I'll be heading to Leipzig later this year, and will be staying for 9 days. I'll be busy during most of the day times, but will have free time from around 5PM each night. I'll also have two, possibly three free 'full days'.

I gather Leipzig is a relatively small town. Is there much to do for people who like to explore, but aren't your average museum style tourists? We like to walk around, take photos and explore local pubs and restaurants.

We might have a tween-age child in tow, and she likes countryside walks, horses, and shopping.

If anyone has any thoughts as to how suitable Leipzig is for this sort of thing, they'd be much appreciated. I gather it's a small town, but the same was said of Malmo and I found plenty to do there.

If it really is 'the middle of nowhere' then we can always take a day trip on the train to somewhere bigger, but it would be nice to have some ideas in advance.

Thanks.

Hi,

you are wrong thinking Leipzig being a small town. It is the biggest city in the federal state of Saxony and has well over half a million inhabitants.
A lot of things to see and visit !
Johann Sebastian Bach created most of his works there (visit his Thomanerkirche). The reunification process of Germany took place at the other beautiful church, Nikolaikirche, where the demonstrations in 1989 started. Walk around on the old ramparts of the medieval city and visit the Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) and admire the beautiful old houses of a once very rich city (the Leipzig Fairs). The main station is the biggest in Germany and worth a visit.
There are interesting museums, the famous Auerbachs Keller (where part of Goethe's Faust is playing) and a lot of passageways. Food at Auerbachs Keller is not sensational, but the atmosphere is.
Leipzig also has an airport and a famous zoo (for your kid).
Saxony has its own food specialities (Sauerbraten with dumplings made of potatoes) as well as its own cake specialities.
If you have a lot of time off, do not miss a trip to Dresden.
I am sure you will enjoy this beautiful city.

The excellent Gewandhaus Orchestra performs both in its own hall (of the same name) and also (at times) in the pit for performances of the Oper Leipzig. The Gewandhaus hall and the Oper (both replacing structures destroyed in WW II) are across from each other in Augustusplatz, just a few blocks from the Hauptbahnhof and the old center city. Prices are very reasonable, especially considering the very high quality (especially when music director Riccardo Chailly is on the podium).

Speaking of the Hbf, there is a very large multi-level shopping mall on the two levels below the train platform area. It has a wide variety of shops and eating places.

Well, it is a relatively small city and in two days you have seen most of it. If I were nasty I would say the best of Leipzig are the trains to Dresden and Berlin. But I am not nasty today. It is a pleasant town but do not expect too much. Culture is great, museums are good and evenings outings can be fun. But it is definitly neither London nor Berlin.

And do not expect too much from the food. The "Sauerbraten" is a poor copy of what is known from the Rhine and there is some cynic around about Leipzig coffee described as "Blümchencoffee" (flowers coffee). This, because in the old days you could see the decor at the bottom of the cup even trough the abviously thin coffee.

Nonetheless, it is for sure the second best big city in Saxnony (second only to Dresden), but to be honest: There are no other big cities around.

As an Anglo-Flying lawyer you must have the last word. But your American relatives will feel at home in Leipzig, because 'Bluemchenkaffee'is served all over the U.S. And whether your relatives like 'Sauerbraten'with dried raisins is mystery to me, just because you love Cologne. My Bavarian friends always said: are these raisins or flies. We rather prefer flies. End of quotation.

Heaven's sake: Allthough I am an Anglo Flying lawyer I have the honour to travel on a red passport with a small golden eagle (if I do not choose to travel with a red passport with H.M. Crest), was raised in the suburbs of D�sseldorf, lived from December 1989 to early 1991 in Leipzig and even was proud to hold a small blue passport paper with the Crest of a now goneby country for about six months. However, I prefer Rheinischer Sauerbraten - which exists with and without raisins - to the Leipzig copy and I hate Cologne. Any further questions?

please calm down folks. personal attacks won't be tolerated and will be deleted. I suggest we focus on the topic which was: Things to do in Leipzig. Wether or not it is worth a journey wasn't the question here.

regards

chrissxb
moderator
Germany Forum

Chris, I was really civilized today . And LH7119 was either. Remember: We are German (although he considers me to be Anglo - well it is true in some way) and we are not always as polite as cititzens of our trusted neighbouring countries or of our former possessions.

Day trip:
1h by train to Weimar ( http://www.weimar.de/en/tourism/homepage/sights/ ) and Erfurt ( http://www.erfurt.de/ef/en/sightseeing/ ). Another 0.5h train ride (+ bus/taxi) to Wartburg from Erfurt ( http://www.wartburg-eisenach.de/frame_st.htm ).

Another somewhat interesting short train ride from Leipzig is to the town of Chemnitz. Some may think me crazy, but I enjoyed a visit to this little town. There is not a lot to do, but it is a good place to see a lot of the old East German influence being 'westernized', if that makes sense. The food at the Rathaus restaurant is quite good, and there is a beautiful town square and shopping platz just a short walk from the train station.

Halle an der Saale, the birthplace of Handel, next door to Leipzig, is also worth a visit. One of the largest towns in Germany not destroyed in WWII.

Wittenburg is nearby. I hear it has been the recipient of some much needed post-communist restoration. It might be worth a daytrip to see the sight of one of the most important events of the last 500 years.

Belated thanks for all the tips! (I 'lost' this forum section and almost forgot I'd even asked about things to do at the destination on this board).

I'm not sure if we'll have time for day trips, but if things slow down towards the end of the week we'll give them a look, thanks LH738.

LH7119 - thanks for those suggestions - it sounds like we'll be able to get some great photographs if we take the time to look around. The food sounds good for my husband too

Thanks again everyone.

Will be staying at Fuerstenhof next weekend for two nights. Any recommendations for Sunday brunch (outside the hotel) in the city centre. Sol y mar, Moevenpick ? Anyone ?

I know only Moevenpick (next to Altes Rathaus), not great .... not bad. Had a little bit of fast food ambiance.
I found plenty of restaurants around "Barfussgaesschen".

BTW, I visited recently "Runde Ecke" not far from "Barfussgaesschen" .... that was the former Stasi headquarter in Leipzig .. very interesting!