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The Area
At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centers of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing. Over the course of the centuries, Leipzig’s citizens have supported the arts, collected paintings, endowed museums and founded the world-famous Gewandhaus Orchestra. Leipzig is known all over the world as a city of music on account of the works of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Robert Schumann and Johann Sebastian Bach. A concert by St. Thomas Choir in the actual place where Bach worked – St. Thomas’s Church – is one of the cultural and emotional highlights of a visit to Leipzig. Leipzig played a significant role in instigating the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, through events which took place in and around St. Nicholas Church. Since the reunification of Germany, Leipzig has undergone significant change with the restoration of some historical buildings, the demolition of others, and the development of a modern transport infrastructure. Leipzig has many institutions and opportunities for culture and recreation including a football stadium which has hosted some international matches, an opera house and one of the most modern zoos in Europe. Leipzig is constantly reinventing itself, yet at the same time is a city that stands for continuity. The soul of this city has always been characterized by energy, a creative will and the pride of its citizens. Hospitality and an openess to new ideas are centuries-old traditions Arriving by Plane Leipzig/Halle Airport (IATA: LEJ) sometimes called Schkeuditz Airport, is 22km northwest of central Leipzig. The airport is the second biggest airport in Eastern Germany after Berlin. Trains run between the airport and the city every 30 minutes; the trip takes 14 minutes. Arriving by Train Leipzig's Hauptbahnhof is the largest terminal railway station in Europe with 26 platforms, and also includes a large shopping mall, a great way to waste away an hour or two between connections. Deutsche Bahn operates regular train service between Leipzig and nearby cities such as Halle (25 minutes), Magdeburg (75 minutes), Erfurt (60 minutes), Jena (60 minutes), Weimar (60 minutes), Dessau (50 minutes), Lutherstadt Eisleben (80 minutes), Lutherstadt Wittenberg (€12, 30 minutes), Potsdam (2 hours), and Berlin (€43, 80 minutes). High speed express trains are available to major cities in Germany including Frankfurt (3.5 hours), Munich (4.5 hours), Hamburg (3 hours), and Dresden (€20, 90 minutes). Prague (4.5 hours) can be reached with a transfer in Dresden. InterConnex offers daily services from Leipzig to Rostock via Berlin and back. Arriving by Car Because of the motorways A9 (Berlin-Leipzig-Nürnberg-München) and A14 (Magdeburg-Leipzig-Dresden) Leipzig is centrally integrated in the federal motorway network and, of course, is also located close to an important European junction. Coming from South West, you can reach the city area by the new motorway A38 (Leipzig-Göttingen). The Leipzig beltway altogether possesses 14 junctions from which the different quarters can be achieved directly. For the easiest access to the city centre, please take one of the following exits:
Public transport in Leipzig is characterized by a dense light-rail system. 13 tram lines serve a transport area of about 152 kilometres, complemented by more than 30 bus lines in large part being en-route in the suburban area. The operating company of tram and bus lines is called "Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe" (LVB). The current public transport tariff of „Mitteldeutscher Verkehrsverbund“ (MDV) is valid not only within the city of Leipzig, but also throughout Central Germany. Only one ticket for tram and bus, that means only one common tariff for all trams, buses, suburban trains, regional express trains, regional trains and also hailed scheduled taxis. Trams » www.lbv.de Buses » www.mdv.de Car Rental » www.rentalcars.com Eating Out Leipzig has always been commended as a hospitable city. The number of restaurants, pubs and cafés has grown substantially in recent years. Today, Leipzig can offer its visitors a wide range of international cuisine. Leipzigers are also known for their proverbial love of coffee, and the popularity of the hot drink from Arabia among the people here gave rise to the nickname "Kaffeesachse" ("Coffee-Saxon"). Some restaurants that are a must while staying in Leipzig are: Falco Restaurant & Bar which is situated as a part of The Westin hotel. FALCO Restaurant: Offers an excellent menu of fine cuisine that has been awarded two stars by the Gault Millau guide, and is one of the only two restaurants in Leipzig featured in the Michelin guide. Auerbachs Keller restaurant "Großer Keller", built in 1912/14 together with the Mädler-Passage, meals served are primarily simple dishes and Saxon specialities, as well as dishes accompanied by beer. Bayerischer Bahnhof One of Leipzig’s landmarks is the Bayerischer Bahnhof. It was built in 1842 and is the oldest preserved head rail station in the world. It was the region’s busiest hub for tradesmen and travellers. Today, the Bayerischer Bahnhof is famous for its hospitality and culinary delights – and it is known as the home of the Gose, a beer specialty from Leipzig. Museums and Attractions Leipzig's art treasures, museums and collections have always played an important role in the city's history. They include collections begun by city institutions and the university as well as private collections or privately owned works of art given to the city's public. As a consequence, Leipzig's municipal library now hosts one of the oldest music collections in Germany. The city's list of noteworthy museums and collections includes the Museum of City History in the Old Town Hall and its new extension in Böttchergässchen. The Museum of City History also operates a number of individual museums and sites in the city, including the Monument to the Battle of the Nations/ Forum 1813 (a museum on the Battle of the Nations), the coffee museum Museum Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum, the Schiller House in Leipzig-Gohlis, the Sports Museum, and the archive of the civic movement Archiv Bürgerbewegung Leipzig. Shopping From A for antiquarian bookstore to Z for Zoo shop, Leipzig is the perfect location for a day's stroll through stores and boutiques. A large number of prestigious specialist retailers are located right in the city centre, suitably accommodated in the large Passagen arcades. A shopping trip could start under the arcades of the Old Town Hall, where Leipzig souvenirs and literature on the city are available. Mädler Passage, which leads on to Königshaus- und Messehofpassage, has a selection of luxury shops and boutiques to warm any shopper's heart. The shopping arcades in Specks Hof, the former trade-fair palace between Reichsstrasse and St Nicholas' Church square, and those in Barthels Hof have been extensively refurbished. There are new shopping arcades in Städtisches Kaufhaus, Strohsack-Passage and in Petersbogen. Markets Leipzig's Fresh Foods Markets where agricultural produce from the region is sold by farmers and traders are most popular among the citizens and visitors. Country markets like the flower and ceramics market in the Market Square in May are already an established tradition. |
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