Photo: iStock / TommL

GERMANY: Leipzig is the new place to be. The emerging creative art scene, the history of composers working in this city or the stunning architecture - Leipzig offers more than enough reasons for a visit. We put together the top 5 reasons to visit Leipzig this year!

1. Music City Leipzig: The Clara Schumann Year 2019

For a long time Leipzig was the music capital of Germany and, together with Vienna and Paris, formed the musical centre of Europe. Great composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Edvard Grieg, Gustav Mahler and Richard Wagner were closely associated with the city. This year, the stage belongs to one of the few women among them: Clara Schumann. In honour of the 200th birthday of the Leipzig-born master pianist and composer, numerous events take place throughout the year in various cultural institutions. The highlight of the anniversary year "CLARA19": the Schumann Festival Weeks from September 12th to 29th.

2. Traditional coffee house culture

Since the 17th century the people of Leipzig love their coffee and even today the coffee house culture is still an integral part of the city. Whether it's a traditional coffee house or a new trendy café, fans of the classic German "coffee & cake" session in the afternoon are spoilt for choice. We recommend these traditional coffee houses:

Café Corso

Brüderstraße 6, 04103 Leipzig

For over 100 years the family business is known for traditional confectionery art and offers its guests delicious cakes, tarts and pastries. Very delicious: the juicy “Baumkuchen”, which is still handmade!

Café Kandler

Nikolaistraße 3, 04109 Leipzig

With its wide selection of cakes, Café Kandler is a real institution in Leipzig and can be found at several locations. A sweet souvenir for the loved ones at home: the "Bachtaler", the café's own chocolate creation with mocha nougat and a coffee bean in honour to the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

Café Maître 

Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 62, 04109 Leipzig

Guests enjoy the French flair in Art Nouveau ambience: The interior of the café, which opened in 1904, has hardly changed to date and the in-house patisserie spoils you with fresh tarts, croissants and macarons – of course according to original French recipes. Also the breakfast menu is worth a visit!

3. Family adventures at Leipzig Zoo - and a special kind of view

With around 800 different species and an area of 26 hectares, Leipzig Zoo is a real highlight in the middle of the city, especially for families – all year round: The Gondwanaland, Europe's largest tropical adventure world, the ape enclosure Pongoland as well as the bird house, the elephant temple, the terrarium and the koala house offer a unique zoo experience even on rainy days. If you are still not tired of nature, you can relax in the adjoining alluvial forest or take a walk to the "Wackelturm" (“wobbling tower”). From here, you have a fantastic view over Leipzig. A little heads-up: the tower really is wobbling!

4. Canoeing through the city

Leipzig is one of the greenest cities in Germany and, with a large network of canals and small tributaries, ideal for a sightseeing tour on the water. The Leipzig City Harbour, about 15 minutes’ walk from the inner city, offers a central possibility to rent a canoe. There are also various guided tours available starting there: The route along the Karl-Heine-Canal leads through the southern district of Plagwitz, past the event location "Riverboat”, known from a German TV talk show. Perfect for a longer excursion into the countryside is the tour out of the city to Lake Cospuden, which is located about nine kilometres south of the city. 

5. Time travel to the GDR

Even decades after the fall of communism, you can still experience real "Ostalgie" (nostalgia for the supposed delights of the GDR) in Leipzig. The best places for a little journey into the past are for example:

Eisdiele Pfeifer

Kochstraße 20, 04275 Leipzig

Since 1953 nothing has changed in the interior of Leipzig's oldest ice cream parlour. With its wooden counter, floral wallpapers and tableware from GDR times, it takes you back to the time before the opening of the inner-German border. But it's not just because of the charming East German flair that customers queue up here: the homemade ice cream, including unusual creations, is simply delicious! The box-office hit? Classic as ever, chocolate and vanilla. 

Gaststätte Kollektiv

Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 72, 04275 Leipzig

“Karlsbader Schnitte”, sausage goulash or the real GDR "Jägerschnitzel" (hunter's schnitzel), breaded sausage slices with noodles in tomato sauce: Saxon and Bohemian home cooking is served in a nostalgic GDR atmosphere in this small restaurant. Thanks to the loving furnishings, you feel like in a living room of bygone times.

Moped rental in the Nostalgia Museum Leipzig

Nikolaistraße 28-32, 04109 Leipzig

On 300 square metres, the museum showcases the everyday culture of the GDR with numerous exhibits. A very special highlight is the moped rental service: on the Simson "Schwalbe" (swallow), the GDR cult moped par excellence, you can take a tour through the city or to the next bathing lake in proper style.

Want to give Leipzig a try? Book your accommodation right in the city center and start planning your cultural city getaway. You can book your Adina Apartment Hotel here.