Leipzig

Leipzig

The city of Leipzig is located in the Free State of Saxony and is one of the medium sized cities in Germany with its approximately 510,000 inhabitants. Situated in the North German lowlands, the city was a center of book printing and book trade. The composer Johann Sebastian Bach has worked here, developing a century-long Leipzig music history. From the culinary perspective, the city has the Leipziger Allerlei, a vegetable dish which is a world famous specialty.

During the visit in Leipzig , tourist are enthraled by the following places:

The Leipzig Bach Archive: The Leipzig Bach Archive keeps records of the life of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach and his family and was established in 1950. Visitors can learn everything about the famous musician and attend the Bachfest every year in Leipzig.

The Historical museum Leipzig: The Historical museum Leipzig gives an insight into the centuries-old history of the city and extends from the medieval age to the modern age. Every year, about half a million people visit the museum and it is one of the most popular sights.

The Botanical Garden: The Botanical Garden of the University of Leipzig is the right place for those looking for relaxation and is one of the oldest gardens of its kind in the world. Here over 10,000 plants from 600 species can be admired.

The Leipzig Zoo: The Leipzig Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world and invites visitors to admire the approximately 900 animals. Due to its tradition, many buildings from the history of the zoo can be seen here.

The Old Town Hall: Once upon a time, the Old Town Hall was the seat of the feudal Supreme Court and the prison. The delinquents had only a short walk to the scaffold. The market square in front of the town hall served as an execution site.  The Town Hall Tower with its 115 meters is the highest of its kind in Germany and was moved to the left so that it is not in the middle of the building. This was typical of the German Renaissance style of the 16th century: the asymmetry was favored and the regularity was avoided.

The National Monument is one of the most visited landmarks of the city and is reminiscent of the people's slaughter in 1813. It is 91 meters high and stands where the center of the battle was at that time. Fromthe viewpoint visitors can enjoy a beautiful view of Leipzig. In the interior of the memorial, visitors are reminded of the history of the building. Sixteen stone warriors hold the wake in the crypt. In the Hall of Fame, figures as large as ten meters rise. These gigantic allegorical figures symbolize bravery, sacrifice, faith and power.

The Thomaskirche and the Bach Monument: The sacred building has been redesigned several times. The Romanesque church ship was replaced in 1496 with a late Gothic hall, and the church roof is unusually steep with a 63 degree incline. In 1702 the tower, which reached a height of 68 meters, received its Baroque dome. Martin Luther preached for the first time on the Pfingstsonntag 1539 in the Gotteshaus. This is regarded as the introduction of the Reformation in Saxony.

The Leipzig Bahnhof - the largest terminal station in Europe: it was built in 1915 by the architects William Lossow and Hans-Max Kühne. The track system covers approximately 48 hectares. The symmetrical construction of the station, which is found in the rivalry between the Prussian and Saxon railway companies, is striking. Both companies operated the train station together, thus ensuring that all of them had exactly the same design.After extensive renovation work by Deutsche Bahn, it was inaugurated in 1997 as a "promenade station". Over 140 shops and restaurants invite you to forget about your jorney and just "linger" there.