Things to do in Leipzig

29 activities, venues and outings in Leipzig, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

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
Do
BMW Werk Leipzig
The BMW assembly plant in Leipzig, which builds the 1er-series and X1 models, offers guided tours of its premises. They require previous appointment - you need to send a request with your preferences in advance and wait for the Visitor's Centre to get back to you.
€6 per person (adult), €130 for an individual tour (for up to 30 persons)
Do
Bootsverleih Herold
Boat rental offering skiffs (up to 4 persons), kayaks (for 1, 2 or 2+child) and Canadian canoes (for 2, 3, 4 or 5 persons); as well as guided motorboat tours (advance booking required).
€7.50/hr for two-seaters; motorboat tour (70 min incl. drink) €14
Do
Bootsverleih am Klingerweg
SC DHfK Leipzig canoe department
Boat rental offering skiffs (up to 4 persons), kayaks (for 1, 2 or 2+child) and Canadian canoes (for 3 or 4), large Canadian for 10 (requires a professional cox, advance booking); guided motorboat tours.
€8/hr for two-seaters; motorboat tour (70 min incl. coffee) €14
Do
Clara-Zetkin Park
Really a collection of several parks that locals may still know and refer to by their original names: Johannapark, Albertpark, Volkspark Scheibenholz, and Palmengarten. Walk westwards from the new city hall to find the Johannapark, starting at the crossing of Karl-Tauchnitz Straße and Friedrich-Ebert Straße
Do
Cospudener See
Named after Cospuden, a village that fell victim to opencast mining, this lake was the first lignite mine conversion in the region after the end of the GDR. Locals instantly and enthusiastically adopted their new Costa Cospuda. The northern Beach (Nordstrand) is broad and sandy, the perfect place to spend a hot summer day.
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
Do
Gewandhaus
Mendelssohn's orchestra still exists, but the concert hall is new. Inside is a huge painting by Sighard Gille, visible through the windows from Augustusplatz.
Do
Kayaking and Rafting at Markkleeberger See
This site was planned for staging the Olympic Games 2012, and was built even though the games were awarded to London. This is one of the two most advanced whitewater kayak parks in Europe.
Do
Kulkwitzer See
Beach; camping; fishing, water sports. This one is the oldest of the close lakes. Converted from a mine in the 1960s, the city grew towards it in the 1980s with the Grünau development.
Beach access free; fishing requires a permit, available in the camping office
Do
Leipzig Riverside Forest
Leipziger Auwald
With an area of 2500 hectares (6180 acres), it is one of the largest riparian forests in Central Europe and one of the largest urban forests in Germany. Having an extensive forest—not on the outskirts, but in the middle of the city—is a defining feature of Leipzig. It stretches along the rivers Pleiße, Weiße Elster, and their tributaries, for more than 30 km in length and 2 to 5 km in width. Some parts are designed as landscape gardens while others are left in a near-natural state and protected as conservation areas. This "green belt" may be discovered on a walk, by bicycle, on horseback or during a canoe ride. From the Cospudener See in the south through the Clara-Zetkin-Park, west of the city centre along the Elsterflutbecken, and to the northwest between Leutzsch and Möckern you'll find a landscape that sometimes makes you forget you are in a city.
Do
Leipziger Buchmesse
Leipzig Book Fair
Besides the main event on the fairground, readings take place in various locations around the city.
Late March
Do
Leipziger Kleinmesse
Funfair, twice a year in spring (April/May) and fall (September/October).
Do
Markkleeberger See
The youngest of the nearby lakes and perhaps a bit quieter than the other two. It has rather small beaches but a long promenade.
Do
Oper Leipzig
The opera house of Leipzig. Though the building was opened in 1960, the company looks back at more than 300 years of history.
Do
Parkeisenbahn am Auensee
Take a ride on a miniature railway circling around the Lake Auensee in the northwest of the city.
operates April–October, Mon–Sat 14:00–18:00, on Sun also 10:00–13:00€6.50 for a family of 4
Do
Porsche Leipzig
The Porsche factory in Leipzig, which builds the Cayenne and the Panamera, offers plant tours as well as driving experiences on the test track, combined with meals at the on-site restaurant. A much wider choice of events is offered to users booking in German, via the German version of the website.
Factory tour and brunch from €45
Do
Red Bull Arena
formerly Zentralstadion
RB Leipzig play soccer in Bundesliga, the top tier. RB stands for "RasenBallsport and nothing to do with ownership by Red Bull fizzy drinks" but some fans doubt this assertion. With a capacity of 48,000 for Bundesliga games and 42,600 for internationals, this stadium hosted games during the 2024 UEFA Finals. It also often hosts concerts. The women's team play in their top tier at Cottweg training ground.
Do
Rosental
The second largest park of Leipzig is northwest of the city centre. From the Rosental you can get a glimpse into the zoo without having to pay the entrance fee (Zooschaufenster near the large meadow). Crossing Waldstraße and continuing in northwestern direction you will find a small hill with a watchtower on top.
Do
Sightseeing by tram
Every weekend, LVB offers sightseeing tours in a modified tram called "Gläserner Leipziger". Buy your ticket in advance from any of the LVB service offices listed above; it includes a day ticket for zone 110 (Leipzig) of the MDV network. The tour takes about 2 hours.
Saturdays, starting at 11:00 and 14:00; May–September also Sundays 11:00€15 per person
Do
Sightseeing tour
The tour lasts 2½ hours, comprising a 1-hour guided walk through the city centre and a bus tour of 1½ hours to sights elsewhere. You can also book each part of the tour individually. Buy your ticket at tourist information, where the tour starts.
Daily 13:30 (in German also 10:30)€15
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 seasonFree
Do
videoSightseeing Leipzig
In addition to the comments of a live guide in English or other languages, on-screen historic film footage and photographs give you a deeper insight into Leipzig's history and life today. The standard length of the tour is 2 hours. You can also combine it with a walking tour through the historic centre.
individual starting time for small groupsfrom €25
Do Not mapped
Motets in St. Thomas Church
Listen to the St. Thomas Boys Choir performing Bach's music in its original environment. Be aware that a guest choir may sing instead at any time as the St Thomas Choir travels a lot. Since the motet is primarily a musical form of devotion and not a musical performance for tourists, applause is uncommon and frowned upon.
Fri 18:00 and Sat 15:00; unreserved seating, come early (church opens 45 min before)Admission €2 (includes program); children free
Do Not mapped
Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta
Meeting of hot air balloon pilots. Lots of flying balloons if the weather permits flying.
late July
Do Not mapped
Wave-Gotik-Treffen Leipzig
World's largest goth festival includes a pagan village, medieval market, and goth music.
Date follows Pentecost, late May or early June
Do Not mapped
Bach Festival
Organized by the Bach Museum.
Late May-early June
Do Not mapped
Euro-Scene
Festival of contemporary European theatre.
mid-November
Do Not mapped
International Festival for Documentary and Animated Film
every October

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