Leipzig travel map. Mini Guide to Leipzig

Leipzig is a unique city with its history and famous inhabitants, ancient cathedrals and museums. I can confidently say that by its attractiveness it can compete with London, Berlin and even Brussels or Florence. As the largest city in the state of Saxony, Leipzig annually attracts tourists with popular bazaars and open-air markets. Now I’ll tell you what sights of Leipzig I liked, I will introduce you with useful information about them and incredibly beautiful photos. You will also find out where it will be interesting to spend a family vacation and how to have a good time in Leipzig, if you have only one day.

Cultural and historical sights of Leipzig with the description and photo

City architecture

A little surprised me with its renaissance look. Old town hall on the market square in the historic district of Leipzig. The construction dates from the end of the 16th century and was built on the site of the previous building. Since it has undergone various reconstructions several times, in the appearance of the building there is not only a renaissance, but also late Gothic with hints of baroque. Although it nevertheless consolidated the Renaissance style, becoming one of the most valuable objects in this style. Previously, the local city hall was located here, but later, having moved to a new building, the place was taken by the city history museum.

A similar renaissance style can be traced to Hartenfels Castle, located in the small German town of Torgau. The construction of this magnificent building was completed in the 15th century, for which Conrad Pfluger, a student of Arnold Westphalia, was responsible. I learned that this castle is the largest well-preserved building in Germany in the early Renaissance. The complex has a chapel founded by Nikolai Groman in the first half of the 16th century. It is believed that the building was used by the first Protestant church in the world. Today the castle looks quite luxurious, as evidenced by the fact that it was shooting a famous German film.

In the same Torgau liked his historical fortress of the XVII-XVIII centuries. I would even say that this is not just a fortress - it is a whole city, but only partially preserved. In 1811, at the initiative of Napoleon Bonaparte, the fortress was expanded, starting the construction of additional fortifications and holding water to it. Later it was abandoned and destroyed almost to the ground. Currently, there are not many survivors of the fortress. The fortified city has its popularity due to the medieval city walls in the Garden Street area, part of the casemates of Bastion II, the battlements of the railway bridge and structures for controlling and supplying the flow of water. Fort Zinna also has a modern prison.

Strolling along Torgau, do not pass by the city hall with a rather interesting historical past.

Monuments of Leipzig

I did not find many monuments in the city, but those that are are very impressive. In honor of the so-called “battle of the peoples” that took place in Leipzig in 1813, was established monument to the Battle of the Peoples.

The liberation wars of the Austrians, Swedes, Prussians and Russians led to the defeat of the French army of Bonaparte. In 1898, the Berlin architect took up the construction of the monument, and by the centenary of the Battle of the Peoples in 1913, it was inaugurated. In the arsenal of the almost 100-meter-high monument, Napoleon’s stone, which became part of the general complex, and several observation platforms: 500 steps lead to the upper one, and two elevators lead to the middle. Inside the monument, I found the Hall of Fame, the ceiling of which is decorated with 324 horsemen, and 4 statues of the “memorial”, which became a symbol of courage, national power, strength of faith and selflessness.

A monument erected in the city center near the Old Town Hall and Market Square was erected in memory of the great writer and Goethe's politics. From 1765 to 1768 he studied at a local university. The monument is represented by a Goethe figure in full growth, set on a high stone of marble. This gives the impression that the great poet, walking through the squares and streets of the city, was thinking about new lines of his works.

Bach Monument in Leipzig

Could not stop at bach bronze monument, mounted on a shell rock base and a little over 3 meters high. It was planned to create it in 1885 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the composer, but, alas, the idea was realized only 23 years later in 1908 near the Church of St. Thomas. This project was funded both by local authorities and private donors. The sculptor Karl Zeffner succeeded in successfully creating a sculpture of Bach, standing in front of the body, which holds a scroll of notes in his right hand and fixes his gaze into the distance, reflecting on the creation of new works.

Did you know? Nearby is a small monument to Bach, dating from 1843. He is considered the first monument to the great composer in the world.

Religious buildings of Leipzig

The oldest church in the city is Church of St. Nicholas - the famous cradle of the peaceful revolution of the second half of the XX century in the GDR. At that time, parishioners, in protest of the then existing regime, walked around the city, holding candles in their hands. The temple was rebuilt several times, so in the architecture of the church a wonderful mixture of Renaissance, Gothic and neoclassicism is noticeable. This church attracted me with its ancient organ and magnificent paintings of the famous artist Adam Ezer.

It was in the Church of St. Nicholas that at one time the premiere of the musical composition “Passion for John” by the world famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach took place.

Surprisingly beautiful was a copy of the Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye - the St. Alexis Church-monument of Russian Glory. And this is thanks to white plastered walls with tall narrow windows, a tower with carved ornaments, a gilded dome with a cross and seven bells cast from soldiers' military objects. The interior decoration pleased with the mosaic icon “Lord Almighty”. In addition, in the lower hall of the temple is the tomb of several Russian commanders.

Take some time to inspect st. Thomas Church in the historical part of the city and st. Mary's Church nearby the Stötteritz manor.

Museums in Leipzig

Among the small number of museums in the city, I especially liked one of the country's oldest museums - Leipzig Museum of Applied Arts. The museum has about 90 thousand exhibits. Among the exposition you can see ceramic, textile, glass and metal products, as well as furniture and various old coins. In addition, the museum has a collection of graphics, its own photo archive and library.

It turned out to be no less interesting Leipzig Museum of Ethnography, founded in 1869. The museum was pleased with its main exposition - the collection of historian Gustav Klemm. The museum collection is considered one of the largest ethnographic collections in the country. It represented by over 200 thousand objects East and Southeast Asia, Oceania, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, America and Europe.

In addition, I was very impressed Museum of Antiquities of the University of Leipzig with its 10 thousandth antique collection. The collection is based on antiques purchased by the university in the 18th century. At first, only antique coins, precious stones and plaster casts could be seen in the museum, but then it was replenished with Greek and Etruscan vases, numerous oil lamps, terracottas and rare sculptures.

I also advise you to look at such museums in the city:

natural History Museum on Lortzingstrasse;
leipzig History Museum in the Old Town Hall;
museum of Musical Instruments of the University of Leipzig on Johannisplatz Street;
art Museum on Katharinenstrasse.

What to see a tourist in Leipzig in 1 day

Leipzig is not such a small city. It has quite interesting sights, and if you use a properly planned list-route, you will be able to visit many impressive places in just one day:

bach Museum with the composer's manuscripts and listening to his works;
st. Nicholas Church - the oldest building in Leipzig;
Golisersky castle with a sophisticated interior and a beautiful exterior;
mendelssohn's house with personal belongings, manuscripts and documents, scores and even watercolor paintings of the famous composer;
art Museum with an incredibly rich collection of exhibits in Germany;
Russian church - a church-monument to the fallen 23 thousand Russian soldiers;
st. Thomas Church with one of the oldest boys’s choirs in the country;
battle of the Peoples Monument with an observation deck and a large exhibition hall.

What to see in Leipzig with children

Here you can have fun with your baby and spend the whole family an unforgettable vacation. Here is a small route that will provide a pleasant pastime.

Visit the rather large Leipzig Zoo with 10 thousand different animals, the largest aquarium in Europe, as well as the largest primitive nursery in the world - Pongoland.
Take a ride on the Leipziger Stadtrundfahrten sightseeing bus and introduce your child to the historic sites of the city.

Take a stroll through the Clara-Zetkin-Park and Wildpark Leipzig parks, where you can see a lot of interesting things.
Visit two original museums - the Panometer Leipzig with art programs on various topics and the Museum of Ethnology with stuffed rare animals and fragments of skeletons of prehistoric creatures.

Video about Leipzig will give a lot of interesting discoveries and a lot of impressions from unique museums, architectural monuments and other attractions of this city.

Leipzig is known as the city of grand fairs. For more than 800 years since the time of Emperor Maximilian I, he has maintained unbreakable trading traditions. In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the city was the cultural and economic center of the region, a place where the printing technology that was progressive at that time flourished.

Leipzig became famous for its famous natives. The truly greatest musicians, I.S., lived here. Bach, F. Mendelssohn, R. Wagner. At the local university studied I.V. Goethe. Numerous monuments and house-museums of these famous people recall the great past of the city and its invaluable contribution to world culture.

The founder of the Reformation, Martin Luther, liked to go to local restaurants. In the XX century, it was from Leipzig that unrest began, as a result of which the Berlin Wall fell and Germany became united again.

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What to see and where to go in Leipzig?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a brief description.

The building was built in the 16th century according to the design of the Saxon architect P. Speck in the style of the early German Renaissance. Subsequently, the town hall was repeatedly rebuilt and reconstructed. Every Sunday, a city anthem performed by trumpeters sounds from the town hall tower. The construction is located in the historic center of Leipzig on the Market Square. In the Middle Ages, not only trade fairs, but also knightly tournaments and public executions took place on this square.

The new building of the city municipality, erected at the beginning of the XX century on the site of the demolished castle of the XIII century. The appearance of the majestic building traces the features of Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Gothic. The opening of the New Town Hall took place in the presence of Saxon King Frederick Augustus III. The facade of the building is generously decorated with bas-reliefs, sculptures and decorative elements. The architectural complex is crowned with a round 114-meter tower.

The palace of the XVIII century, built for the city councilor I. K. Richter, designed by architect F. Seltendorf. The castle was inherited by the wife of the official - Christina Hitzer. Under the guidance of her new husband, interior decoration and decoration was completed. At the end of the XVIII century, large cultural figures were frequent guests of the castle, which is why the place gained a reputation as the center of spiritual life. The palace passed into urban ownership after the death of Christina.

A monument dedicated to the historic battle of October 16-19, 1813, when Napoleon’s army met near Leipzig with the allied forces of Prussia, the Russian Empire, Austria and Sweden. The monument was unveiled exactly 100 years after this event in 1913 in the presence of representatives of all states that took part in the battle. The production of the monument took thousands of tons of concrete and countless granite slabs.

One of the oldest churches in Leipzig, erected in the XII century. Within the walls of the temple, the great I.S. For the first time, Bach performed his immortal work, “Passion for Matthew.” The church became famous for the fact that it was here in 1989 that activists gathered with calls to demolish the Berlin Wall. Thanks to this event, the nickname “cradle of a peaceful revolution” was firmly stuck to the temple. At the moment, the Church of St. Nicholas is Lutheran.

The temple was built in the XIII century and over the course of 700 years of history has gone through several reconstructions. The construction in the late Gothic style has survived to this day. The Church of St. Thomas is known throughout the world, so here he served as cantor of I.S. Bach (musician’s grave is inside the building). At the beginning of the 20th century, a sculpture of a musician was installed on the square in front of the temple. Also in 1539, Martin Luther himself preached in the church.

An Orthodox church, erected in memory of Russian soldiers who died in the battle of 1813 near Leipzig. The church was consecrated in 1913 on the centennial of the battle. The building is made in the style of the tent temples of the XVII century according to the project of V. Pokrovsky. Over the course of the 20th century, the building was restored several times, which ensured its excellent preservation. The church iconostasis located inside is also executed in the style of painting of the 17th century.

The collection is located on the territory of the house in which I.S. Bang. The composer spent more than 25 years of his life here until his death in 1750. On the territory of the house-museum, tourists can see the original score and manuscripts belonging to the hand of a genius, as well as personal belongings of his family. Parts of the organ on which Bach played were also preserved. In 2008, the museum was transferred to the authority of the University of Leipzig.

The museum is organized in the house where F. Mendelssohn spent the last three years of his life. At that time, he was the head of the city symphony orchestra. Mendelssohn became famous all over the world thanks to the “Wedding March”. The house-museum is unique in that the interior and furnishings have been preserved practically without changes inside. The collection consists of personal items, notes, documents and letters written by the composer.

History Museum, where exhibits of the period 1945-1989 are exhibited, that is, counting from the division of Germany to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The permanent exhibition was opened in 2007, it contains about 3200 various documents, photographs, newspaper articles. The nature of the exhibition, to put it mildly, has a somewhat propaganda orientation, since everything related to the GDR is exposed in an unflattering light. Germany, on the contrary, is shown as a bastion of justice and democracy.

The exhibition complex, combining the Museum of Applied Arts, the Museum of Musical Instruments and the Ethnographic Museum. The collections reveal various aspects of the history of Germany and other countries. The exposition of musical instruments is quite interesting, the oldest instance dates back to the 16th century. The Grassi Museum building was erected at the beginning of the 20th century in the Art Deco architectural style.

The meeting was founded in the middle of the XIX century at the initiative of local entrepreneurs and bankers. Many of them donated part of their private collections to create the gallery. Museum funds were replenished throughout the 20th century, the last major gift was transferred in 2004 (collection of French painting). The first museum building was destroyed in 1943, in the 2000s. a new modern building was built in the form of a glass cube.

The city concert hall, where the eponymous symphony orchestra is located and performs. The musical group was founded in the middle of the XVIII century. The historic building was destroyed during the Second World War, a new concert hall was built in 1981. On the platform are the brilliant orchestras of Europe, which bring the classical repertoire. The stage is often performed by the works of great German composers.

Leipzig's opera traditions have existed since the beginning of the 17th century. The first building of the musical theater was erected in 1693, later it was demolished. The new building was built in 1868, but it was also destroyed during the bombing of 1943. In 1960, a modern building appeared in a rather concise style. The scene opened with the staging of the incomparable R. Wagner opera Nuremberg Mastersingers.

A copy of the 16th century building located on the Market Square. The historic building, completely destroyed in 1943, was erected specifically for the chamber of weights and measures. In the XIX century, Alte Vaage ceased to fulfill its functions, as the chamber moved to another place. Until 1943, the directorate of the Leipzig Fair was located in the building. In the 60s. The twentieth century, an inaccurate copy of Alte Wage was created according to the project of V. Muller.

The station building was built at the beginning of the XX century, it is considered one of the largest in the world and the largest in Europe. The length of the front facade is almost 300 meters. Inside there are more than 100 stores. After partial destruction in 1943, the station was completely restored by the 60s. XX century. General reconstruction was carried out in 1990. As a result, the station has 26 platforms and serves more than 150 thousand people a day.

A coffee shop with a history where composers I.S. Bach, R. Schumann, R. Wagner. Even Napoleon Bonaparte himself visited this cafe. Caring guides will be happy to tell tourists all this. The institution has been operating since the 18th century and over the past centuries has been preserved in its almost original form. The interior space is divided into Arabic, Viennese, French rooms and a coffee museum.

An ancient restaurant located in the historic center of Leipzig. The institution enjoys popular love and unquenchable popularity. This place was first mentioned in 1428 as a tavern where wine was traded. It was here, according to Goethe's story, that Faust and Mephistopheles met. If we talk about real characters, then one of the famous patrons of the Auerbach Cellar was the reformer Martin Luther.

19. The Madeler Passage

Shopping complex located in the center of Leipzig. Its history began in 1525 with a small wine bar. Over time, the exhibition hall was added. At the beginning of the XX century, a significant expansion of the complex was made, while the historical cellars remained untouched. Now, in addition to the historical exhibition of wine, porcelain and leather products, the Madler Passage houses offices and trade pavilions.

The zoo appeared in the city in 1878 at a private restaurant. Gradually, it expanded and occupied an area of \u200b\u200b27 hectares. The zoo is home to 850 species of animals (more than 10 thousand individuals). Also has its own aquarium, where about 2.5 thousand fish will live. One of the parts of the zoo is the Gondwanaland tropical park. He became famous throughout Europe due to the huge area and a large number of exotic plants.