An ancient German city, a city of fairs and conventions, printing and culture, and the center of Germany’s musical life. Goethe, Bach, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, and many other great German figures lived in Leipzig. Leipzig recently played a key role in Germany’s political changes, becoming the center of the “peaceful revolution of 1989,” a fact commemorated by the city’s numerous sculptural monuments.
We’ll explore Leipzig’s historic center, home to the Old Town Hall, the Könighaus, St. Thomas’s Church, St. Nicholas’s Church, the train station, the Old Scales, the Old Merchant Exchange, the Augustusplatz square, the Opera House, and the Gewandhaus concert hall. One of the most interesting and completely preserved buildings is the Mädler Passage, known primarily for its Auerbachskeller wine cellar, which Goethe immortalized in his famous “Faust.” In the old town, we’ll visit Europe’s oldest coffee shop, “Under the Coffee Tree.”
In Leipzig, you’ll have the opportunity to see Europe’s largest monument to soldiers who died on the battlefield during the Battle of the Nations in 1813. The Battle of the Nations Monument features an observation deck offering breathtaking views of the city.
10-11 am
