Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [156]
The behemoth ahead is the functional Opernhaus (11; opera house), built from 1956 to 1960, backed by a little park with a pond and a statue of Richard Wagner (12). At the opposite end of Augustusplatz is the boxy 1981 Neues Gewandhaus (13), home to the world-famous Gewandhaus Orchestra, which was founded in 1743 and is one of Europe’s oldest civic orchestras. Next door is the landmark MDR Hochhaus (14; 11am-11pm), a surprisingly attractive skyscraper from 1970, with a viewing platform and restaurant on top.
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WALK FACTS
Start Markt
Finish Bach-Museum
Distance 4km
Duration 1½ hours
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From Grimmaische Strasse on the western side of Augustusplatz, take a left on Universitätsstrasse and look for the entrance to the Städtisches Kaufhaus (15; Universitätsstrasse 16), the site of the city’s first cloth exchange (Gewandhaus) and later the inaugural concert hall of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy once led a music school here, and there are now free concerts in the summer. The central courtyard is also home to the Strasse der Stars, Leipzig’s version of the Walk of Fame. Michael Schumacher, Claudia Schiffer and Mariah Carey are among the celebs whose plaster-cast hands are displayed in a series of cube-shaped cases.
Exit the Städtisches Kaufhaus, head south on Neumarkt, then turn right on Peterskirchhof and you’ll come to arko (16; formerly Café Richter; 960 5235; Petersstrasse 43; 9.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat), the oldest coffee retailer in town (since 1879). This fabulous and eclectic building, with its golden iron spiral staircase, is worth a gander; the luscious beans are wonderful too.
From here head north on Petersstrasse, a major shopping boulevard, to the glorious glass-covered Petersbogen (17) arcade. This spills out onto Burgplatz, where you confront the impressive 114m-high tower of the neo-baroque Neues Rathaus (18), one of the world’s largest town halls with some 600 rooms. It was completed in 1905 and stands on the foundations of the Pleissenburg fortress. Recently renovated, it has a rich interior, including a grand staircase straight out of a Donald Trump dream.
From Burgplatz, turn north and walk up Burgstrasse to the Thomaskirche (19; Click here). Outside the church is the 1908 Bach Memorial (20) showing the composer standing against an organ, with his left-hand jacket pocket turned inside-out (with 20 children from two marriages, the great man always claimed to be broke). The Bach-Museum (21; Click here) is just opposite the church.
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Tours
Leipzig Erleben ( 7104 280; Richard-Wagner-Strasse 1; www.leipzig-erleben.com; city tour per person €20) Runs four to five bus tours a day, one using an old London Routemaster. Departures are from the tourist office.
Peaceful Revolution Tour ( 9612 443; per person €3; 2pm Sat) A two-hour German-language walking tour taking in locations that witnessed the key events of 1989. Groups meet at the entrance to the Nikolaikirche.
Trabi Erleben ( 1409 0922; www.trabi-stadtrundfahrt.de; 2 people €40) Join a convoy of Trabants belonging to Trabi Erleben for a 90-minute self-drive put-put through Leipzig with live commentary.
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Festivals & Events
Highlights of Leipzig’s annual events calendar include the Leipziger Buchmesse (Book Fair; www.leipziger-buchmesse.de) in late March, the second biggest in the country after Frankfurt. The Honky Tonk (www.honky-tonk.de) pub festival in May features dozens of bands and a shuttle bus between drinking holes. On Whitsuntide, a black tide descends on Leipzig for the Wave-Gotik-Treffen (www.wave-gotik-treffen.de), the world’s largest goth festival, with a pagan village, a medieval market and lots of