Free things to do in Leipzig

Free things to do in Leipzig

1. Do

   Aussichtsturm Rosentalhügel

   Observation tower. See the city from above. Admission is free. You'll have to climb up stairs in the open and stand on a platform that may shake a bit in the wind.

   Free

2. Do

   Fockeberg

   This hill was built as a landfill for World War II debris. It is now a park and the location for several recurrent events: the Fockeberglauf in March and November (a running competition), the Fockebergzeitfahren (an uphill bicycle race), and the Prix de Tacot (a soapbox car race).

   Admission free

3. See

   Mendelssohn House

   Former home of composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Regular concerts are held every Sunday at 11:00.

   Daily 10:00-18:00·€7.50 adults, €6 concessions; free entry every second Th of the month; Sunday concert tickets generally are €15/€10

4. See

   Museum der bildenden Künste

   Museum of Fine Arts, "Bildermuseum"

   Housed in a glass cube, this museum features paintings from the 15th century through today. Highlights include paintings by local artists Max Beckman and Max Klinger, as well as Caspar David Friedrich, Lucas Cranach the Younger, and Claude Monet.

   Permanent collection: €5 adults; temporary exhibitions: €8; combined ticket: €10; free entry every first Wednesday of the month

5. See

   Nikolaikirche

   Leipzig's largest church. Starting point for the peaceful revolution on October 9, 1989, when 600 Socialist Unity Party members, who were sent to break up the protest, joined the protesters. Every Monday at 17:00 since 1982, the church holds peace prayers.

   Mon-Fri 11:30-18:00 Sat 11:00-16:00 Sun: 11:30-14:30·Admission free, donations welcome

6. See

   Old Town Hall

   Altes Rathaus

   Built in 1556 in the Renaissance style and remains one of Germany's largest. The position of the tower follows the ancient ideal of "golden mean". Located on the pretty main square of the city, it is a good orientation point. The Old City Hall was built 1556 by Hieronymus Lotter on basements of two Patrician houses. It is a beautiful Renaissance style building, 90 m long with arcades (1906–09), six gables and a tower. In the 18th century the tower was enlarged and it received a Baroque spire. Until 1904 the Old City Hall was home of the city administration. Then it became home of the city museum. The first floor deals with the history of Leipzig from early times to the 1813 Battle of the Nations - while the second floor continues from industrialisation to the present. Most impressive is the huge Banqueting Hall with Renaissance interior (open fireplaces). Many fine works of medieval religious art: altars, paintings, wood-carved sculptures, etc. Most of them were saved from churches which were deconstructed in Leipzig's surrounding. Very impressive are the rooms with interior from old Patrician houses. Also interesting: the treasure chamber (steep and narrow staircase!) This Renaissance building was erected in just nine months in 1556–57 under the direction of the architect Hieronymus Lotter. The municipal government moved into the New Town Hall in 1909. If you have a bit of luck you are allowed to visit the cellar of the building. Here you find the chamber of torture and the jail. Leipzig's Renaissance City hall contains a museum of city history which possesses the original of the only confirmed painting of Bach produced in his lifetime. It contains interesting information regarding the public executions that used to take place in the market in front of the city hall. The most famous execution was that of Woyzeck, which was made famous by the Büchner play and the opera of Alban Berg. The interior of the Old City Hall (built in 1556) is far more interesting than the

   Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Mon closed·Free. Although you still have to obtain a ticket!

7. See

   Propsteikirche St. Trinitatis

   Modern architecture in the style of New Objectivity, covered with a traditional red porphyr stone. Easily to be confused with a modern office building, this church dedicated in 2015 is the largest newly built church building in Eastern Germany since unification. The location is almost on historical ground, as the neighbouring New City Hall is on the spot of the medieval Pleissenburg, where Martin Luther defended his theses in the "Leipzig Debate" of 1519. The steeple, 50 m high, contrasts the (still much higher) tower of the New City Hall. During construction the official entrance had to be switched to the back side of the church, as otherwise the postal address would have been "Martin-Luther-Ring", which the Roman Church considered not appropriate and after an attempt to rename the street failed to the opposition of the city administration.

   09:00 - 18:00, outside services·Admission free, donations welcome

8. See

   Reichsgericht

   Bundesverwaltungsgericht

   Located across the ring southwest of the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), the appearance of this building resembles the original look of the Reichstag in Berlin. It was built from 1888 to 1895 for the Court of the German Empire (Reichsgericht), the highest court of the Reich. During the GDR years the building served a variety of uses and hosted the Museum der Bildenden Künste. After refurbishment, the Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) moved into the Reichsgericht building in 2002. You can visit the entrance hall, the large courtroom, and the Reichsgerichtsmuseum with an exhibition on the history of the building. Visitor access may get restricted without prior notice if the work of the court requires it.

   Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00·Admission free; €1 for cloakroom or locker which is refunded

9. See

   Russische Gedächtniskirche

   Russian St. Alexej Memorial Church

   One of the many traces of the Napoleonic wars in and around Leipzig: a memorial church to the honours of Russian soldiers who died during the Napoleonic wars.

   Daily 10:00-16:00·Admission free, donations welcome

10. See

    St. Thomas Church

    Thomaskirche

    The church where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor from 1723 until his death in 1750. His remains are buried under a bronze epitaph near the altar. The Bach Museum is next to the church. Regular concerts are given by the St. Thomas Boys Choir Fridays and Saturdays (see do section for details).

    Mon-Thu 10:00 - 18:00; Fri 10:00 - 16:00; Sat 10:00 - 13:30, 16:30 - 18:00; Sun 11:30 - 17:30; churchtower is open weekends only·Admission free, donations welcome

11. Do

    Wildpark

    Watch wild animals in the woods. If you feel like hiking, after passing through the Wildpark you can turn northwards and walk to Clara-Zetkin Park, or walk south/southeast to Cospudener See. Both are about 2.5 km away.

    09:00–18:00/19:00/20:00 depending on the season·Free

12. See

    Zeitgeschichtliches Forum

    Opened in 1999, this is a museum about East Germany (the GDR). There is one permanent exhibition about the life in the GDR and the fall of the GDR; the other exhibition changes about every two months and has similar topics.

    Tue-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat Sun 10:00-18:00, Mon closed·Free

13. See

    Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum

    A museum about coffee and coffee culture in Europe's oldest continuously operating coffee house.

    11:00–19:00·Free

14. See

    Bach-Museum

    about the composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

    Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·€8 adults, €6 concessions; free entry every first Tu of the month

15. See

    Schulmuseum

    History of schooling.

    Mon–Fri 09:00–16:00·Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Leipzig (CC BY-SA 4.0).