City trip Leipzig – sights and foodie tips

«Linz or Leipzig?” I asked my Twitter followers at the beginning of August. 57 % – and thus the majority – would have chosen Leipzig as their next city break destination in this selection. Me too. But which city actually comes out on top? I explored this question on two consecutive weekends and this much in advance: Both cities are absolutely worthwhile city trip destinations.

Travelled – Flight Zurich to Leipzig

Leipzig scores with me with a great flight connection Zurich – Leipzig/Halle, which allows me to leave the house at 6:00 a.m. and paddle on the White Elster at 11:00 a.m. in glorious sunshine. With an early Friday morning flight and a return flight on Sunday afternoon, Swiss’ flight times are ideal for a long city weekend. From the well-arranged Leipzig/Halle Airport, you can take the train in twenty minutes either to Leipzig Central Station (an imposing building) or directly to the city centre (Leipzig Markt stop).

Of course, it would be more ecological to travel by train; however, at least 8.5 hours of travel time must be estimated.

Done – the sights in Leipzig

Looking Up |

In the old town of Leipzig, everything is within walking distance of each other and thanks to many fixed points we found our way around immediately. We start the exploration tour on the market square, which is bordered on the east side by the striking Old Town Hall. Since 1909, it has housed the City History Museum with a true-to-scale model of the city of Leipzig from the 19th century. In recent years, a lot has been invested in the renovation of the long-neglected building fabric. Thanks to this commitment, there are once again magnificent facades to admire in the old town. Another feature that points to Leipzig’s importance as a trading city are the numerous historic thoroughfares. A particularly beautiful example – the Barthels Hof – can be found on the west side of the market square. On the market square, a floor slab points to Leipzig’s favourable location at the intersection of the two trade routes “Via Imperii” and “Via Regia”. This, together with the privilege of trade fairs, favoured the development of Leipzig as a prosperous city of merchants. The architecture, which was trimmed to meet the needs of the trade fair city, still shapes the appearance of the city centre today. Of the original 35 exhibition halls, 20 are still preserved. A branching network of passages connects the exhibition halls to this day and offers all kinds of surprises; from magnificent red tunden glass roofs, filigree façade paintings to places steeped in history such as the Auerbachs Keller.

Enjoy the bird’s eye view |

A bird’s-eye view from the Panorama Tower over the maze of massive trade fair halls, castle-like new town hall, church spires and baroque facades costs three euros. The best time window for this is around sunset (there is also an open-air bar at the top).

Walking through an industrial monument |

One of the city’s landmarks is the Leipzig cotton mill in the Plagwitz district. If you are interested in the history of its origins, the historical background and first-hand information about the current art scene, you can join a guided tour (every Friday and Saturday between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. one-hour guided tours for 11 euros per person). Until 1989, yarn was produced in the largest cotton spinning mill in continental Europe. While more than 2,500 workers were employed on the site at the time of the founding euphoria at the beginning of the 20th century, 1,650 people were still working in yarn production at the end of the year. After the closure of the production, the local art scene found inexpensive space here – the perfect interim use. In the meantime, a colourful potpourri of galleries, art supply shops, studios, loft apartments, the LuRu cinema, various micro-companies and fitness studios can be found on the grounds of the cotton spinning mill). It’s a successful mix, but its continued existence represents a constant balancing act between rising rents, an increase in popularity and investor expectations. It is worth reserving half a day for the grounds of the cotton mill and the art power plant just opposite.

Paddling full speed ahead |

A totally casual pastime is offered by the extensive canal network in and around Leipzig. In addition to his successful career as a canoe slalom skier at the city harbour of Leipzig, the German professional canoeist Jan Benzien has built up a second mainstay here within just a few years. On nice days, he could easily rent out twice as many canoes as he currently has on offer, he tells us as we glide through the White Elster in the fiery red canoe. From the water, Leipzig can be experienced from a different perspective. I am amazed at how green it is and how many renovated villas and new buildings are built in privileged locations right on the banks of the canals. “A few years ago, everything looked very different here,” Jan tells us, and tells us about once-abandoned shacks and the rapid development spurt of recent years. We paddle the Karl Heine Canal downstream to the Plagwitz district. Luckily, there are two strong rowers in the boat with me – my arms are already burning after a few strokes when Jan sets the pace. Without a professional rower in the boat, the speed is of course up to you.

Shop Local Design |

Unfortunately, on 16 September 2017, the casual “Starter Space” project is already history. As part of an interim use, a pop-up store with a constantly changing assortment of products, gadgets and designer pieces was curated in the Höfe am Brühl department store by mostly local young entrepreneurs. A real treasure trove of beautiful things. The initiators intend to continue the project in a similar form and continue to offer a platform to young designers and product developers. And all those interested in design will find an up-to-date overview of interesting shops with “made in Leipzig” products on the Leipzig Travel blog.

Eaten |

When it comes to culinary delights, Leipzig leaves nothing to be desired. We tried our way from simple Saxon home cooking to Michelin-starred restaurants and ate fine food everywhere. Below are our tips for coffee, lunch and dignified dining.

Café Cater | Rudolph Sack Street 2

Kune Eisenbahnstraße 107

I received the Café Kune brunch tip from Elisabeth, who is one of the initiators of the Starter Space and works in a media and design studio just around the corner. “You absolutely have to take a look at Eisenbahnstrasse,” she replied to my question about which corners of Leipzig are not yet infested by the “hypezig” dilemma (more on this at the end of the article). In the Neustadt to the east of the main train station, there is a multicultural mix both in terms of residents and building fabric. Some of the Wilhelminian style houses have been wonderfully renovated and right next to them you can walk past neglected ground floors. On the way to the Kune, it is worth taking a look through the shop windows of the contemporary art gallery Bistro21. Brunch at Kune works according to a “take what you like from the buffet and I’ll write down the things you take” principle. You should simply add at least an hour from the start of brunch until the buffet is fully set up…

Kaiserbad | Karl-Heine-Straße 93

For a lunch after a visit to the cotton mill, I can warmly recommend the wonderfully furnished Kaiserbad – the interior is simply brilliant (and the burgers are good too).

To the Arabian Coffe Tree | Kleine Fleischergasse 4

The next two food tips are dedicated to Saxon cuisine. An institution is the Gasthaus zum Arabischen Coffee Baum in the city centre. I had headed for this primarily because of the great courtyard and was a bit unsure whether it is not more of a tourist trap in terms of food. I can give the all-clear: We were both pleasantly surprised!

Bayerischer Bahnhof | Bayrischer Pl. 1

Until its closure in 2001, Bayerischer Bahnhof Leipzig was considered the oldest operating terminus station in Germany. Today, the former station building has been completely converted into an inn with a beer garden. In addition to Saxon-Bavarian fare, the focus here is on the home-brewed Gose.

Falco | Gerberstraße 15

For this gourmet tip, a slightly thicker wallet is required. In addition to Michelin-starred cuisine, there is also a phenomenal view over Leipzig. The cheapest way to eat here – and definitely worth the money – is a seat at the “Der! Table». The 4-course menu costs 88 euros per person including mineral water.

Renkli Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 2

Following a tip from Romy, we ended up in the wonderful wine bar Renkli. The perfect place for a cosy get-together with a good glass of Riesling from the nearby Naumburg wine-growing region.

Slept in Leipzig at the Hotel Fregehaus

We spent the night in the centrally located Boutique Hotel Fregehaus. A true gem located behind the facades of an old merchant’s house. Each room is individually decorated and the breakfast buffet features fresh, local produce. A hotel exactly to our liking.

If you travel to Leipzig with a group, you should definitely take a look at the master rooms in the Spinnerei – great loft apartments.

No, we’re not “hypezig”

Leipzig is currently one of the fastest growing cities in Germany. Leipzig is booming, old buildings have to make way for new ones, something is being demolished there and the excavators are driving up here. On the one hand, this means a spirit of optimism – euphoria – a city for doers – something is possible here! On the other hand, this fuels fears. The creative scene and students are worried about affordable housing and decently paid jobs. And that’s why the buzzword “hype” brought up by the media is a non-word for many. “Please stay in Berlin!” I can understand these fears – but I think – especially in comparison to Linz – that many of the people I have spoken to fall a little too firmly into nagging. Is this “hip” really just bad and was everything really better ten years ago? I do not presume to judge this fact after almost 48 hours in the city. However, numerous other cities and districts are undergoing the process of neglect – a spirit of optimism thanks to interim uses – investments – upgrading – displacement. One example in which I move on a daily basis is Zurich West. Cheap warehouses gave way to high-rise buildings with luxury apartments, which are difficult to find buyers. At some point, the balance will settle down again – at least I hope – for Leipzig as well.

Practical information and tips about Leipzig

• Leipzig Card as a day ticket (12.40 euros) or 3-day pass (24.90 euros) grants free travel on all lines in fare zone 110 and also includes numerous discounted admissions
• Casual tips off the beaten track can be found in the guide “Hidden Leipzig“”
• Current rental prices for kayaks and canoes at Leipzig City Harbour: Canoe rental Stadthafen
• Monument to the Battle of the Nations: With a height of 91 m, one of Leipzig’s
  landmarks
• You can find nice souvenirs for those who stayed at home in the Tschau Tschüssi
• And a Leipzig (and coffee) connoisseur (thanks Adrian!) recommended the following restaurants to me on Facebook: röskant – die Manufaktor (for freshly roasted coffee) / Espresso Zack Zack coffee bar / Restaurant Münsters / Bricks Coctail (with the best drinks)

Note: this trip was supported by the German National Tourist Board and Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH – all opinions and impressions are ours as always.