Leipzig Travel Guide

Leipzig
[ source: Flickr]

Leipzig Overview

Leipzig is, with a population of over 511,252, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. Compared to other cities, the city of Leipzig survived the Second World War was mostly unharmed and most of the original structure is still in place. The wide streets in downtown display beautiful decorated facades that have been restored to full glory in the last 20 years. The Durchgangshäuser (walk through houses) are typical type of architecture for this region. These farmhouses have large gateways at both gable ends of the building in order to enable carts to be driven through from end to end. Today, the walkways are filled with life and you don’t want to miss the Specks Hof, Barthels Hof, Mädlerpassage with the restaurant Auerbachs Kellermade famous through Goethes Faust, and Coffe Baum, one of the oldest original coffee shops in the world.

The area around the Barfussgässchen gives an impression of how closely the buildings in the city centre formerly stood. Side by side are historic buildings of the Renaissance, Baroque and Gruender era, and there are numerous picturesque corners and winding passages. And this is where Leipzig's Drallewatsch is to be found. Drallewatsch is a Saxon dialect word meaning an evening out going from one pub to the next, a pub crawl - an invitation to have a good time, to experience culinary culture and entertainment at the heart of the city. For more information visit the tourist section of www.leipzig.de.

One of our Live Like a German vacation apartments is located next to a tram station, 10 min from the main railway station of Leipzig. A bakery a few feet down the street offers fresh bread every day, a close by grocery store (Aldi) and an Organic food store as well as the Gambrinus restaurant with a beer garden will provide you with everything you need to make this stay a pleasant experience. Just walk around the corner if you have a craving for Chinese food. Make sure to eat some "Quarkkeulchen", a traditional specialty of Leipzig made from crème cheese.

Things to See

Among Leipzig's noteworthy institutions are the opera house and the Leipzig Zoo, the latter of which houses the world's largest facilities for primates. The Church of St. Nicholas (Nikolaikirche) was the starting point of peaceful Monday demonstrations for the reunification of Germany. Leipzig's international trade fair in the north of the city is home to the world's largest levitated glass hall. Leipzig is also known for its passageways through houses and buildings.

• Don’t miss a trip with an original Venetian gondola on the Karl-Heinz-Canal, starting in Elsterbecken. You can book this boat trip in the Restorante Da Vito (Phone: 0341/480 2626, www.da-vito-leipzig.de)
• All year in 2011, the city will celebrate the famous composer and conductor Gustav Mahler. Don’t miss out on a great selection of classical events from 5/17-5/29/2011. Visit www.gewandhaus.de for more information.
• The world famous St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig will celebrate its 800th anniversary throughout the year of 2012. Make sure to buy tickets for this extraordinary event. www.thomana2012.de
• St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche): Most famous as the place where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor and home to the renowned Thomaner choir
• Völkerschlachtdenkmal (Battle of the Nations Monument): the largest monument in Europe, built to commemorate the victorious battle against Napoleonic troops
• Gewandhaus: home to the famous Gewandhaus Orchestra, it is the third building of that name
• Altes Rathaus: the old city hall was built in 1556 and houses a museum of the city's history
• Neues Rathaus: the new city hall was built upon the remains of the Pleißenburg, a castle that was the site of the 1519 debate between Johann Eck and Martin Luther in 1519
• City-Hochhaus Leipzig: built in 1972, it was once part of the university and is the city's tallest building
• Auerbachs Keller: a young Goethe ate and drank here while studying in Leipzig; it is the venue of a scene from his Faust
• Städtisches Kaufhaus (municipal department store): the world's first sample fair building and today home to offices, retail stores, restaurants and interim classrooms for the University of Leipzig (its name is misleading, as it is privately owned)
• Bundesverwaltungsgericht: Germany's federal administrative court was the site of the Reichsgericht, the highest state court between 1888 and 1945

Leipzig offers such a diversity of cultural and other events, you are guaranteed to find something interesting for you!

Music in Leipzig

Johann Sebastian Bach worked in Leipzig from 1723 to 1750, at the St. Thomas Lutheran church, and Richard Wagner the composer was born in Leipzig in 1813, in the Brühl (Brühl vacation rentals | Brühl travel guide). Robert Schumann was also active in Leipzig music, having been invited by Felix Mendelssohn when the latter established Germany's first musical conservatoire in the city in 1843.

This conservatoire is today the University of Music and Theatre. A broad range of subjects can be studied, both artistic and teacher training, in all orchestral instruments, voice, interpretation, coaching, piano chamber music, orchestral conducting, choir conducting and musical composition. Musical styles include jazz, popular music, musicals, early music and church music. The drama departments teach acting and dramaturgy. Advanced students may, after a test, stand in for members of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. As at 2006, approximately 900 students were enrolled at the school.

The city's musical tradition is also reflected in the worldwide fame of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the choir of the St. Thomas Church.

Bill and Tom Kaulitz - the founding members of modern rock band Tokio Hotel - also originate from Leipzig, although no longer live there.

Till Lindemann, vocalist for industrial metal band Rammstein, also hails from Leipzig.

[ source: wikipedia ]