Things to do in Saxony
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Neues Rathaus
The neo-baroque Neues Rathaus is one of the world's largest town halls with some 600 rooms and an impressive 108m-high tower. Although the building’s origins date back to the 16th century, its current manifestation was completed in 1905. The restored interior makes it one of the finest municipal buildings in Germany.
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Stasi Museum
In the GDR the walls had ears, as is chillingly documented in this exhibit in the former Leipzig headquarters of the East German secret police (the Stasi), a building known as the Runde Ecke (Round Corner). English-language audioguides aid in understanding the all-German displays on propaganda, preposterous disguises, cunning surveillance devices, recruitment (even among children), scent storage and other chilling machinations that reveal the GDR’s all-out zeal when it came to controlling, manipulating and repressing its own people.
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Stasi Bunker
In the GDR the walls had ears, as is vividly documented in the chilling Stasi Museum in the former headquarters of the East German secret police, a building known as the Runde Ecke (Round Corner). On the last weekend of every month, you can also visit the Stasi bunker outside town.
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Altes Rathaus
Built in 1556, the arcaded Renaissance Altes Rathaus is one of Germany's most stunning town halls. It houses the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum.
This museum chronicles the ups and downs of Leipzig's history. Some temporary themed exhibits are on display nearby in a new building (Böttchergässchen 3).
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Pfunds Molkerei
The Guinness Book-certified ‘world’s most beautiful dairy shop’ was founded in 1880 and is a riot of hand-painted tiles and enamelled sculpture, all handmade by Villeroy & Boch. The shop sells replica tiles, wines, cheeses and other milk products. Not surprisingly, the upstairs cafe-restaurant has a strong lactose theme. Slip in between coach tours for a less shuffling look round.
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Albertinum
After massive renovations following severe 2002 flood damage, the Renaissance-era former arsenal is now the stunning home of the Galerie Neue Meister (New Masters Gallery), an ark of paintings by leading artistic lights since the Romantic period – Caspar David Friedrich to Claude Monet and Gerhard Richter – in gorgeous rooms orbiting a light-filled courtyard. One wing contains fancy sculptures from Rodin to GDR artist Wieland Förster.
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Japanisches Palais
The not-very-Japanese Japanisches Palais, built in 1737, houses Dresden's famous Museum für Völkerkunde (Museum of Ethnology), which boasts well over 70,000 anthropological items from far-flung corners of the world, as well as the Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte (State Museum of Prehistory).
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Dreikönigskirche
Designed by Zwinger-architect Pöppelmann, the most eye-catching feature of the Dreikönigskirche is the baroque altar that was ruined in 1945 and left as a memorial. Also note the 12m-long Renaissance-era Dance of Death sandstone relief opposite the altar, beneath the organ. The 88m-high tower can be scaled for some panoramic views.
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Restaurant Vincenz Richter
Despite the historic guns and armour, the romance factor is high at this 16th-century inn, which is due to the attentive service, the classy interpretations of classic Saxon dishes and the crisp whites from the Richter's own wine estate. Terrace tables have a view of Markt.
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Zest
Virtually Leipzig's only vegetarian restaurant is buried deep in the southern suburbs. The perfectly crafted seasonal menu of vegan fare is complimented by carefully selected wines. Alternatively just pop in for a strawberry and basil smoothie. Take tram 10 or 11 south to Pfeffingerstrasse.
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Gläserne Manufaktur
The Gläserne Manufaktur is Volkswagen’s stunning transparent car factory. This ambitious, impossibly stylish glass building was a huge prestige project for the long-running automobile company, and has become an unusual and distinctive feature of the city scene.
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Schloss Taverne
Take a seat on the bench-lined and arcaded inner courtyard, surely Meissen's most atmospheric place to eat, to enjoy goulash, pork chops or Saxon beef joint with dumplings and sauerkraut. Then take it slow with a bottle or two of the region's wine, accompanied by locals on the accordion.
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Schloss Moritzburg
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brennNessel
This much-beloved vegetarian gastropub with leafy cobbled courtyard beer garden is a favourite hang-out for off-duty Semperoper musicians. Choose from creative casseroles, stews, pastas and salads (great ginger-honey dressing!). Some dishes feature the namesake nettles and a separate vegan menu is available.
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Städtisches Kaufhaus
Städtisches Kaufhaus is the site of the city's first cloth exchange (Gewandhaus) and later the inaugural concert hall of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy once led a music school here, and there are now free concerts in the summer.
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Staatstheater Braunschweig ‘Grosses Haus’
This historic venue is used for classical music, theatre, dance and opera. The tourist office also sells tickets, or turn up an hour before the event for rush tickets.
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Bautzner Tor
Probably the last GDR-era dive in Dresden to survive ungentrified, this dimly lit but strangely atmospheric museum piece is a nostalgic blast from the past. Food is definitely wallet-friendly and the excellent beer (cheapest in town) is brewed locally by a guy called Lenin.
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Barokkokko Tour
The Dresden of the 18th century comes alive during these interactive 1½-hour tongue-in-cheek tours, led by costumed actor-guides who'll even teach you the proper way to curtsey and bow. Ask about English-language tours, usually held on Fridays from April to October.
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Stilbruch
With a nod to Dalì or David Lynch, the clocks run backwards, toilets are accessed via an armoire and dishes have names like 666 or Chainsaw Massacre at this surrealist cafe-bar. It also has a great collection of board games and the world’s only ‘Gollard’ table (a cross between golf putting and billiards).
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Stechinelli's Kartoffel-Keller & Gewandhaus
In the basement of the Rathaus, these adjacent restaurants are touristy but ever-popular. You can indulge in potatoes over three courses in casual Stechinelli's, from potato soup to potato waffles for dessert. Gewandhaus has an identical menu but closes from 2pm to 6pm.
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Gosenschenke 'Ohne Bedenken'
This historic Leipzig institution, backed by the city's prettiest beer garden, is the place to sample Gose, a local top-fermented beer often served with a shot of liqueur. The menu requires that you surrender helplessly to your inner carnivore.
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Erlebniswelt Haus Meissen
There’s no ‘quiet time’ to arrive at the popular and unmissable porcelain museum were you can witness the astonishing artistry and craftsmanship that makes Meissen porcelain unique. It’s next to the porcelain factory, about 1km south of the Altstadt. Visits start with a 30-minute tour (with English audioguide) of the Schauwerkstätten, a series of four studios where you can observe live demonstrations of vase throwing, plate painting, figure moulding and the glazing process. This gives you a better appreciation for the thousands of pieces, displayed chronologically, at the Museum of Meissen Art inside an integrated art nouveau villa.
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Kreuzkirche
The 1792 Kreuzkirche was rebuilt after the war. Originally the Nikolaikirche, the church was renamed for a Kreuz (cross) found floating in the Elbe River by fishermen. The church is famous for its 400-strong boys’ choir, the Kreuzchor.
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Reichenturm
The 1718 addition of the baroque cupola caused this 56m-high medieval structure to start tilting. Today it deviates 1.4m from the centre, making it one of the steepest leaning towers north of the Alps. Climb to the top for sweeping Altstadt views.
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Fürstenzug
The 102m-long Fürstenzug mural is depicted on the façade of the former Stallhof (royal stables). The scene, a long row of royalty on horses, was first painted in 1876 by Wullhelm Walther and then transferred to some 24,000 Meissen porcelain tiles in 1904.
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