.m., after which there are night buses, so that night owls can also get back to their accommodation comfortably.
Incidentally, breakfast in the hotel is not a must, as there are numerous cafés with cheap and good breakfast options, especially in the city center, but also along the southern mile.

After it was temporarily suspended, since 2021 a guest tax of between €1 and €3 has been levied for each day of an overnight stay, provided none of the exceptional cases apply. In contrast to other cities, you are not exempt from the tax even on business trips.

Cheap
A&O Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, Brandenburger Strasse 2. Tel.: +49 341 25 07 9 - 49 00, e-mail: booking@aohostels.com. Feature: 163 rooms. Payment methods accepted: debit card, credit card.Last modified: Nov 2017 (information may be out of date)
Five Elements Hostel, modern and very well-kept hostel in the middle of the city center; Bed in an 8-bed dorm €13.50, double room with private bathroom €59 (savings prices may be significantly cheaper).

Leipzig Youth Hostel, Volksgartenstrasse 24 (Schoenefeld; Tram 1 "Löbauer Strasse"). Tel.: +49-341 245700, fax: +49-341 2457012, e-mail: leipzig@jugendherberge.de. 170 beds in 57 rooms with 2 to 4 beds. Somewhat isolated (just under 4 km from the city center, but only 600 meters to the tram, which takes you to the main train station in 11 minutes) Hotel brochure (PDF) Price: Prices: B&B from €27.50, HB from €35.00 , (as of 2020) · Surcharges for 1 night: 3 €, for persons over 27 years: 5 €, 2-bed occupancy: 5 €, 1-bed occupancy: 10 €.
Hostel "Sleepy Lion", in a well-kept, renovated old building on the edge of the immediate city center, is aimed primarily at families and those interested in culture, not at party animals; Bed in a 10-person dorm €13.50, double room with own shower/toilet €44.

More accommodations in the district articles.

Middle
There are numerous hotels and guesthouses in the middle category. See the district articles.

Upscale
Here are just the three top hotels in the city; more in the district articles.

Hotel Fürstenhof, traditional luxury hotel in a classical former patrician palace right on the inner city ring road; Double room from €130, saver prices from €104. With wellness center Cardea Spa.
Steigenberger Grandhotel Handelshof, the city's leading luxury hotel, located in the heart of the city centre; saver prices from €111.20 on certain dates
The Westin Leipzig, 27-storey luxury hotel; Double room from 99€

 

Learn

The University of Leipzig, founded in 1409, is the second oldest university in Germany after Heidelberg. 29,000 students learn at 14 faculties.

In addition to the university, there are a number of art and technical colleges: the "Felix-Mendelssohn-Bartholdy" University of Music and Theater (HMT), the Academy of Visual Arts and Book Art (HGB), the Commercial College (HHL), the University of Telecommunications (HfTL) and the University of Applied Sciences (HTWK).

 

Security

As is generally the case in Germany, the general security situation is good, the police forces are present in conurbations (main train station, city center, near cultural events, etc.). There is a no-gun zone in the area around Eisenbahnstrasse. There, the police can carry out checks regardless of suspicion. In the district of Connewitz, there are repeated left-wing riots.

Police Headquarters Leipzig, Dimitroffstr. 1. Tel: +49-341-966-0.
Leipzig Center Police Station, Ritterstrasse 17-21. Phone: +49-341-966-34299.

 

Health

Leipzig has numerous clinics with corresponding emergency services. There is also a dense network of pharmacies with a 24-hour emergency service. Specialists of all disciplines are sufficiently available in the private sector.

Selection of medical and dental emergency services in Leipzig
Emergency room, Paul-List-Str. 27. Tel: +49-341-97109. with helipad and stroke unit for the acute treatment of stroke patients.

 

Pharmacies

Pharmacy in the main train station, Willy-Brandt-Platz 5, 04109 Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0)341 1406080, fax: +49 (0)341 14060850, email: info@apotheke-leipzig.de. Open: Mon - Sat 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sun 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Adler Pharmacy, Hainstrasse 9, 04109 Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0)341 7107966, email: info@adler-leipzig.de. Open: Mon - Sat 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Bären Pharmacy, Selliner Str. 15, 04207 Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0)341 710790, email: info@baeren24.de. Open: Mon - Fri 7 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Urs Pharmacy, Goldschmidtstrasse 30, 04103 Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0)341 964230, email: leipzig@urs24.de. Open: Mon, Tue, Thu 7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Wed + Fri 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Sat 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Central Pharmacy, Grimmaische Str. 16, 04109 Leipzig. Tel.: +49 (0)341 4623190, fax: +49 (0)341 46231911, e-mail: bestellung@central-apotheke-leipzig.de. Open: Mon - Fri 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

 

Practical advice

Tourist Information, Katharinenstraße 8, 04109 Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0)341 7104260, email: info@ltm-leipzig.de. Open: Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat,Sun 910:00-15:00.
Since December 2015, the city has been offering free WiFi access for up to 30 minutes a day in the inner city area.

 

History

In the Middle Ages
The city of Leipzig owes its origins to a small fishing village created around 900, which Slavs (related to today's Sorbs) founded at the confluence of the Pleiße and Parthe and called Lipsk (from lip or lipa, the linden tree). The place was first mentioned in a chronicle in 1015 as urbs Libzi (“town of the linden trees”). In 1017, Emperor Heinrich II gave Leipzig to the Merseburg Abbey. In 1134 Konrad von Wettin exchanged it for his house. Leipzig's location at the crossroads of two European long-distance trade routes, the east-west Via Regia (Royal Road) from the Rhine to Silesia and the north-south Via Imperii (Imperial Road) from the Baltic Sea to Italy, favored its development as a trade center of national importance.

Under Otto the Rich (1156-89), Leipzig, which then had 5,000 to 6,000 inhabitants, was expanded and fortified and received city rights in 1170 at the latest. Margrave Dietrich founded the Thomaskloster in 1213 (of which the Thomaskirche has survived to this day) and gave him the patronage of the Leipzig church. In order to keep the citizens who were hostile to him in check, the Margrave had the city wall torn down in 1218 and three strong castles built.

The Dominican monastery of St. Pauli was founded in 1231 instead of the Zwingburg at Grimmaisches Tor (which later gave rise to the university church of the same name, which was blown up in 1968). During the reign of Margrave Heinrich III. the city was expanded in 1237 by building the Brühl, the Ritterstraße, the Nikolaistraße and part of the Reichsstraße. Around this time a merchants' guild was formed in Leipzig, which was also joined by Italian merchants from Lombardy. Dietrich the Wise, Margrave of Landsberg, granted Leipzig the right to mint coins in 1273.

On December 4, 1409, Margrave Wilhelm II founded a university on the basis of Pope Alexander V's bull of establishment. About a thousand German teachers and students from the University of Prague had previously moved to Leipzig because they did not agree with King Wenceslaus IV's favoritism towards the Bohemian nation. From 1415 there was a medical faculty and from 1446 a law faculty. The courses initially took place in colleges distributed across the city.

In 1454 the moat was drawn around the inner city. With the new division of the Wettin lands in 1485 - which was decided in Leipzig and is therefore called the Leipzig division - the city fell to the Albertine line.

In modern times
The so-called Leipzig Colloquium (also known as the Leipzig Disputation) held in 1519 in the old Pleissenburg between Luther, Karlstadt and Eck was of great influence on the further development of the Reformation. The then Duke George the Bearded violently suppressed the evangelical teachings in Leipzig. His brother and successor, Henry the Pious (1539–41), on the other hand, formally introduced the Reformation (although the university did not join until later) and gave the council patronage rights over the churches and schools.

After Leipzig was besieged in the Schmalkaldic War in 1547 and the suburbs were completely burnt down, the fortifications were strengthened and the Pleissenburg and the suburbs were rebuilt. From the city fortifications, which were renewed from 1551, only the Moritzbastei is preserved today. Prompted by Elector Augustus of Saxony, many Dutch merchants settled in Leipzig in the second half of the 16th century. Between 1555 and 1573, the merchant Hieronymus Lotter was repeatedly elected mayor. He was also an architect of the Renaissance and had the Old Town Hall and the Old Scales built, among other things.

The city suffered immensely during the Thirty Years' War. From 1631, Imperial and Swedes alternated their control several times. King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden won an important victory at the Battle of Breitenfeld (a northern suburb of Leipzig) in September 1631, but fell just over a year later at the Battle of Lützen, also not far away. From 1642 to 1650 (beyond the Peace of Westphalia concluded in 1648), the Swedes under General Torstensson occupied the city, since 267,000 thalers were still outstanding in war taxes. The Thirty Years' War cost the city more than a million thalers and completely shattered its prosperity.

After peace was restored, Leipzig was more fortified. Also at that time the linden avenues were planted on the ramparts. In 1678 the baroque-style old trading exchange was built on the Naschmarkt. In 1690 the coin conference was held, which was followed in 1691 by the introduction of the Leipzig standard (1 mark fine silver = 12 thalers) as the standard for the entire empire. Under August II (the Strong; r. 1694–1733), after the Edict of Nantes was repealed, the so-called French colony (mostly merchants) settled in Leipzig.

One of the saddest consequences for Leipzig was the Seven Years' War, which Friedrich d. size was covered with heavy contributions (over 15 million thalers). In the period of peace that followed, trade and trade fairs flourished as almost never before. The university was very favored by Friedrich August I. From 1784 the fortifications were demolished and the moat was turned into a park.

19th century
Even during the Napoleonic Wars, Leipzig enjoyed strong masses, but from 1809 it was occupied by changing troops. The world-historical event of the Great Battle of the Nations from October 16 to 19, 1813, in which Russians, Prussians, Austrians, Swedes and German Freikorps fought against the troops of Napoleonic France and its remaining allies (including Saxony), brought terrible days of terror to Leipzig. The city was taken by storm and given a Russian commander. The nervous fever that broke out in the numerous overcrowded hospitals for which churches and other public buildings were set up killed many thousands. The division of Saxony in 1815, after which the border with Prussia ran only a few kilometers north and west of Leipzig, was also disadvantageous for the city.

In 1824, the last public execution on the market square attracted thousands of onlookers. The story of the murderer Johann Christian Woyzeck inspired Georg Büchner to write one of his most famous dramas.

The connection of Saxony to the German Customs Union in 1833 was of great importance for Leipzig. In 1836 the book dealers' exchange and in 1838 the Leipziger Bank were founded. With Friedrich List and Gustav Harkort, two visionary and influential entrepreneurs worked in Leipzig, who went down in history as railway pioneers and are honored in Leipzig with street names and monuments. In 1839, Leipzig became the starting point of a railway line to Dresden, the first German long-distance railway ever. The Leipzig—Magdeburg line followed in 1840. In 1844, the Bayerischer Bahnhof was inaugurated, where the Leipzig–Hof railway begins.

During the revolutionary year of 1848, numerous political associations were active here in various directions, and Robert Blum in particular developed a great deal of agitation. There were also bloody clashes between insurgents and representatives of the authorities.

From 1856, on the initiative of the lawyer, industrial pioneer and liberal politician Carl Heine, a canal was built from the Weißen Elster through Plagwitz to the Lindenau harbor. Huge industrial areas were built on its banks, especially for textile production, which are reminiscent of the buildings of the former Buntgarnwerke (today Germany's largest industrial monument and used as lofts, among other things) and the cotton spinning mill (today an art center) that still exist today. With industrialization, Leipzig also became a center of the labor movement. In 1863, the General German Workers' Association, the oldest precursor of the SPD, was founded here under the leadership of Ferdinand Lassalle.

In 1866, Leipzig was occupied by Prussian troops for several months because Saxony was once again on the “wrong” side in the German-German war. After the Franco-Prussian War and the founding of the German Empire in 1871, Leipzig experienced a great boom. While the number of inhabitants had always increased moderately up to this time, it quintupled in the following 35 years. Previously, the urban area had only slightly extended beyond the medieval core. Most of the parts of the city known today were still villages, but around 1890 they were incorporated. During this time, multi-storey residential quarters in the historicist style of the so-called Gründerzeit, which are so typical of Leipzig's cityscape, emerged everywhere, churches for the respective districts, but also a whole series of representative villas for wealthy merchants and industrialists. In 1868 the Imperial Higher Commercial Court was moved to Leipzig, and in 1879 the city received the seat of the newly founded Imperial Court, which confirmed and strengthened the city's role as a center of justice.

In 1872 the Leipzig horse tram was put into operation and in 1896 it was electrified. By the beginning of the 20th century at the latest, the Brühl in Leipzig had gained importance as the “World Street of Furs”. Back then, people spoke of “Brühl” as the epitome of the international fur trade, just as “Wall Street” stands for the American financial sector today.

The growing importance and self-confidence of the city was reflected in the construction of the New Town Hall on the site of the former Pleissenburg Castle, which was completed in 1905 and is still the largest municipal administration building in Germany, the gigantic Monument to the Battle of the Nations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Nations in 1913 and the new main station opened in 1915, the replaced the Dresden, Magdeburg and Thuringian train stations. In 1910, Leipzig was the fourth largest city in the German Reich after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. It was only overtaken by Cologne after the First World War.

1918 to 1989
At the end of 1930, Leipzig's population peaked at 718,200. At the end of 1933 the Reichstag fire trial took place in Leipzig, in which Marinus van der Lubbe was convicted, but the prominent communists accused of being his alleged accomplices were acquitted.

During World War II, Leipzig was severely damaged by Allied air raids (about 60% of the building fabric was affected), but not quite as badly as Dresden, Magdeburg or various major West German cities. The destruction was also concentrated in the inner city, while the pre-war buildings in the outskirts were largely preserved. On April 18, 1945, Leipzig was liberated by US Army units, but was handed over to the Soviet occupying power in July in accordance with the Yalta resolutions.

In the GDR, Leipzig was the second largest city after East Berlin. During the uprising of June 17, 1953, there were also strikes and large protest marches in Leipzig. About 27,000 workers went on strike, and an estimated 40,000 people took part in demonstrations. The detention center and district court were stormed to free political prisoners. During the violent crackdown by Soviet troops, 10 people died, mostly young people. A bronze relief in the form of an imprint of a curb chain in Salzgässchen commemorates the event today.

In the 1970s, the Grünau housing estate was built in the prefab housing series 70 (WBS 70). It had almost 100,000 inhabitants at its peak and was practically a city within a city. Other large prefabricated housing estates were built in Paunsdorf, Schönefeld, Mockau, Möckern and on Straße des 18. Oktober.

As early as 1982, the weekly peace prayers began in the Nikolaikirche, which were attended in particular by members of the opposition and critics of the regime. In the fall of 1989, the first Monday demonstrations followed, making Leipzig one of the starting points of the Peaceful Revolution and earning it a reputation as a “hero city”. While the police used violence against the few participants on October 2nd, the first mass protest took place on October 9th with an estimated 70,000 participants. In the weeks that followed, the protest marches grew, on October 23 around 320,000 people took part. In addition to political and civil liberties, environmental protection also played an important role. The massive pollution of air and water by industry and power plants was denounced.

Since the turn
In the 1990s, over 100,000 jobs were lost in the collapsing industry. At the same time, billions were invested in the transport and telecommunications infrastructure. Gradually, a large part of the old building stock was renovated. The building contractor Jürgen Schneider bought up "smash pieces" in downtown Leipzig, such as the Mädlerpassage and Barthels Hof, and had them extensively renovated, cheating various banks out of billions (Schneider affair). In 1996 the new exhibition center was opened. Nevertheless, the number of inhabitants has been steadily declining since reunification, by the end of 1998 it had fallen to 437,000. Even a massive incorporation of surrounding suburbs could not lift them back above the symbolic number of half a million.

In the field of art, the so-called "New Leipzig School" has been making a name for itself since the 1990s, with Neo Rauch as its best-known representative. However, many of the artists included in this category reject the term and there are no really defining common features in their works. The only thing they have in common is that they studied in Leipzig or work here. Many of them have been working on the site of the former cotton mill in the west of Leipzig since the mid-2000s.

Only from 2002 did the population increase again moderately. During this time, well-known industrial companies were able to settle here again, in 2002 the Porsche plant in Leipzig was opened, followed in 2005 by the BMW plant. The Bio City Leipzig was opened in 2003 as part of the "Biotechnology Offensive" and forms the core of the Bio Campus consisting of several scientific and medical institutes. The talk of the "boomtown" of the East was once again in the air. After the unemployment rate had peaked at 21% in 2005, it fell noticeably again in the following years.

Since the early 2010s, Leipzig has often been regarded as a trendy metropolis and hipster stronghold, which is reflected in the nickname "Hypezig". The number of inhabitants has been increasing significantly since 2012 and, after the city had celebrated its thousandth anniversary in 2015, exceeded the figure of 600,000 in October 2019.

 

Fair city

Thanks to its location at the intersection of important long-distance trade routes, Leipzig has always been an important hub for goods. The Leipzig Trade Fair was founded around 1165. “Funfairs” were mentioned as early as the town founding document. Two dates a year have become established for this: the spring fair at Jubilate (3rd Sunday after Easter) and the autumn fair at Michaelis (September 29). In 1458 the New Year's Fair was added to the two already existing fairs. The trade fair privilege was granted to the city in 1497 by Emperor Maximilian I.

In 1895, Leipzig was the first trade fair city in the world to switch from a goods to a sample fair, which means that the goods themselves were no longer traded in Leipzig, but only samples were presented and orders were taken. In order to accommodate this new type of trade fair, large trade fair courtyards and palaces were built in the first years of the 20th century, which shaped the image of Leipzig city center in the years that followed.

On the site of the International Building Exhibition (IBA) 1913 in the southeast of the city, the exhibition center for the technical fair with 17 large halls was built between 1920 and 1928 - today known as the Old Fair.

During GDR times, Leipzig remained a center of international trade, especially East-West trade. Exhibitors and buyers from the “non-socialist economic area” continued to come to the spring and autumn fairs, which gave the city a certain international flair. Since there weren't enough hotel beds, trade fair guests were accommodated in private apartments, which allowed their families to get in touch with them personally.

Large general fairs such as the Leipzig Spring and Autumn Fairs are no longer usual under the auspices of the market economy; instead, specialized fairs have been developed for specific sectors. The old exhibition center and the exhibition buildings in the city center no longer seemed suitable for this. Instead, in 1996 the new exhibition center was inaugurated on the northern outskirts of the city. It has six interconnected exhibition halls and a convention center. The most popular public fairs held here are the Leipzig Book Fair, Home-Garden-Leisure, Model-Hobby-Game and Partner-Horse. The also very popular computer games fair Games Convention was discontinued in 2009 in favor of Gamescom in Cologne. The Auto Mobil International, once the second largest German car show after the IAA, last took place in 2014.

 

Book city

Leipzig is considered (along with Frankfurt am Main) to be the German city of books. In 1545 the first booksellers, Steiger and Boskopf, settled in Leipzig. In 1632, the number of books presented at the Leipzig Book Fair exceeded that of the Frankfurt Book Fair for the first time. From 1667 a large part of the German book trade moved from Frankfurt, where censorship was too strict, to Leipzig, and from the beginning of the 18th century Leipzig became the main depot for the German book trade.

The development of Leipzig into Germany's leading center for publishing and book printing, which had already begun in the previous century, intensified in the 19th century. The music publisher Hoffmeister & Kühnel had been based here since 1800, which in 1814 became the Edition C. F. Peters, which is still known today, the market leader on the sheet music market; From 1817 the publishing house F. A. Brockhaus was located here, followed by the Reclam publishing house in 1828, in 1874 the Bibliographical Institute (known for Meyers Konversations-Lexikon and the Duden) moved from Gotha to Leipzig, in 1901 the Insel Verlag was founded here. Giesecke & Devrient (founded in 1852), which developed into one of the leading producers of banknotes and securities in Germany (and even internationally), deserves special mention among the numerous printers.

The stock exchange association of German booksellers was based in Leipzig from 1825 to 1990. In 1912 he initiated the founding of the German Library, which made it its goal to collect all books published in German.

As a result of the division of Germany, Leipzig lost its undisputed position as the center of the German book trade and publishing industry. Many publishers that had previously been based in Leipzig moved their headquarters to the western zones to avoid nationalization. The German Library was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1946 as the West German counterpart to the German Library. The stock exchange association of the German book trade settled there as well.

After reunification, the German Library and the German Library were merged into the German National Library (DNB), although both locations were retained. The Leipzig Book Fair was also able to assert itself as a large public fair (2017: 208,000 visitors) alongside the Frankfurt Book Fair, which is more geared towards trade visitors. However, most publishers and the stock exchange association kept their headquarters in western Germany instead of returning to their old home of Leipzig.

 

Music city

Leipzig has a great reputation in the music world, especially in the classical one. The Thomanerchor, one of the most well-known boys' choirs in Germany, has existed since 1212. Its name is closely linked to that of Johann Sebastian Bach, who was cantor of the Thomaskirche and director of the choir from 1723 to 1750. During this time he wrote many of his important spiritual works. To this day, the Thomanerchor is particularly committed to the performance of Bach's music.

The history of the Leipzig Opera goes back to 1693, when the opera house was founded on the Brühl. It was the third opera house in Europe that was founded by citizens and was not attached to a royal court. The situation is similar with the Gewandhaus Orchestra, founded in 1743. It is even the oldest non-courtly concert orchestra in the German-speaking world that has outgrown the bourgeoisie and, with 185 professional musicians, it is the largest professional orchestra in the world. They not only play symphony concerts in the Gewandhaus of the same name, but also make music in the opera and with the Thomanerchor.

During the Romantic period, several prominent composers and musicians worked in Leipzig. Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig and spent his youth and student days here. Clara Schumann was also born in Leipzig, her husband Robert came to the city to study in 1828, and they lived here together until 1844. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy served as Gewandhaus Kapellmeister from 1835 until his death in 1847 and during this time founded the Conservatory of Music, the forerunner of the today's music college.

In the field of pop and rock music, Leipzig is known as the hometown of the bands Die Prinzen, Karussell, Klaus Renft Combo, Die Art, The Firebirds and Victorius. Due to the annual Wave-Gotik-Treffen, the city enjoys a special reputation in the "black scene".

 

Sports city

Sport has a long tradition in Leipzig and arouses great enthusiasm among large parts of the population. Leipzig was a center of the German gymnastics movement. The German Football Association was founded in Leipzig in 1900, and VfB Leipzig became the first German champions in this sport in 1903.

From 1950, the sports science research of the German University for Physical Culture (DHfK) contributed to the international successes of GDR athletes, but was also involved in systematic doping. With the central stadium inaugurated in 1956, the city had a "stadium of hundreds of thousands" in which the great gymnastics and sports festival of the GDR took place eight times. From the 1960s, Leipzig had two big football clubs: BSG Chemie was GDR champions three times; 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig made it to the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1986/87. After the reunification, Leipzig clubs began to decline, especially in the field of football, which found a low point in the 2009/10 season when both 1. FC Lok and FC Sachsen (formerly BSG Chemie) found themselves in the fifth division. In the same year, however, RB Leipzig, launched by the energy shower producer Red Bull, came onto the scene. This has been one of the leading clubs in the 1st Bundesliga since 2016 and has also played at European level since 2017.

The central stadium was replaced in 2000-04 by a much smaller football-only arena (almost 43,000 seats), whose naming rights are held by Red Bull. Today, Leipzig is an Olympic base for the DOSB for several sports (e.g. canoeing, athletics, judo). The Central Stadium was one of the venues for the 2005 Confederation Cup and the 2006 World Cup, which was also experienced by many Leipzig residents as a "summer fairy tale". World and European championships in hockey, fencing, archery and pentathlon were held in Leipzig. However, the application for the 2012 Olympic Games, which continued Leipzig's tradition as a sports city and excited many Leipzig residents in 2004/05, failed.

 

Geography

Location and morphology
Leipzig is located in the center of the Leipzig Lowland Bay, which forms the southernmost part of the North German Plain, and at the confluence of the Weißer Elster, Pleiße and Parthe rivers. The rivers have many branches in the urban area and thus form the Leipzig water body node, which is accompanied by a large alluvial forest area (see the following section). The area surrounding Leipzig is sparsely forested. In the 20th century, the area was characterized by extensive lignite opencast mining, as a result of which numerous lakes are now being formed.

The extension of the city is 23.4 kilometers north-south and 21.3 kilometers east-west. The length of the city limits is 128.7 kilometers. The district of Nordsachsen borders the city to the north and the district of Leipzig to the south.

The difference in height in the urban area is about 60 meters. The higher parts are in the south-east and the lower parts are in the north-west. The lowest point at 97 meters above sea level is at the Neue Luppe near Gundorf. The highest natural points in the city are the Monarch Hill at 159 meters and the Galgenberg in Liebertwolkwitz at 163 meters. The monarch's hill is surpassed by the Seehausen (178 m) and Liebertwolkwitz (177 m) landfill sites, while the Schuttberg called Fockeberg (153 m) is an elevation close to the city centre.

Although the White Elster is the most water-rich of the three rivers in the city, Leipzig is primarily associated with the Pleiße, since it comes closest to the city center with its side arm, the Pleißemühlgraben.

 

Nature and environment

An extensive alluvial forest area stretches along the rivers in a north-south direction through the city, part of which has been converted into parks in the central area. The alluvial forest forms a climatic, ecological and recreational green connection from the area around Leipzig to the city center and has preserved a rare flora and fauna despite centuries of direct anthropogenic influence. The close connection between alluvial forest and urban development is a unique selling point of Leipzig in Europe.

Since there are significant lignite deposits under Leipzig and its environs, industrial open-cast mining of this raw material began as early as the 1930s. Due to mining, which became more and more widespread during the GDR era (lignite was the main source of energy in the GDR), parts of the floodplain forest south of Leipzig were destroyed. Numerous flood protection measures, including the construction of the Elster basin and the relocation of natural river courses, as well as lowering of the groundwater level associated with lignite mining, led to disturbances in the highly specialized ecosystem, which originally served as a natural floodplain.

The city lies in the middle of the Leipzig water junction, a former inland delta that z. B. was often redesigned by the installation of mill races and flood protection systems. In the 1950s, the Pleißemühlgraben and part of the Elstermühlgraben - in the Middle Ages, partly artificially created tributaries of the two rivers Pleiße and Weiße Elster for the operation of mills - were piped or filled due to pollution from industrial wastewater from lignite processing south of Leipzig, so that Leipzig partially lost its character as a river city. The discharge of the highly toxic sewage had left the rivers biologically dead. Since the end of the water-polluting industry at the beginning of the 1990s, both rivers have been gradually uncovered. Around 141 kilometers of permanently water-bearing watercourses run through the city area, plus there are only temporarily water-bearing streams and ditches.

In addition to water pollution, the lignite firing of outdated industrial plants, some of which still met the pre-war standard, and domestic stove heating brought with it very severe air pollution. The sulfur and phenolic air and the associated acid rain attacked parts of the building fabric, especially those made of sandstone. In the 1970s and 1980s, Leipzig was considered one of the major cities in Europe most polluted with environmental toxins. After the "Wende" the shutdown of the old industry and the modernization of the power plants and domestic heating systems very quickly led to significantly improved water and air conditions and to a visible recovery of the animal and plant world. Leipzig is one of the greenest cities in Germany with its numerous city parks, such as the Clara-Zetkin Park close to the city center and the Rosental, many newly created facilities in the residential areas and the traditional allotment garden associations. The proportion of green space is estimated at around 50% and the proportion of forest at around 7%. By 2015, the proportion of forest should be increased to 10% and biotope networks expanded. Since 2007, Leipzig has been a model region for the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation’s “Urban Forest Areas” test and development project. In cooperation with the responsible city offices, different types of forests are to be planted on inner-city fallow land and their impact on the climate, recreational provision and nature conservation is to be examined. There is potential space of around 1850 hectares in the inner-city area.

Street trees make up a significant part of Leipzig's city green, fulfilling both creative and ecological functions. There are currently 57,732 street trees registered in the city's tree registry. That is more than the registered park trees. Of the street trees, over 35% are linden trees, appropriate to the origin of the town's name. 38% of street trees are less than 20 years old, resulting from both the addition of old stands and the immediate planting of newly laid streets. Since the start of the Strong Tree City campaign in 1996, up to 150 trees have been planted annually through donations (from EUR 250 per tree).

At the beginning of the 1990s, lignite mining was stopped and the recultivation of the remaining opencast pits and the renaturation of the surrounding area began. In the meantime, several lakes with very good water quality have emerged from the flooded opencast mines. Other opencast mines are still being flooded. The Kulkwitzer and Cospudener lakes are closest to the Leipzig city center and serve as a very well developed local recreation area. The city of Leipzig also borders on Lake Zwenkau, which is to be connected to Lake Cospuden by a canal. The resulting large-scale recreation area will be marketed to tourists as "Leipziger Neuseenland" and will have a water surface of 70 km² when it is completed. In the urban area itself, around 130 standing bodies of water with a total area of 80 hectares are under municipal administration. Leipzig has been a member of the Green Ring Leipzig since 1996 in order to develop and experience the nature and landscape of the region together with the surrounding municipalities and districts.

On March 1, 2011, a large part of the city was declared a Group 4 environmental zone.

 

Urban structure and neighboring communities

Since 1992, Leipzig has been administratively divided into ten districts containing 63 districts. In contrast, districts are areas of the city that arose from the incorporation of previously independent villages. For this reason, city and district boundaries are not always identical. In order to achieve administrative units of approximately the same size, two districts sometimes form one district, or a district is divided into several districts. If not created by incorporation, sometimes a district does not correspond to a district.

 

Climate

Leipzig is located in the moderate climate zone, in the transition area from the oceanic climate of Western Europe to the continental climate of Eastern Europe. The mean annual temperature is 8.4 °C and the mean annual rainfall is 507 mm (mean 1972-2001). During the same period, there were an average of 77 days with frost, 37 days with summer and over seven days with heat. Most precipitation falls in the summer months of June to August, with a peak of 58.6 mm in August. The lowest precipitation falls in February at 27 mm, in the other winter months it is around 30 mm.

The rain shadow of the Harz reaches its south-eastern limit in the Leipzig city area. To the south are the rain storage areas of the Ore Mountains. This is reflected in a significant precipitation gradient in the vicinity of the city, but also within the city area. The north of Leipzig is the driest, most precipitation falls in the southern area of the city, with the annual difference being around 100 mm. For comparison: in the city of Halle (Saale), which is completely in the rain shadow, there is only about 450 mm of precipitation per year.

The highest temperature was measured in Leipzig on July 20, 2022 at 39.3 °C. The lowest recorded temperature was recorded on January 14, 1987 at −24.1 °C.

 

Population

Population development
After extensive incorporations at the end of the 1990s, Leipzig is one of the largest cities in Germany.

Before that, in contrast, it was one of the most compact cities, becoming a metropolis in 1870 with 100,000 inhabitants. Leipzig had already reached its current population before 1914. At the end of the 19th and in the first years of the 20th century, the population of Leipzig caught up with the largest cities by leaps and bounds: before the start of the First World War, it was the fourth largest city in Germany with almost 590,000 inhabitants. By 1930, the population had reached a historic high of just over 700,000.

After a war-related decline, the population in Leipzig rose again in the 1960s to around 600,000 inhabitants. Especially since the late 1980s, but already in the 1970s, the city had to record a significant population decline. At the time of reunification, almost 9,000 foreigners lived in the city due to the GDR's restrictive migration policy. The lowest level of the total population was reached in the mid-1990s with a little less than 440,000 inhabitants. The decline in population is due on the one hand to emigration to regions in the western federal states and on the other hand to the onset of suburbanisation. Like all larger cities, Leipzig tries to actively increase the population in order to increase the income from the municipal financial equalization, which is calculated via the key allocation. With extensive incorporations in 1999, Saxony tried to counteract the suburbanization of Leipzig. Several large industrial communities were added, which roughly doubled the area of the city. As a result of these incorporations, increasing birth rates and a positive balance of people moving in and out of Leipzig, the population of Leipzig began to grow again so that in 2005 the half-million mark was exceeded. As of 2010, Leipzig was one of the fastest growing cities in Germany and experienced an annual increase of around 10,000 people up to and including 2017, which corresponded to annual growth rates of over 2 percent. Between 2012 and 2014, Leipzig was the fastest growing city in Germany and the actual development exceeded all forecasts. The strong growth is explained by the influx of young people, for work, with new large employers and the birth surplus in 2013 and 2014. Before that, Leipzig had a birth surplus in 1965. The absolute number of births also reached an all-time high. More children were born in 2014 than in 1988. This unexpectedly high growth caused difficulties in the supply of crèches, kindergartens and schools.

In 2015 the population increased by almost 16,000 and in 2016 by 10,000 inhabitants. In the course of the refugee crisis in Germany in 2015/2016, there was an increase in the foreign population and the population with a migration background. As of December 31, 2013, for example, 919 residents with a Syrian migration background were registered in Leipzig. As of December 31, 2019, there were 9,498. In 2017, over 7,000 residents were added. Since then, population growth has declined slightly, but the population is increasing by several thousand every year. According to the population register of the city of Leipzig, the population grew by 5,151 in 2019 and had 601,668 inhabitants at the end of 2019, which means that the 600,000 mark was reached again. The official population figure published by the Saxony State Statistical Office on December 31, 2019 was 593,145 and thus more than 6,000 under 600,000. According to the population register, the population increased by 3,739 to 605,407 people in 2020. With the highest German population growth rate in the years 2014 to 2017 (6.9%), Leipzig became the eighth largest city in Germany in 2018. According to forecasts, Leipzig will remain the fastest growing city in Germany in percentage terms with a population growth of 16% in the years 2017 to 2035.

On December 31, 2019, Leipzig recorded a proportion of the population with a migration background of 15.4%. The proportion of foreigners was 10.2%. After Berlin, Leipzig thus has the highest proportion of the population with a migration background among the major cities in eastern Germany. In comparison with large western German cities, it is still a low value. As of December 31, 2019, the largest groups of Leipzig residents with a migration background came from Russia (9,712), Syria (9,498), Poland (6,279), Romania (4,672), Vietnam (3,498) and Ukraine (3,450). The districts with the highest proportion of migrants as of December 31, 2019 were Volkmarsdorf (42.2%) and Neustadt-Neuschönefeld (38.0%) as well as Grünau-Mitte (27.4%).

 

Religions

Religious communities
Leipzig belonged to the Diocese of Merseburg until the Reformation. Four monasteries were founded in Leipzig in the 13th century: St. Paul (Dominicans), St. Thomas (Augustine canons), The Holy Spirit (Franciscans) and St. George (Cistercians and Benedictines).

The first Lutheran sermons were held in 1522, and the Reformation was introduced in 1539. At present, all of the city's Lutheran parishes belong to the Leipzig church district of the Saxon State Church or belong to the respective old-denominational Evangelical-Lutheran Free Church or the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church. The church district of the Saxon state church also includes parishes outside the city.

Catholic services have been held in Leipzig again since 1697. In 1921 the diocese of Meissen (now Dresden-Meissen) was reestablished, in which the trade fair city is the seat of a deanery. The city's main Catholic church is the Propsteikirche St. Trinitatis. In 2016, the 100th German Catholic Day took place in Leipzig at the invitation of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen. Bucking the nationwide trend, the main Catholic community in the trade fair city, for example, is growing by 150 members a year. The largest church building since 1990 in eastern Germany was also realized there.

Since 1700 there has been an Evangelical-Reformed congregation in Leipzig, which belongs to the Evangelical-Reformed State Church.

In addition to the two large churches in Leipzig there is a congregation of the Old Catholic Church and congregations of evangelical free churches such as the Free Evangelical Congregation, the Baptists, Methodists, Mennonites and the Seventh-day Adventists. Leipzig is the seat of the federal administration office of the ChristForums Germany in the BEFG.

The first mention of Jewish life in Leipzig comes from a document by Henry the Illustrious from 1248. After 1800 a Jewish community formed for the first time. Until the time of National Socialism, Jewish citizens shaped the city as entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and donors. In 1912, Rabbi Ephraim Carlebach founded the Higher Jewish School as the first Jewish school in Saxony. It existed until 1942. In 1929, Leipzig had over 14,000 members, the largest Jewish community in Saxony and one of the largest in Germany. From 1933 the systematic extermination of Jewish life in the city began, which ended with the deportation and murder of almost all Leipzig Jews. The memorial book of the Federal Archives for the victims of the Nazi persecution of the Jews in Germany (1933-1945) lists 4,904 Jewish residents of Leipzig who were deported and mostly murdered. The stumbling blocks of Gunter Demnig's art project at various locations in the city are a reminder of this.

After the war, the Jewish community consisted of only 24 members. Membership stagnated until the early 1990s. In 2004, the "Israelite Religious Community in Leipzig" again had over 1,300 members, due in particular to the immigration of Russian Jews. In 2009 a new culture and meeting center was built in the Ariowitsch house.

The Muslim community in Leipzig is very young and the proportion of Muslims in the population is far below that of the big cities in the old federal states, yet Islam is the second largest religion in the city after Christianity. Around 10,000 Muslims were counted in Leipzig in 2009, which corresponds to around 2.0% of the total population. The largest mosque is the Ar-Rahman Mosque. There is a Turkish community which is under the umbrella organization of the Turkish-Islamic Union Institute for Religion (DİTİB).

Denomination statistics
According to the 2011 census, 11.8% of the residents were Protestant, 4.0% Roman Catholic and 84.2% were non-denominational, belonged to another faith community or made no statement. Since then, the number of Protestants has fallen, while the number of Catholics has risen since then. At the end of 2021, Leipzig had 609,869 inhabitants, 4.3% (plus 0.3%) Catholics, 10.7% (minus 1.1%) Protestants and 85.0% belonged to either another religious community or no religious community at all. Among the approximately 100,000 church members, 3% (3045) left the church in 2021.

Crime
According to the police crime statistics published by the Federal Criminal Police Office on April 24, 2017, Leipzig ranks second after Berlin in terms of registered crime in German cities with 200,000 or more inhabitants. In 2016, 15,811 crimes occurred per 100,000 inhabitants. There are strong differences between the individual districts of Leipzig. In 2016, the crime atlas of the State Criminal Police Office of Saxony certified that the district of Leipzig Zentrum had the highest crime rate with 2664 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants (total 6082 cases), followed by Leipzig Zentrum-Ost with 728 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants (total 3072).

Around the Eisenbahnstraße area, including the Rabet park, there has been a gun ban zone in Leipzig since November 5, 2018 in accordance with the Saxon Weapons Prohibition Zone Ordinance Leipzig, which was abolished again on March 24, 2021.