The only reason I went to Leipzig was because my Dresden museum pass allowed me free access to the Grassimuseum – an applied arts museum with an emphasis on music and ethnography. If you start at the Leuschner Platz is rather pleasant with shops and beautiful architecture all around, definitely one of the best squares I’ve seen in Germany. The S-Bahn from this location can take you directly to Halle, one of the last cities Martin Luther toured and gave lectures in before his death.
Leipzig is a welcoming city and I remember two interactions in particular, one with a cat and the other with an old lady. I was headed to the Völkerschlactdenkmal on the tram when an old lady alighted with me and asked where I was from. After I told her that it was my first visit to Leipzig and I loved the wonderful architecture as an architecture student she told me:
“I was just a little girl when Kaiser Wilhelm inaugurated that monument, it is so tall. You should go up and see it!” ~ Old Lady
After a 110 year old lady told me to visit the monument, and I did, I walked a little further to see the Südfriedhof cemetery, the largest park style cemetery in Germany. A grey and white cat just lay on the ground and let me pet him. I chased him around for a few minutes until I reached the Roman-themed abbey in the middle of the cemetery.
For music lovers, Leipzig is the home of Johann Sebastian Bach with bach monuments and a Bach museum for those who would like to see where he lived. If you’re lucky enough you might even be able to hear one of his concerts at the Leipzig opera house. If you have time, the local Stasi Museum is free, albeit smaller than the one in Berlin.
The University of Leipzig (formerly Karl-Marx University in the GDR era) is one of the oldest in the world established in 1409, even older than the one in Rostock! Though it may have a long history, the main building of the university is one of the newest in Germany. Composed of steel and glass it is shaped like a cathedral letting plenty of light into the interior, typical of post WWII German architecture signifying transparency.
If visiting university isn’t enough for you, there are plenty of second-hand bookstores around to look for old treasure. I picked up a 100 year old Bible at a steal.
