Things to Do in Leipzig

Lutheran church where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as cantor from 1723 to 1750. His remains are buried beneath the altar. Entry is free; guided tours cost €5. Organ concerts happen Saturday afternoons for €5.

🕐 Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat 09:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-18:00 (tours pause during services)

💡 Attend a Friday Eveningsong service at 18:00 – the choir (founded by Bach) sings motets for free, and the acoustics are superb. No booking needed, but arrive 20 minutes early for a good pew.

The church where Bach worked as cantor, with his grave beneath the altar. The interior is plain but the acoustics are superb—free organ recitals and motets happen most weeks.

🕐 Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00, Sat 09:00–17:00, Sun for services only (12:00 and 17:00)

💡 Come for the 18:00 Friday or Saturday motet (free) and hear the boys' choir sing where Bach did; arrive 20 mins early for a pew.

Where Bach worked as cantor. A working Lutheran church with his grave inside. The building is simple but historically powerful. Free to enter.

🕐 Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 12:30-17:00

💡 Attend a Friday or Saturday evening motet by the St. Thomas Choir – free to listen. Arrive 20 minutes early for a seat. The church acoustics are excellent.

A small interactive museum next to the Thomaskirche, exploring Bach's life in Leipzig. Normally €10 entry but free every first Saturday of the month (10:00–17:00).

🕐 Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00; closed Mon

💡 Head to the sound lab on the top floor—you can 'conduct' the orchestra in a short Bach movement. Free day gets busy; go right at open.

The only preserved residence of composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Original rooms, instruments, and personal effects. Small but fascinating for music lovers.

🕐 Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00

💡 Visits are free on the first Wednesday of each month. Check the website for current temporary exhibitions.

Leipzig's art museum in a striking glass cube. Free entry on Wednesdays (though special exhibitions may cost extra). Collection spans medieval to contemporary German art.

🕐 Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Wed 10:00-20:00, closed Mon

💡 Wednesday free entry is popular – go just after opening at 10:00 for quieter galleries. The rooftop café has decent coffee for €3 and a view over the city rooftops.

Former Stasi district headquarters preserved exactly as it was in 1989. Original offices, surveillance equipment, and spy tools. Strong smell of old paper and dust.

🕐 Tue-Sun 10am-6pm (last entry 5pm)

💡 Visit the basement archive room – they'll let you look up your own name in the Stasi files if you're German. For non-Germans, ask the guide to show you the hidden listening devices.

A striking glass cube housing a collection spanning Old Masters to contemporary works. Entry is normally €10, but free on the first Wednesday of every month (from 12:00) and on special open days.

🕐 Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 (Wed until 20:00); closed Mon

💡 Queue up 15 minutes before opening on free day; the temporary exhibitions upstairs are worth a look but usually cost extra.

A glass cube housing a significant collection of European art from the 15th century to modern day, including works by Max Beckmann and Caspar David Friedrich. Standard entry €10, but free every Wednesday from 10:00-13:00.

🕐 Tue, Thu-Sun 10:00-18:00; Wed 10:00-20:00; closed Mon

💡 The free Wednesday window is popular – arrive by 10:30 to avoid a 20-minute queue. Focus on the 3rd floor for Expressionist works; the ground floor often has temporary exhibits not included in free entry.

Leipzig's main art museum, housed in a modern glass cube. Permanent collection spans from medieval to contemporary art, including works by Neo Rauch and Max Beckmann. Entry costs €10 for adults, but free on the first Wednesday of each month.

🕐 Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Wed until 20:00

💡 Queue starts 30 minutes before opening on free Wednesdays. Go early — the popular basement gallery (with Dürer prints) fills up fast.

Three museums under one roof: ethnography, decorative arts, and musical instruments. Each has separate entry fees (around €7 each), but the courtyard and ground-floor café are free. The interior architecture alone is worth a visit — art deco staircas

🕐 Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00 (café open same hours)

💡 Buy a combined ticket for all three museums if you want to see multiple — it's about €15 total. Otherwise, just enjoy the free courtyard and people-watch from the café.

Lutheran church where J.S. Bach worked as cantor and is buried. Plain Gothic interior, impressive Bach statue outside.

🕐 Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12:30-5pm

💡 Free organ recitals most Saturdays at noon. Check the noticeboard by the entrance for the schedule.

Leipzig's main square, historically the site of peaceful protests in 1989. Features the massive University building (Paulinum) and the city skyline. Paved area entirely free.

🕐 24/7

💡 Come here at dusk to see the city lights reflect in the small pond. Grab a takeaway coffee from Rösterei near the theatre – cheaper than the tourist cafes on the square.

A 5.3 km walking route marked by brass inlays in the pavement, connecting 23 sites linked to Bach, Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Wagner. Starts at St. Thomas Church.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Download the free Notenspur App beforehand – it plays relevant music clips at each stop. Takes about 2 hours at a relaxed pace. The route is wheelchair-friendly.

A sprawling, tree-lined park with ponds, meadows, and walking paths. Popular for picnics, jogging, and rowing boats. No entrance fee—just public space done well.

🕐 Open 24 hours

💡 Bring your own snacks. The park café is overpriced. Great spot for a cheap afternoon away from the city bustle.

Leipzig's largest green space, actually a chain of parks running west from town. Clara-Zetkin-Park has lawns, a rose garden, and the open-air stage; Lene-Voigt-Park has skate ramps and beer gardens. Free open-air cinema shows in summer (€2 donation).

🕐 Always open; beer garden hours vary (seasonal, 11:00–22:00)"

💡 Bring your own picnic blanket and buy beer from the kiosk at the main pond—much cheaper than the café. The rose garden smells best in June.

One of Europe's largest cemetery parks. Sprawling green space with old trees, ponds, and striking Art Nouveau mausoleums. Free to wander. The birdlife is impressive — herons and woodpeckers are common.

🕐 Daily 07:00-20:00

💡 Bring a picnic and head to the southern edge near the crematorium — quieter and fewer visitors. Entry is free, but the on-site café charges €3 for a coffee.

One of Europe's oldest zoos, with a massive tropical greenhouse ('Gondwanaland') and modern enclosures. Regular entry is €21, but students with ID pay €9.50 on weekdays after 1pm. Free for children under 6.

🕐 Daily 9:00-18:00 (last entry 17:00), extended to 19:00 in summer months

💡 Visit on a rainy weekday afternoon when crowds are thin and the indoor Gondwanaland area feels like a humid jungle escape. Bring your own snacks to avoid the pricey on-site cafes.

One of Germany's oldest and most modern zoos. The Gondwanaland tropical hall is a literal rainforest under glass. Entry is €22 but students pay €16—still pricey but worthwhile for animal fans.

🕐 Daily 09:00-18:00 (hours vary by season)

💡 Buy tickets online to skip queues. Visit in late afternoon when animals are most active and crowds thin.

One of Europe's oldest zoos. The Gondwanaland tropical hall is impressive. Entry is €22 but student and child discounts apply. Monday afternoons are half-price from 14:00.

🕐 Daily 09:00-19:00 (until 18:00 in winter)

💡 Skip the expensive lunch options inside. Walk 5 minutes to Karli (Karl-Liebknecht-Straße) for kebab shops and bakeries. The zoo park area outside the main gate is free to wander.