Leipzig is a large, dynamic city in the state of Saxony which hosts a number of international trade fairs. Renowned institutes, a diverse range of cultural activities and numerous lakes around the region make the city attractive to students. Leipzig is very popular and captivating to young people.
Facts
593,145 Inhabitants ¹
38,369 Students ²
5 Higher education institutions ²
WELCOME TO LEIPZIG
In newspaper articles about Leipzig, some journalists have taken to nicknaming the city “Hypezig” – a combination of the words “hype” and “Leipzig”. Over the course of several years, the city has become extremely popular among students. Even many Berliners have moved to this Saxon city. Leipzig has wonderful landmarks and cultural highlights. The St. Thomas Boys Choir, for example, is one of the oldest choirs in the world. It has existed for over 800 years. The composer Johann Sebastian Bach lived and worked in Leipzig and even conducted the St. Thomas Choir, which still performs concerts today.
A number of famous artists live and work in the city. For example, the painter Neo Rauch works in his studio at the Leipzig Baumwollspinnerei (Cotton Mill). The former factory building in the Lindenau district is now a creative venue with numerous studios and galleries. You can look over the shoulders of artists at work or view their artworks displayed in the galleries.
Next to the historic city hall downtown, you’ll find the Alte Börse (Old Stock Exchange) at Naschmarkt. Among the covered courtyards and alleyways in the luxurious Mädlerpassage, you’ll discover the famous “Auerbach’s Cellar”. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used this venerable locale as the backdrop in a scene in the literary classic “Faust I”. If you love shopping, there is a large pedestrian zone around the city hall with an extensive selection of shops and stores.
Not far from there, you’ll find St. Nicholas Church, the Forum of Contemporary History and the “Runde Ecke” Memorial Museum. At all three sites, you can learn about an important chapter of Leipzig’s history: life in socialist East Germany until 1989, the Peaceful Revolution and German reunification.
The gigantic “Monument to the Battle of the Nations” in the southern part of the city commemorates the major battle against Napoleon in 1813. You can enter the monument and climb the stairs to the top. From there, you can view the entire city all the way to downtown.
You’ll also notice how green Leipzig is from up there. The Leipzig Auwald stretches across the city from north to south and offers a great place to relax in the middle of the city. A gigantic network of waterways criss-crosses the city thanks to several rivers which meander through town. These rivers and canals lead to manmade lakes situated to the south of the city, such as Cospudener Lake – one of Leipzig’s most popular swimming places.
Interview
SERENA FROM ITALY
LIVING IN LEIPZIG
Cultural life in Leipzig mainly takes place downtown, in the Plagwitz district and in the Südvorstadt district along Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse all the way to the Connewitz district. Lots of students live in this area. In the summertime, you can relax outside on warm evenings at one of the many bars and pubs on Barfussgässchen. There are also a number of popular, trendy clubs and cafés on Gottschedstrasse in the Schauspielviertel.
You can find really good clubs and concert halls in Leipzig. If you’d rather get some R&R in nature, the Clara Zetkin Park is located very close to downtown.
If you like literature, Leipzig is the right place for you. The city regularly hosts the prestigious Leipzig Book Fair, and is also known as the “Book City”. Numerous publishing companies have their headquarters in Leipzig. At the German National Library, you’ll find every piece of media ever printed in Germany since 1913.
The Leipzig Zoo is “beastly exciting”. The zoo has attracted droves of visitors since it opened the “Gondwana Land” – a huge tropical hall. The zoo is especially proud of its bonobos. Even if animals don’t interest you too much, these rare monkeys are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on you.
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