Leipzig: Discover Culture, History and Nature

Leipzig offers a variety of reasons to visit: Bach and churches, 20th-century history, exhibitions, parks, animal and plant worlds, and water activities. You can plan your trip around the sights and activities that interest you most.

Bach, Churches and City History

The Bach Museum Leipzig is located in the Bosehaus on the Thomaskirchhof. Its interactive, sound-based exhibition covers 450 square metres. Twelve themed rooms explore Bach’s life, work, family and research. A visit therefore combines music history with biographical and scholarly topics.

St. Thomas Church was built as a monastery church in 1212. It is Johann Sebastian Bach’s final resting place and was his workplace for 27 years. Regular motets take place on Fridays and Saturdays; check the current schedule before your visit. St. Thomas Church also offers pilgrim passports for the Ecumenical Pilgrimage Route through Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Availability and fees may change.

For public transport directions: the Leipzig, Thomaskirche stop is served by tram line 9 and bus lines 89 and 412. As routes may change, check connections for the day of your visit.

With its peace prayers and Monday demonstrations, St. Nicholas Church is associated with Leipzig’s Peaceful Revolution of 1989. The “Runde Ecke” Memorial Museum presents the history of the Stasi in the preserved rooms of the former Leipzig district headquarters of the Ministry for State Security. Check current access arrangements before your visit.

The “City Centre Tour – Leipzig on Foot” leads through the historic centre and covers major sights. Tour formats and app availability may change, so check in advance. The Panometer Leipzig offers another way to experience art, with large-scale, walk-through panoramic art.

Park, Stage and Music Pavilion

Clara Zetkin Park is Leipzig’s largest park and includes the historic park areas of Johannapark, Palmengarten, Volkspark Scheibenholz and Albertpark. Its summer open-air stage hosts concerts and film screenings; the programme may change. The Music Pavilion was built in 1912 for open-air orchestra concerts. The park thus brings together a seasonal events programme and a historic music venue.

Rainforest Worlds and Water Activities

Gondwanaland presents tropical rainforest environments from Africa, Asia and South America under one roof. The complex is home to almost 170 exotic animal species and around 500 plant species; these numbers may change. Visitors can explore jungle trails, a treetop walkway and a jungle river. A boat trip along the river passes through a cave. Giant otters can also be seen swimming in the stream, though their visibility naturally varies.

Activities at Leipzig City Harbour range from motorboat excursions and guided canoe and dragon boat tours to canoe and bicycle rentals, as well as combined Bike&Boat trips along the city’s waterways. You can choose between a motorboat ride, a guided paddling tour, renting your own equipment, or combining cycling and boating.

Discover more destinations: Seehausen, Lausen-Grünau, Rötha, Markkleeberg, Bad Lausick, Brandis, Geithain.

For the broader travel overview: Leipzig District.