Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [155]
ALTE SPINNEREI
‘Cotton to culture’ is the motto of the Alte Spinnerei ( 498 0272; Spinnereistrasse 7; 11am-6pm Tue-Sat), a 19th-century cotton-spinning factory turned artist colony. Around 80 New Leipzig School artists, including Neo Rauch, have their studios in this huge pile of red-brick buildings, alongside designers, architects, goldsmiths and other creative types whose creations are displayed in 10 galleries. It’s in the southwestern district of Plagwitz; take bus 60 from Bayrischer Platz to S-Bahnhof Plagwitz.
PANOMETER
The happy marriage of a panorama (a giant painting) and a gasometer (a giant gas tank) is a panometer ( 121 3396; www.asisi-factory.de; Richard-Lehmann-Strasse 114; adult/concession €9/7; 9am-7pm Tue-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat & Sun). The unusual concept is the brainchild of artist Yadegar Asisi, who creates a new image every three or four years. Past examples have included scenes from the Himalayas and ancient Rome. Take tram 16 to Richard-Lehmann-Strasse/Zwickauer Strasse.
OTHER SIGHTS
The Stadtgeschichtliches Museum (City History Museum; 965 130; Markt 1; adult/child €4/3; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun), found in the Altes Rathaus, chronicles the twists and turns of Leipzig’s history. Some temporary themed exhibits are on display nearby in a new building (Böttchergässchen 3; adult/concession €3/2; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun).
Edgy contemporary art in all media is the speciality of the Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst ( 140 810; Karl-Tauchnitz-Strasse 9-11; adult/concession per space €5/3, both spaces €8/4; noon-7pm Tue-Sun), which has changing exhibits housed in a minimalist container-like space and a late-19th-century villa.
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Walking Tour
This circuit starts at the Markt and moves clockwise to Augustusplatz, before exploring the attractive south of the old quarter. It’s a 1½-hour walk, but will take the best part of a day if you make all the stops.
On the Markt, the 1556 arcaded Renaissance Altes Rathaus (1), one of Germany’s most stunning town halls, houses the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum (above). On the opposite side of the Markt, the Marktgalerie (2) is one of the shiny new shopping complexes that have popped up throughout central Leipzig in recent years.
These modern malls continue the tradition spawned by the historic Mädlerpassage (3), easily among the world’s most beautiful shopping arcades. Enter it from Grimmaische Strasse, south of the Markt. A mix of neo-Renaissance and art nouveau, it opened as a trade hall in 1914 and was renovated at great expense in the early 1990s. Today it’s home to shops, bars and restaurants, most notably, Auerbachs Keller. There are statues of Faust, Mephistopheles and some students near the Grimmaische Strasse exit; according to tradition you should touch Faust’s foot for good luck.
Next door, the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum (4; Click here) is a must for anyone interested in GDR history. Immediately opposite is the Naschmarkt (snack market) which is dominated by the Alte Börse (5; 9651 322; by appointment), an ornate former trading house (1687). In front is a 1903 statue of Goethe (6), showing him as a young law student at Leipzig University.
Continue north on Naschmarkt, turn right on Salzgässchen and go to the corner of Reichsstrasse and Schuhmachergässchen, which is dominated by the beautiful art nouveau facade of the Cafe Riquet (7; Click here). Continue along Reichsstrasse, then turn left into Specks Hof (8), another shopping arcade, where you’ll pass a water basin that functions as an upside-down bell; ring it by wetting your hands with the water and running them back and forth over two pommels. If you hit it right, the water starts to fizz. Specks Hof itself contains a beautiful series of tile and stained-glass reliefs by Halle artist Moritz Götze. The eastern portal of Specks Hof takes you straight to the Nikolaikirche (9; Click here).
Carry on east through the dank Theater-passage to reach Augustusplatz, Leipzig