Long Weekend Leipzig: The cultural metropolis in the east

Anyone who likes Berlin will love Leipzig. Those who don't like Berlin will find an honest East German alternative in Leipzig. For many, the Saxon metropolis with its more than 600,000 inhabitants is now considered the coolest city in the East. This is not only due to the diverse cultural offerings and a growing culinary and bar scene. It's really thanks to the people of Leipzig, who are open-minded and helpful and like to explore new things in their city themselves. Younger people are increasingly drawn here to study. Leipzig is always on the move.

You can reach the city center on foot in a short time from the main train station if you plan to arrive by train. Our visit begins on the impressive market square at Zum Coffe Baum, Germany's oldest coffee house, which has just been refurbished. All kinds of coffee specialties have been served here since 1711 and have been enjoyed by Liza Minnelli and Udo Jürgens.

Afterwards, it's worth taking a look at the nearby St. Thomas Church, one of the two central places of worship in Leipzig. Here, you look in amazement at several colorful windows with symbolic character. The heads of the two composers Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Johann Sebastian Bach, who died in Leipzig, adorn various window fronts. The church also houses Bach's tomb and a Bach organ built at the end of the 1990s.

By the time we leave the church, it's lunchtime. Just a few steps further on, we stop off at the famous Auerbachs Keller, a vaulted restaurant with more than 500 years of tradition. Certainly not an insider tip, but it serves reliable down-to-earth cuisine in the East German style , such as Saxon sauerbraten or Leipzig black beer meat.

Well fortified, we move on to the Mädler Passage above, which is home to small boutiques, charming cafés and bars as well as exquisite delicatessens. The Mädler Passage is probably the best-known passage of its kind in Leipzig. Nevertheless, there are still several of these enterprising courtyards to discover, which are reminiscent of Leipzig's trading and trade fair activities of past centuries.

In the afternoon, we decide to visit the Old Town Hall, where you can learn more about Leipzig's history. From there, we head to Salumeria Italiana, an industrial-chic Italian delicatessen, where we round off the day with antipasti and wine in a great backyard atmosphere.

Saturday morning starts with a walk along Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, affectionately known as KarLi by the people of Leipzig. The street, which stretches from the city center to the south, is a vibrant, trendy area with many cafés, bars and restaurants as well as cultural events. See and be seen - Café-Maître, which exudes French flair and offers an extensive breakfast menu ranging from croques and quiches to Eggs Benedict and galettes, is a particularly good place to do this.

If you want, you can spend the whole day on KarLi, where you can quickly strike up a conversation with the friendly Leipzig locals. However, we decide to go to Clara Zetkin Park, which is about a 20-minute walk away. Leipzig's largest green space is not just for recreation, but also for culture. Numerous artists and bands perform on the park stage throughout the summer - it's worth taking a look at the event calendar here.

The spirit of optimism is palpable in this city full of young families and students. Many of them live in the Connewitz district - Werk 2 is a cultural venue that is home to flea markets, junk shops and art, among other things.

In the evening, we are drawn back towards the city center. For dinner we visit the Planerts. The young team brings casual fine dining to the menu in a creative and natural way. For the main course this works wonderfully with the composition of eagle fish, risotto, asparagus and wild garlic butter. But what sounds so traditional here is deceptive: in Planerts, the break is part of the expected program.

We stay in the city center and stroll through the barefoot alley, where one bar follows the next. The narrow alleyway is bustling with activity. It's cramped, loud, lively and not a bit remote. At the end of the day, we decide to visit Vodkaria in the immediate vicinity. There are no less than 700 types of vodka from all over the world on the shelves here. The innkeeper's advice, "Home drinking is killing innkeepers", must be followed! Well then: Nastrovje!

After the first two days with numerous new impressions, we want to take it a little easier on Sunday. We head to Kleine Leckerei for breakfast. The inviting location with its large shop windows is a cozy place to start the day. The team serves a lovingly designed buffet with home-made salads, New York rolls, banana bread and almost everything your breakfast heart desires.

At lunchtime, we want to explore Leipzig in a slightly different way - from the water. So we jet off to the city harbor, from where we take a boat to inspect the city's beautiful river landscape and its sights - such as the impressive architecture of the Buntgarnwerke, a former yarn factory from the late 19th century. The relaxed river tour through the Karl Heine Canal in Plagwitz takes us to one of the city's youngest and most up-and-coming districts.

There's also plenty to discover at Leipzig Zoo, which places particular emphasis on the breeding of endangered animals and has created a huge tropical adventure world in the form of Gondwanaland. With more than 17,000 plants and 3,000 animals, it's easy to get lost. A visit is worthwhile.

We enjoy our last dinner at Frieda and head back to the north of Leipzig. In 2024, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin Guide star by TV chef Lisa Angermann and Andreas Reinke. The changing menu is also available as a vegetarian option, the wine list is carefully compiled and extensive - this even applies to the wines by the glass. If you come to Frieda, you should bring time with you - a place for slow enjoyment and the perfect end to a lively weekend.