Leipzig | Travelzoo

Leipzig is a city of many nicknames — Little Venice, the City of Music, and the City of Heroes. Read on to learn about its main sights, its famous former residents, its creative vibe, its cosy cafés, and its pivotal role in the fall of the Berlin Wall.

ALL DEALS

Related offers for Leipzig

LEIPZIG

Music lovers flock to Leipzig for its links to famous composers including Wagner, Bach, and Mendelssohn. The Leipzig Music Trail, a sign-posted route in the city centre, connects the most important original sites and takes you on a journey through musical history. The 12th-century St Thomas Church, where Bach was choirmaster and is laid to rest, is home to the famous St Thomas Choir, which has been running for 800 years, and performs every Friday and Saturday at the church. In summer, 2022, the eyes of the music world will be on Leipzig, as all 13 of Wagner’s operas will be performed at the Oper Leipzig.

Leipzig has gained a reputation as a dynamic art city, attracting young creatives to set up galleries, start-ups, and quirky culture spaces in Plagwitz — the former industrial district. The Spinnerei Art Centre, formerly the largest cotton mill in continental Europe, is now a thriving exhibition, studio, and gallery space. Artist Neo Rauch was one of the first to set up his studio here, and it now enjoys a respected reputation worldwide.

Just outside the city is the recreational region of New Lakeland, which is made up of more than 20 lakes where locals go to relax, swim, practice watersports, and walk in the surrounding forests. Many, including Lake Cospuden, are easily accessible from the city centre. Affectionately nicknamed "Cossi" by locals — this lake is about 25 minutes away by bus.

Start Quiz

how well do you know LEIPZIG?

Which other European city is Leipzig often compared to?

Copenhagen

Amsterdam

Venice

Bruges

Locals canoe and kayak along the city’s many canals.

Venice

NEXT QUESTION

Which famous composer is buried at St Thomas Church?

Mendelssohn

Schumann

Wagner

Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach served as Director of Music at St Thomas Church for 27 years.

Bach

NEXT QUESTION

Which event helped the unification of Germany?

Battle of Independence

East German Uprising

Battle of Nations

Peaceful Revolution

The Peaceful Revolution that started on 9 October, 1989, kickstarted the chain of events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall a month later.

Peaceful Revolution

NEXT QUESTION

What is the famous Leipziger Allerlei?

A band

A river

A bird

A vegetable stew

This vegetable stew is made using morels, prawns, and bread dumplings, along with vegetables including asparagus, carrots, peas, and cauliflower.

Vegetable stew

SEE RESULT

Nevermind

Brush up on your Leipzig knowledge by exploring our pages and videos, and come back and try again!

Restart Quiz

Good job!

Your Leipzig knowlegde is top notch!

Go to next page

old town and market place

St. Thomas Church

town hall with historic tower

panoramic tower

Gewandhaus at Augustusplatz

Opera

Church of St. Nikolai

What to see in the city centre?

The city’s marketplace, overlooked by the Old Town Hall, hosts a weekly market where local artisans sell their creations. It's also home to one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets, an annual Easter market, and a wine festival.

Foodies will delight in Leipzig’s culinary scene, with local specialities including Leipziger Allerlei — a mixed vegetable stew — and Leipziger Räbchen: prunes with a marzipan filling, that are pressed into a pancake mix then baked and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Bach even has his own namesake pastry — the Bachtaler. Coffee lovers can get their caffeine fix in one of the traditional coffee houses or hip cafés around the city. Leipzig’s coffee culture dates back to 1964, when Coffee Baum café (currently under renovation) served coffee for the first time.

Creative Leipzig

NATURE

City of Music

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations, commemorating the battle against Napoleon in 1813, is arguably Leipzig's most famous landmark. You can climb its 364 steps for panoramic views of the city from its viewing platform.

Taste

marketplace

landmark

xxx

Modern Architecture

Leipzig

South

Competition

north

Overview

Germany

One third of Leipzig is covered in greenery, and at its core is the floodplain forest, one of the largest in central Europe. It’s home to many different tree species, including ash and maple, as well as wildlife such as kingfishers and red squirrels. The watery landscape extends right into the city, and Leipzig is often compared to Venice, due to its system of rivers and canals. You can rent canoes and kayaks to explore them at your own pace.

Between 1949 and 1990, Leipzig was part of East Germany, or the German Democratic Republic, and was under communist rule. In 1989, residents began meeting in the city centre to march for freedom of speech and an end to the separation of Germany. These demonstrations came to a head on 9 October, 1989, when 70,000 brave protestors peacefully took to the streets to make their voices heard. This movement, known as the Peaceful Revolution, led to the fall of the Berlin Wall a month later, and the reunification of Germany. Every year, the city holds a Festival of Lights to commemorate the events. You can learn more about life in the German Democratic Republic at the Runde Ecke Memorial Museum, housed in the former headquarters of the Stasi, East Germany's state security service.

Rich history

Hi Emma, Hi Alina, just added those deals on the right as example and placeholder. Feel free to delete afterwards.

Dive deeper and go on a treasure hunt, solve a mystery with the interactive videos on the pages of north and south Germany.

Continue

Dive deeper and go on a treasure hunt, solve a mystery or plan a birthday party with the interactive videos on the pages of Leipzig, north and south.

Continue

Want to discover Germany’s best-kept secrets and local culture? Join comedian Henning Wehn on an interactive journey off the beaten path.

Leipzig

Click play and start your adventure.