When considering trips to Germany, most Americans look to the big cities like Munich, Berlin, and Hamburg. While all of those are fantastic choices, Leipzig is a refreshing change of pace with its arts, culture, and urban spaces.
Long time hub of arts and music, Leipzig made it to the top of the list in 2019 as European City of the Year! From studies through 2013-to present, the city has always come out on top for its high quality of life in Germany.
I was lucky enough to visit Germany with my family in 2014. Before my family settled on Vienna as their mission spot, Leipzig was one of their possible cities to serve in. I tagged along to check out the city and have a little vacation during the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college.
My family visited Leipzig in August, but I was pleasantly surprised at the perfect weather with no humidity. Everyone was enjoying coffee and meals with friends outside, lining every cobblestone street.
There is also no better way to take in a new city than to relax, people watch, and admire the cityscape over local food and drink.
Leipzig Market Square
We spent a lot of time wandering around the center of Leipzig for the shopping and architecture.
The Market Square (Markt) is a lovely section of the city with a weekly market, plenty of outdoor seating, beautiful buildings, and other shops lining the block.
The large building in the center of the square is the Old Town Hall building.
Leipzig's Market is also home to one of the world's oldest Christmas Markets, dating back to 1458. Of course we visited in the summer, but Christmas would have been extraordinary with all the festive
Christmas lighting and the enormous Christmas tree in the square.
From what I read, most of Leipzig experieced major destruction during World War II. The Market Square was no exception and many of the old buildings were rebuilt and restored following the war.
Bach and St Thomas Church
Built in the 12th century, St Thomas Church has stood as a historic site for years due to its magnificent Gothic architecture and its employment of several famous composers.
Composers such as Richard Wagner (Leipzig being his birthplace) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have also performed at the church, but perhaps the most dedicated composer to the church was Johann Sebastian Bach.
Bach worked as the music director from 1723 until his death in 1750.
Bach was such a famous and important part of the church's history, that a statue of the composer stands outside the church doors. Bach's tomb can also be found beneath the sanctuary of the church.
St Thomas Church is a must-see for any first time visitor to Leipzig, especially if you are a history or music buff.
Arts & Culture
The arts are the foundation of Leipzig's culture. The music scene is thriving and art galleries are flourishing and the creative expression is certainly reflected outward as you walk the streets of Leipzig.
For example, upon entering the center of the city, we passed these super cool
fountains in Richard-Wagner-Platz referred to as the Dandelion fountains.
The streets are flooded with music, art stands, street art, and museums. In fact, Leipzig hosts hundreds of festivals every year, the Bachfest (since 1904.)
There are so many great museums dedicated to the history and arts in Leipzig, it's hard to name all of them. Click here to check out a few.
The Leipzig Zoo
The Leipzig Zoo is rated #1 on TripAdvisor for the best thing to do in Leipzig and I can attest to this. My family had so much fun adventuring through the huge enclosures to see all the animals.
The zoo stretches for about 67 acres and houses about 850 different species.
One of the coolest things about this zoo is that it's divided into different "worlds" which include The Founders Garden, Asia, Pongoland, Africa, South America, and Gondwanaland (pictured above.)
Gondwanaland is one of the most unique zoo experiences I've ever had. It is basically a huge indoor rain forest. There are exotic plants and animals in the enclosed rain forest, which really makes you feel like an explorer.
Another notable thing about this zoo is that it is home to some extremely rare animals. The Leipzig Zoo has notably bred over 200 rare Siberian Tigers. The zoo also has an exhibit for the Eastern Quoll, a marsupial from Australia that has previously been deemed extinct on the mainland. The other notable, critically endangered animal is the Chinese Pangolin, which I didn't even know existed until going to this zoo. It looks like an animal straight out of Fantastic Beasts!
I know there are plenty of things I missed from my trip in 2014 and I'm sure things have changed a little since then. But I wanted to include the things that left a big impression on me from five years ago.
I highly recommend this city to anyone looking for a new place to explore. The culture, food, sites, and history makes Leipzig one of my favorite places I've ever been to.
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
-KB
(here are some other pictures from the trip)
