Saxony · Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig is a city of music and reunification history, home to the Bach and Mendelssohn traditions and the 1989 Monday demonstrations. Its Hauptbahnhof, one of Europe's largest by floor area, sits on major ICE routes.
Highlights
St. Thomas Church
Bach's church, where he served as choirmaster and is buried.
Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
One of Europe's largest railway stations by floor area, now also a shopping arcade.
Monument to the Battle of the Nations
A vast memorial commemorating the 1813 battle against Napoleon.
Auerbachs Keller
A historic restaurant featured in Goethe's Faust.
Spinnerei
A former cotton mill turned contemporary art gallery complex.
Getting there by train
Main station: Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
| From | Journey time | Typical trains |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | about 1.25 h | ICE |
| Dresden | about 1.25 h | IC / RE |
| Frankfurt | about 3.25 h | ICE |
| Munich | about 3.5 h | ICE |
Source: DB timetable data (typical journey times). Checked on 1 June 2024.
Local transport
Leipzig's LVB trams and buses, plus the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland, serve the city and region. The Deutschlandticket covers local buses, trams, U-Bahn and S-Bahn in and around the city, though not long-distance ICE/IC trains.
Day trips
- Dresden (about 1.25 h) — The baroque Saxon capital, a short ride away.
- Halle (Saale) (about 30 min) — A nearby university city on the Saale river.
Neighbourhoods
Zentrum
The compact centre of arcades and courtyards, entered straight from the huge terminus station.
Plagwitz
Converted cotton mills and canals west of the centre, now galleries and studios.
Südvorstadt
Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse's bars and restaurants, a short tram ride south.
Food and drink
Leipziger Allerlei is the city's spring vegetable dish, and Leipziger Lerche a shortcrust almond pastry. Gose, a salty-sour wheat beer, was revived here.
Practical notes
- Leipzig Hbf is one of the largest terminus stations in Europe, with a two-level shopping arcade inside.
- The City Tunnel S-Bahn line links the main station to the southern districts in minutes.
- St Thomas Church holds regular Bach motets on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
Leipzig bookshelf
German-language editions worth reading before or during a stop in Leipzig, grouped by shelf. Each link searches Amazon for that edition so you land on the copy currently in print — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure.
Geschichte
- Find on Amazon →Wir sind das Volk: Die Leipziger MontagsdemonstrationenEkkehard Kuhn
The autumn 1989 protests that started at the Nikolaikirche.
- Find on Amazon →Leipzig: Geschichte der StadtDetlef Döring
Trade fairs, printing and music across the centuries.
Kultur & Musik
- Find on Amazon →Johann Sebastian Bach: BiographieChristoph Wolff
The standard biography of the composer, who worked in Leipzig for 27 years.
Reiseführer
- Find on Amazon →DuMont Reise-Taschenbuch LeipzigDuMont
German city guide with Plagwitz and Südvorstadt coverage.