What to See in Leipzig

Built in 1556 in the Renaissance style and remains one of Germany's largest. The position of the tower follows the ancient ideal of "golden mean". Located on the pretty main square of the city, it is a good orientation point. The Old City Hall was built 1556 by Hieronymus Lotter on basements of two Patrician houses.…

Modern architecture in the style of New Objectivity, covered with a traditional red porphyr stone. Easily to be confused with a modern office building, this church dedicated in 2015 is the largest newly built church building in Eastern Germany since unification.…

Located across the ring southwest of the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), the appearance of this building resembles the original look of the Reichstag in Berlin. It was built from 1888 to 1895 for the Court of the German Empire (Reichsgericht), the highest court of the Reich. During the GDR years the building served a variety of uses and hosted the Museum der Bildenden Künste.…

The national library of Germany collects works published in Germany or in the German language. It consists of three buildings from different epochs: the original main building opened in 1916 with two later extensions integrated, a windowless depot tower from the late 70s/early 80s, and book-shaped fourth extension to be opened in May 2011.…

An industrial district whose time of glory has passed. Many of its factories died a slow death during the GDR years, which suddenly became visible with the reunification of Germany. Today it is a mixture of old industrial buildings, some in ruins and others repurposed; fallow land; and new developments.…

At 91m tall, this is the biggest monument in Europe, commemorating the Battle of Leipzig in the Napoleonic Wars, in which the combined Prussian, Austrian, and Russian forces defeated Napoleon at a cost of 100,000 lives. The top platform can be visited (steep, narrow stairs). Every summer, the 'bath tub' race is held in the reflecting pool below.…

Besides the tower of the new townhall and the Völkerschlachtenkmal, three highrise buildings shape the skyline of Leipzig. The City-Hochhaus (Augustusplatz) was originally built as part of the university campus but sold to private investors in the 1990s. The Wintergartenhochhaus next to the Hauptbahnhof (Wintergartenstraße) is an apartment building.…

Germany's oldest preserved railway station, built in 1842, only 7 years after the first train line of Germany had been opened. The station is no longer in use but one can still view the portal. In the course of the construction of the city tunnel the entire portal was moved away and later relocated to its original place.…

The museum of natural history, filled with all kinds of taxidermy creatures. As of January 2011, city officials are pondering plans of closing the museum soon and reopening it in a different location later with a redesigned exhibition. In 2016 it's still open, a little old fashioned, but entrance is cheap.

The church where Bach worked as a cantor from 1723 until his death in 1750. His remains are buried under a bronze epitaph near the altar. The Bach Museum is right next to the church. Regular concerts are given by the St. Thomas Boys Choir Fridays and Saturdays (see do section for details).

Housed in the former Stasi headquarters, this is an interesting museum documenting the Stasi (DDR secret police) and its methods of controlling and manipulating the people. Displays are in German – there is not much English inside. English audio guides are available for €4.

You can see two early highrise buildings (by the standards of their time) around Augustusplatz. One is the Krochhochaus on the western side of the square. The other is the Europahaus in the southeastern corner of the square, across the street from the Gewandhaus.

Although pricey, this is one of the largest and best known zoos in Germany. New elephants' enclosure has a swimming pool where you can watch the elephants bathing from under the water level. Visit the Gondwanaland tropical species exhibit and the monkey house.

Housed in a glass cube, this museum features paintings from the 15th century through today. Highlights include paintings by local artists Max Beckman and Max Klinger, as well as Caspar David Friedrich, Lucas Cranach the Younger, and Claude Monet.

Includes the [http://www.grassimuseum.de/en/exhibitions.html Museum of Applied Arts], the [http://mfm.uni-leipzig.de/en/index.php Museum of Musical Instruments], and [http://www.mvl-grassimuseum.de/ Museum of Ethnology].

Leipzig's largest church. Starting point for the peaceful revolution on October 9, 1989, when 600 SED members, who were sent to break up the protest, joined the protesters. Every Monday at 5pm since 1982, the church holds peace prayers.

Opened in 1999, this is a museum about the GDR. There is one permanent exhibition about the life in the GDR and the fall of the GDR; the other exhibition changes approx. every two month and has similar topics.

Herrmann Julius Meyer, owner of a publishing company, initiated in the late 19th century several development projects to provide adequate but cheap housing to factory workers and their families.

Exhibition of pewter figures in historically themed dioramas. The location, the gatehouse and only remainder of an old manor, was one of the hotspots in the battles of the Napoleonic wars.

Seat of the municipal government since 1905. The building also features a 115m tower which can be accessed by tour Mon-Fri at 11:00 and 14:00 (tel. +49 341 123-2323).

One of the many traces of the Napoleonic wars in and around Leipzig: a memorial church to the honours of Russian soldiers who died during the Napoleonic wars.

Curved to follow the street, huge like a castle -- Leipzig's most prominent relict of the Stalin era sits at the Ring next to the Gewandhaus.

Huge panoramic picture surrounding the viewer. The theme changes from time to time. The building was originally used as a gas storage tank.

Apartment houses in concentric circles, built in the late 1920s/early 1930s. Streets named after characters from he Song of the Nibelungs.

Upscale shops and bars. The entrance to Auerbachs Keller is inside. Forms a bigger system with Königshauspassage and Messehofpassage.

A museum about coffee and coffee culture in Europe's oldest continuously operating [http://www.coffe-baum.de/ coffee house].

Leipzig's highest building has a restaurant and an observation platform at its top with a great view over the town.

A converted cotton mill in the Plagwitz industrial district, today providing work and exhibition rooms to artists.

Former home of the poet Friedrich Schiller. This is the (purported) place where he authored the Ode to Joy.

Former home of composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Regular concerts are held every Sunday at 11:00.

Calm atmosphere in the middle of the city. Inside you'll find the arthouse cinema Passage Kinos.

Former house of musicians and composers Clara and Robert Schumann.

It's the oldest one in Germany and one of the first in the world.

Europe's largest uninterrupted Gründerzeit district.

Changing exhibitions of contemporary art.

The oldest passage in Leipzig

The university's library.

History of psychiatry.

Baroque architecture.

History of schooling

Pharmacy museum