Things to Do in Leipzig
Discover 24 activities and experiences in Leipzig, Germany — from outdoor adventures to cultural events. Curated from real traveler recommendations.
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Cospudener See
Named after Cospuden, a village that fell victim to opencast mining, this lake was the first lignite mine conversion in the region after the end of the GDR. Locals instantly and enthusiastically adopted their new ''"Costa Cospuda"''. The northern Beach (Nordstrand) is broad and sandy, the perfect place to spend a hot summer day.
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- Markkleeberg-West/Knautkleeberg
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Motets in St. Thomas Church
Listen to the St. Thomas Boys Choir performing Bach's music in its original environment. Be aware that a guest choir may sing instead at any time as the St Thomas Choir travels a lot. Since the motet is primarily a musical form of devotion and not a musical performance for tourists, applause is uncommon and frowned upon.
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- Thomaskirche, Thomaskirchhof
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- Friday 18:00 and Saturday 15:00; unreserved seating, come early (church opens 45 min before)
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- Admission €2 (includes program); children free
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Rosental
The second large park of Leipzig, located northwest of the city center. From the Rosental you can get a glimpse into the zoo without having to pay the entrance fee (Zooschaufenster near the large meadow). Crossing Waldstraße and continuing in northwestern direction you will find a small hill with a watchtower on top.
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Porsche Leipzig
The Porsche factory in Leipzig, which builds the Cayenne and the Panamera, offers plant tours as well as driving experiences on the test track, combined with meals at the on-site restaurant. Please note that a much wider choice of events is offered to users booking in German, via the German version of the website.
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- Porschestraße 1
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- Factory tour + brunch from €45
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Clara-Zetkin Park
Really a collection of several parks that locals may still know and refer to by their original names: Johannapark, Albertpark, Volkspark Scheibenholz, and Palmengarten. Walk westwards from the new city hall to find the Johannapark, starting at the crossing of Karl-Tauchnitz Straße and Friedrich-Ebert Straße
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VideoBustour
In addition to the comments of a live guide in English or other languages, on-screen historic film footage and photographs give you a deeper insight into Leipzigs history and life today. The standard length of the tour is 2 hours. You can also combine it with a walking tour through the historic center.
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- Lützowstr. 19
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- individual starting time for small groups
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- from €25
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Fockeberg
Originally a landfill with WW II debris, this hill is today a park and the location for several recurrent events: the Fockeberglauf in March and November (a running competition), the Fockebergzeitfahren (an uphill bicycle race), and the Prix de Tacot (a soapbox car race).
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- Admission free
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Sightseeing by tram
Every weekend, LVB offers sightseeing tours in a modified tram called ''"Gläserner Leipziger"''. Buy your ticket in advance from any of the LVB service offices listed above; it includes a day ticket for zone 110 (Leipzig) of the MDV network. The tour takes about 2 hours.
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- Kurt-Schumacher Straße
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- Saturdays, starting at 11am and 2pm; May–September also Sundays 11am
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- €15 per person
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BMW Werk Leipzig
The BMW assembly plant in Leipzig, which builds the 1er-series and X1 models, offers guided tours of its premises. They require previous appointment - you need to send a request with your preferences in advance and wait for the Visitor's Centre to get back to you.
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- BMW Allee 1, 04349 Leipzig
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- € 6 per person (adult), € 130 for an individual tour (for up to 30 persons)
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Sightseeing tour
The tour lasts 2.5 hours, comprising a 1 hour guided walk through the city center and a bus tour of 1.5 hours to sights elsewhere. You can also book each part of the tour individually. Buy your ticket at tourist information, where the tour starts.
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- Katharinenstaße 8
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- daily 1:30pm (in German also 10:30am)
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- €15
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Wildpark
Watch wild animals in the woods. If you feel like hiking, after passing through the Wildpark you can turn northwards and walk to Clara-Zetkin Park, or walk south/southeast to Cospudener See. Both are about 2.5 km away.
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- Koburger Straße
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- 9am–6/7/8pm depending on the season
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- Admission free
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Bimbo Town
Parties organized by British robotics artist Jim Whiting. You can expect furniture that moves by itself, a waterfall made of bathtubs that you can climb into if you feel the need, and various other thrills and chills.
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- Baumwollspinnerei, Spinnereistraße 7
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- Irregular dates, check the website
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Kulkwitzer See
Beach; camping; fishing, water sports. This one is the oldest of the close lakes. Converted from a mine in the sixties, the city grew towards it in the eighties with the Grünau development.
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- Grünau/Miltitz
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- Beach access free; fishing requires a permit, available in the camping office
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Aussichtsturm Rosentalhügel
Observation tower. See the city from above. Admission is free. You'll have to climb up stairs in the open and stand on a platform that may shake a bit in the wind.
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- Admission free
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Gewandhaus
Mendelssohn's orchestra still exists, but the concert hall is new. Inside is a huge painting by Sighard Gille, visible through the windows from Augustusplatz.
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- Augustusplatz
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Markkleeberger See
The youngest of the nearby lakes and perhaps a bit quieter than the other two. It has rather small beaches but a long promenade.
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- Markkleeberg-Ost
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Oper Leipzig
The opera house of Leipzig. Though the building is only 50 years old, the company looks back at more than 300 years of history.
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- Augustusplatz
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Leipziger Buchmesse
Besides the main event on the fairground, readings take place in various locations around the city.
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- Late March
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Parkeisenbahn am Auensee
Take a ride on a miniature railway circling around the Lake Auensee in the northwest of the city.
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- Gustav-Esche Straße 8
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- operates April–October, Monday–Saturday 2pm–6pm, on Sundays, also 10am–1pm
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- €6,50 for a family of 4
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Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta
Meeting of hot air balloon pilots. Lots of flying balloons if the weather permits flying.
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- Leipzig-Lößnig
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- late July
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Wave-Gotik-Treffen Leipzig
World's largest Goth festival includes a pagan village, medieval market, and goth music.
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- Date follows Pentecost , late May or early June
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Leipziger Kleinmesse
Funfair, twice a year in spring (April/May) and fall (September/October)
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- Cottaweg
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Exploring Leipzig: A Traveler's Guide to Activities
Leipzig rewards curious travelers with an exceptional range of experiences. Whether you have a weekend or several weeks, the city's 24 documented activities cover the full spectrum — architectural landmarks and world-class museums at one end, local neighborhood festivals and underground cultural scenes at the other. The activities listed on this page come from Wikivoyage contributors who have personally explored Leipzig and written detailed, practical descriptions to help you plan your visit.
The most rewarding way to experience Leipzig's activities is with company. Solo travelers who arrive without plans often find that meeting a fellow traveler at a hostel, cafe, or through the Nomax app opens up entirely new itineraries — a museum visit becomes a half-day exploration, a street food crawl turns into an evening of discovery, a day trip to a nearby site becomes an adventure. Leipzig has an active traveler community, and the city is designed to reward those who explore it with open curiosity.
When planning what to do in Leipzig, consider mixing well-known attractions with neighborhood-level experiences. The city's most photographed sights are popular for good reason, but Leipzig's character lives in its quieter corners too — the local markets, the parks where residents spend their weekends, the small performance venues where the next generation of artists and musicians are finding their voice. The 24 activities on this page include both categories, ordered by the richness of their traveler-written descriptions.
How to Get the Most from Leipzig's Activities
Timing matters in Leipzig. Many of the city's best attractions have shorter queues and better atmospheres on weekday mornings. Major cultural sites — museums, galleries, historic monuments — often run free admission windows on certain days or evenings; check before booking. Outdoor activities and walking tours are best enjoyed in the morning before the city heats up or fills with tour groups.
Budget-conscious travelers will find that Leipzig has a strong free-to-access layer. Public parks, open-air markets, architectural walking routes, and many community events cost nothing. The price information included with activities on this page (where available) helps you plan a realistic daily budget. A mix of free and paid activities across a week in Leipzig is entirely feasible for most traveler budgets.
For travelers who want to do more than just sightseeing, Leipzig offers organized activities through local guides, tour companies, and traveler apps like Nomax. Group activities — cooking classes, cycling tours, kayaking excursions, photography walks — are a natural way to meet people while experiencing the city. Many travelers who use Nomax in Leipzig coordinate these types of group experiences together, splitting costs and building memories that last beyond the trip itself.
Activities for Different Travel Styles
Not every traveler wants the same experience. History enthusiasts will gravitate toward Leipzig's museums, heritage sites, and guided historical walks that reveal the layers of the city's past. Outdoor and adventure travelers will focus on the parks, cycling routes, climbing areas, and day trips to surrounding natural areas. Food travelers will treat Leipzig's markets, restaurants, and food tours as the primary activities of each day. Culture seekers will fill evenings with concerts, theater, gallery openings, and street performances.
The 24 activities documented on this page span all these categories. Use the numbered list above to browse in order of description quality — longer descriptions generally mean more detailed, firsthand traveler knowledge. For each activity, the address and opening hours (where available) give you everything you need to plan your visit without needing to search elsewhere.
Connecting with Travelers in Leipzig
One of the best things about traveling to Leipzig is the community of international travelers already there. Backpackers, digital nomads, long-term expats, and short-trip tourists all share the same city at any given moment. Nomax makes it easy to find who is in Leipzig right now, see what activities they are joining, and coordinate plans. Whether you want a hiking companion, someone to split museum entry with, or a group for an evening out — the app connects you to people with the same itinerary in minutes.
Download Nomax before your trip to Leipzig to set your travel dates and start discovering who else will be there at the same time. The app is free, requires no subscription, and works across all the major traveler destinations worldwide — meaning the community you build in Leipzig often extends to your next destination too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in Leipzig?
Leipzig offers 24+ activities and experiences for travelers. Top highlights include Cospudener See, Motets in St. Thomas Church, Rosental, and much more. This page lists every documented activity in order of description quality, so you can find both the major attractions and the hidden gems.
Are there free things to do in Leipzig?
Yes — Leipzig has a strong selection of free activities. Public parks, open-air markets, walking routes through historic neighborhoods, and many cultural institutions offer free admission on specific days. Scroll through the list above and look for activities marked with free or no price information — these are often the city's most authentic experiences.
How do I meet other travelers while exploring Leipzig?
Download Nomax — a free travel companion app that shows you other solo travelers currently in Leipzig. You can join group activities, chat with travelers at the same spots, and plan outings together. Many travelers in Leipzig use Nomax to find companions for day trips, museum visits, and evening activities.
What activities can I do with travel companions I meet in Leipzig?
Leipzig has activities for every interest — guided tours, food experiences, outdoor adventures, cultural events, and nightlife. Use Nomax to coordinate with other travelers: join a group for a walking tour, split a day-trip cost, or simply explore the city together. The app makes spontaneous plans easy.
Explore Leipzig with fellow travelers
Download Nomax — find travel companions, join group activities, and chat with solo travelers in Leipzig right now. Free forever.
Travel tips by Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 3.0). Content may have been updated since publication.
