The city where Bach worked for 27 years, where Monday prayers in 1989 grew into the protests that brought down the Wall, and where shopping arcades hide old wine cellars. Leipzig is relaxed, young and full of music. Here’s how we’d spend our time.
Short answer: One full day covers the old town: the Markt, St. Thomas Church, St. Nicholas Church and the arcades. Plan two days to add the Monument to the Battle of the Nations and the zoo, or a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon motet with the St. Thomas Boys Choir. Berlin and Dresden are each a little over an hour away by ICE.
Leipzig grew rich as a trade fair city, and you can still see it in the covered arcades and passages that run through the old town. Johann Sebastian Bach was cantor at St. Thomas Church from 1723 until his death in 1750, and he is buried there. In autumn 1989 the peace prayers at St. Nicholas Church led to the Monday demonstrations that helped end the East German regime.
My tip: time your visit for a Friday or Saturday and hear the St. Thomas Boys Choir sing in Bach’s own church. It costs just a few euros.
Days you need
1–2
From Berlin
ICE, about 1 hr 15 min
From Dresden
ICE, about 1 hr 10 min
From Munich
ICE, about 3 hr 15 min
Thomanerchor motets
Fri 18:00 and Sat 15:00 (not in school holidays)
Christmas market
24 Nov – 23 Dec 2026
Free museum
Forum of Contemporary History
Seven places I’d put on a first visit. Tap ＋ Save on the ones you like and they go into your trip list.
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Bach’s church, with his grave in front of the altar and the famous boys choir he once led. Hearing the Thomanerchor sing a motet here is the best thing you can do in Leipzig.
Good to know: motets on Fridays at 18:00 and Saturdays at 15:00 when the choir is in town. The printed program (€3) is your ticket; under-18s are free. Doors open 45 minutes before; no reservations.
Right across from St. Thomas, in the house of Bach’s friends the Bose family. Listening stations, original manuscripts and a lovely way to understand his music, even if you’re not a classical fan.
Good to know: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, closed Mondays. Reduced €9. Free on the first Tuesday of the month.
From the outside it looks plain, but inside it’s light and elegant, with columns that open into palm leaves. The Monday peace prayers here in 1989 grew into the demonstrations of the Peaceful Revolution.
Good to know: open Mon–Fri 11:00–18:00, Sat 11:00–16:00, Sun 11:30–14:30. The peace prayer still takes place every Monday at 17:00 (except in the summer break).
The free Zeitgeschichtliches Forum tells the story of divided Germany and life in the GDR. Afterwards, explore the old arcades nearby: the Mädler Passage is home to Auerbachs Keller, the wine cellar Goethe put into Faust.
Good to know: the Forum is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 and is free. It’s closed on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
A gigantic stone monument, finished in 1913, a hundred years after the battle against Napoleon near Leipzig. Inside it’s dark and dramatic, and you can climb all the way up to the viewing platform.
Good to know: November to March daily 10:00 to 16:00; closed 24 and 31 December. Under-6s are free. Tram 15 to the Völkerschlachtdenkmal stop.
One of Germany’s best zoos, a short walk from the main station, with Gondwanaland, a huge tropical hall where you can warm up on a cold day.
Good to know: daily 9:00 to 17:00 in winter (24 and 31 Dec until 15:00). Winter prices from 1 November: adults €23, kids 6 to 16 €15, family €60.
The main square with the long Renaissance Old Town Hall, which now houses the city history museum. In Advent it’s the heart of the Christmas market.
Good to know: the square is the starting point for most walks; everything in the old town is within 10 minutes.
Choose how long you have (or who’s coming) and get a ready-made plan. Save the one you like to your trip list.
The old town loop, all on foot.
Morning
Start at the Old Town Hall, then walk to St. Thomas to see Bach’s grave.
Late morning
Spend an hour with the manuscripts and listening stations across the square.
Lunch
Wander through the Mädler Passage and the other arcades. Have lunch in a café or in the historic cellar.
Afternoon
See the church of the peace prayers, then the free Forum of Contemporary History about life in the GDR.
Day one as above, then this.
Day 2 morning
Tram 15 out to the monument and climb to the top for the view.
Day 2 afternoon
Gondwanaland is perfect on a cold or rainy afternoon.
Day 2 evening
On Fridays at 18:00 hear the Thomanerchor, or check what’s on at the Gewandhaus.
What our boys would vote for.
Morning
A half day at least. Under-6s are free.
Afternoon
Kids love the huge stone warriors and the climb to the top.
In Advent
The market has a fairy-tale forest and rides for little ones.
Christmas market from 24 November to 23 December 2026.
Morning
Museums first, while the market is still quiet (it opens at 11:00).
Afternoon
Start on the Markt in front of the Old Town Hall and follow the stalls through the old town.
Evening
On a Friday, the 18:00 motet in St. Thomas, then back to the lights. The market is open until 21:00 (22:00 Fri and Sat).
Straight from our events calendar, with every date checked against the organizer.
24 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 · Sun–Thu 11:00–21:00 · Fri–Sat 11:00–22:00
24 Nov – 22 Dec 2026 · Domplatz
25 Nov – 24 Dec 2026 · about 1 hr 10 min by ICE
Best time to go: May to September for café terraces and lakes, and Advent for the Christmas market. Come on a Friday or Saturday for the Thomanerchor motets (outside school holidays).
Swipe through the months →
Cold, quiet
Museums and concerts. The zoo’s tropical hall is a warm escape.
Cold
Few visitors, easy hotel deals.
Cool
Spring starts slowly. Good museum weather.
Mild, changeable
Parks turn green. Bring a rain jacket.
Warm, green
Café terraces open up. A lovely month in the city.
Warm, long days
Long evenings outdoors. Leipzig’s big Bach Festival usually takes place in June.
Warm to hot
Summer season. The motets pause during the Saxon school holidays.
Warm to hot
Lakes south of the city are popular for swimming.
Mild, golden
One of our favorite months.
Cool, autumn colors
On 9 October the city remembers the big demonstration of 1989.
Cold, gray
The Christmas market opens on 24 November.
Cold, festive
Christmas market until 23 December (until 20:00 on 22 and 23 December).
Leipzig is a rail hub, so these are all easy.
Baroque domes on the Elbe, the Green Vault and the Striezelmarkt.
The capital: the Wall, Museum Island and the Reichstag dome.
A beautiful market on the cathedral square in Thuringia’s capital.
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The Thomanerchor sings motets on Fridays and Saturdays, but not during the Saxon school holidays or when the choir is on tour. Check before you plan around it.
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Leipzig’s trams reach the Monument to the Battle of the Nations and most sights outside the ring. The Deutschlandticket is valid.
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The old trade-fair passages cut through the blocks of the old town. They’re a great shortcut when it rains.
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The Bach Museum and the Forum of Contemporary History are closed on Mondays.
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The Bach Museum is free on the first Tuesday of each month.
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A small shortbread pastry with marzipan and a dab of jam, sold in bakeries all over town.
One full day covers the old town. Two days let you add the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, the zoo and a motet or concert.
Usually at the motets in St. Thomas Church on Fridays at 18:00 and Saturdays at 15:00, when the choir is in Leipzig. The program costs €3 and is your ticket; under-18s are free. No reservations; doors open 45 minutes before.
From Tuesday 24 November to 23 December 2026. Sunday to Thursday 11:00 to 21:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 22:00. On 22 and 23 December it closes at 20:00. See the market details.
In St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, in front of the altar. He was cantor there from 1723 until his death in 1750.
€12, reduced €10, and free for under-6s. From November to March it is open daily 10:00 to 16:00, closed on 24 and 31 December.
Yes. It has some of the most important music and modern history sites in Germany, a relaxed old town and good prices. It also pairs well with Dresden or Berlin.
Still have a question? Ask me and I’ll answer it.
The best markets across Germany, with checked dates for every one.
The Frauenkirche, the Green Vault and the Striezelmarkt.
The Wall, Museum Island and how to see the Reichstag dome.
Tap ＋ Save on sights, plans and events above. Your trip list keeps them in your browser, no account needed.
Our events calendar has every Christmas market and festival we track, with checked dates and hours.
German winters are chilly. Grab our free packing list below so nobody’s cold at the markets.
What to wear to the Christmas markets, what to pack for the Alps, and everything else you'll forget. Plus one short email from me once a month: which markets and festivals are coming up, what's worth the trip, and one money-saving train tip.
Instant download.
More for your trip: the Leipzig Christmas market dates, all Christmas market dates in Saxony, festivals month by month and trip ideas by interest. Next stop? Have a look at Dresden or Berlin.
Pfiat di (take care), Brian 👋
Updated October 2026. Opening hours, prices and dates were checked on each official website in October 2026 and can change, so check before you go.
Photo credits: Bosehaus (Bach Museum): Geisler Martin, CC BY-SA 3.0; Old Town Hall: Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0; St. Thomas Church: Flocci Nivis, CC BY 4.0; City view: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0; St. Nicholas Church: Zairon, CC0; Mädler Passage: Flocci Nivis, CC BY 4.0; Battle of the Nations monument: Palauenc05, CC BY-SA 4.0; Gondwanaland: Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0; Frauenkirche Dresden: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0; Brandenburg Gate: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0; Zwinger: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0; Berlin Wall Memorial: Ansgar Koreng, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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