Leipzig is a city full of surprises. Urban and edgy, but also a traditional city of trade fairs and home to some of the world’s most famous classical composers. It would be easy to label this Saxon city one way or the other but to get to know the real Leipzig, you’ll have to immerse yourself in its wonderful mix of culture and inventive spirit that shapes the city and attracts many artists and creative folk. Add to that a long and eventful history and you have the perfect combination for a city break of many surprises.
Leipzig
Discover Saxony’s edgy and creative side
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„My Leipzig will I praise! A little Paris, one that cultivates its people. ”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Creative places & events
Spinnerei Leipzig, a former cotton mill, has been turned into a top-notch hub for contemporary art with more than over 100 artists' studios, 11 galleries, printer’s and shops. Internationally renowned artists such as Neo Rauch and Michael Triegel work here.
The GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts is one of Europe's leading museums of design, featuring changing exhibitions on arts and crafts, design, photography and architecture.
Since its opening in 2016, Kunstkraftwerk has become a European hotspot for new media art, with a focus is on immersive art projects that correspond in extraordinary ways with their industrial surroundings.
The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, short DOK, attracts visitors from all over the world. It is one of the leading festivals for documentaries and animated films and unique in combining these two genres.
In the former Herfurth Villa, the Gallery for Contemporary Art shows works from the period after 1945 and promotes contemporary art.
The Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival has been held annually in Leipzig at Whitsun since 1992 and, with over 20,000 visitors, is one of the biggest events in the goth scene.
Going out, Leipzig style
One thing not to be missed in Leipzig is checking out a collection of small streets in Leipzig’s centre, known as Drallewatsch, which are synonymous for a multitude of going out options. In Saxon dialect, the word describes the act of going out and having a good time (loosely translated) and that’s exactly what you’ll have when out and about around on the famous Barfußgässchen alley. Lined up along almost one kilometre, there are over 30 restaurants, bars and pubs between Richard-Wagner-Platz and Burgplatz. Be it traditional venues such as Auerbachs Keller, Barthels Hof, Ratskeller, Zills Tunnel or trendy bars and international cuisine – there is something for every taste. Particularly in the summer months, when everything happens al fresco, the narrow streets are teeming with life. The backdrop of historic buildings from the Renaissance, Baroque and turn of the 20th century periods add to the special atmosphere.
Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, affectionately known as KarLi by the locals, is also a good place for going out until the early hours of the morning. It borders the city centre and is known for its many bars, pubs, cafés and international restaurants. Cultural centres such as naTo, Werk 2 or Feinkost are also much-loved meeting places.
More popular restaurants are to be found on Münzgasse around the Schauspiel theatre and along Karl-Heine-Strasse in the trendy district of Plagwitz.
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„Oh, how I always envy Leipzig for its music!”
Clara Schumann
Leipzig for culture buffs
Leipzig’s Gewandhausorchester is a world-class orchestra, considered to be the largest professional orchestra in the world. Gewandhaus, the concert hall where it is based, was inaugurated in 1981 and has excellent acoustics.
Leipzig Opera stands for more than 300 years of opera tradition with highly acclaimed performances featuring renowned soloists, a highly esteemed choir and award-winning ballet. Musikalische Komödie is part of the Leipzig Opera and is considered one of the few dedicated operetta and musical houses in the world.
Leipzig Music Trail, a 3-mile loop, was launched in 2012 and connects 23 places where famous composers lived and worked, including the Bach Museum, Mendelssohn House and Schumann House.
Leipzig Museum of City History shows the city’s history in all its diversity, including a special children’s museum in a neighbouring building on Böttchergässchen. Schiller House and the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, Europe's most imposing monument, are also part of the Museum of City History.
Leipzig’s Museum der bildenden Künste is a fine art museum presenting a range of masterworks from the 15th to the 21st century.
Discover Leipzig and its surroundings
Football fans can get a first-hand experience of the region’s hospitality in Leipzig's famous going-out neighbourhood "Drallewatsch" around the Barfußgässchen with its bars, pubs and restaurants. If you want to get active yourself, you can explore Leipzig's waterways on a canoe tour, enjoying the city from a different perspective.
Families on the UEFA EURO 2024™ trail should pencil in Leipzig Zoo, one of Europe’s best, featuring a large tropical rainforest and 20 life-size dinosaur models. From 7 June to 7 July, the Zoo will also host the "Stadium of Dreams", engaging visitors with sports games, craft activities and the history of football and fair play.
Looking to relax after having watched exciting matches? Then head to Leipzig New Lake District on the city’s doorsteps for a leisurely swim or some cycling. Just over an hour away by train, you can explore another of Saxony’s beautiful historic cities: The region’s capital Dresden offers a delightful mix of baroque architecture, diverse museums and enchanting riverside scenery. Perfect for a leisurely urban stroll!
All about animals: Leipzig Zoo
Leipzig’s zoo is a must when in town, featuring six exciting “worlds of adventure” for veritable wow moments. Don't miss these highlights:
Gondwanaland, Germany's largest tropical rainforest
Pongoland, a worldwide unique ape enclosure
NEW since 2021: Discover 20 life-size dinosaurs – only in Leipzig!
Zoo expert Anthony Sheridan recently named Leipzig Zoo the best zoo in Germany & second-best zoo in Europe!
9 months
of construction it took and no more to build the city’s splendid Renaissance Old Town Hall in 1557.
427 bridges
can be crossed in Leipzig, more than in Venice!
80,000 sqm
Total area of Leipzig Central Station, making it the largest terminus station in Europe