travelguide195DEENES

Tour · The classics · Leipzig

Leipzig in One Day: Old Town, Bach and the Monument to the Battle of the Nations

This tour links the most important sights of Leipzig's Old Town with a side trip to the Monument to the Battle of the Nations in the southeast. In the morning you walk past Market Square, the Naschmarkt and Thomaskirchhof. In the afternoon you take the streetcar to the monument, and the day winds down in the Mädler-Passage.

Stops
11
Time
09:30–21:00
On foot
approx. 1.7 km
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This tour shows you the places that made Leipzig famous, all in a single day. You'll get to know the Old Town as a city of trade fairs and music, learn about more recent history, and see the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, the city's largest landmark.

The day begins at Market Square and takes you to the Naschmarkt with the Old Exchange and the Goethe Monument. Next you visit the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum, which explains the East German era and the Peaceful Revolution in vivid detail. After lunch in a historic passageway courtyard, you head to St. Thomas Church, where Johann Sebastian Bach worked, and to the Bach Museum directly across the street. From the City-Hochhaus on Augustusplatz you can take in the whole city before the streetcar carries you southeast to the Monument to the Battle of the Nations. There you'll have plenty of time for the crypt, the Hall of Fame and the climb to the top.

In the evening you return to the center and have dinner at Auerbachs Keller, which you may know from Goethe's Faust. A drink at the Mephisto Bar right next door rounds off the day. Distances in the Old Town are short; you only need the tram for the monument. The tour is a great choice for your first visit to Leipzig and for anyone who wants a solid overview of the city in limited time.

Old Town core, Bach's footsteps and the big monument

  1. Visit · Monuments · Zentrum

    1Leipziger Geschichtsdenkmal

    A great place to start on the market square, where you get a first impression of the historic center.

  2. on foot 1 min · 110 m
    Visit · Historic sites · Zentrum

    2Alte Handelsbörse

    Baroque building on the Naschmarkt that recalls Leipzig's tradition as a trade fair city.

  3. on foot 2 min · 190 m
    Visit · Monuments · Zentrum

    3Goethe-Denkmal

    Stands right in front of the Exchange and commemorates Goethe's student days in Leipzig.

  4. on foot 2 min · 130 m
    Visit · History museums · Zentrum

    4Zeitgeschichtliches Forum Leipzig

    Compact exhibition on East Germany and the Peaceful Revolution; check opening hours in advance, as it's often closed on Mondays.

  5. on foot 3 min · 260 m
    5
    Meal · German · Zentrum

    5Gasthaus Barthels Hof

    Traditional Saxon cuisine in a historic passageway courtyard in the Old Town.

  6. on foot 4 min · 320 m
    Visit · Monuments · Zentrum

    6Bach Memorial

    Bach worked here as Thomaskantor; a look inside the church is worthwhile if it's open.

  7. on foot 1 min · 40 m
    Visit · History museums · Zentrum

    7Bach-Museum Leipzig

    Across from the church in the Bosehaus, with listening stations for Bach's music; check opening hours in advance.

  8. on foot 8 min · 610 m
    Visit · Historic sites · Zentrum

    8City-Hochhaus

    From the observation deck you can see the Old Town and even the Monument to the Battle of the Nations; check access in advance.

  9. transit approx. 24 min · 4.8 km
    Visit · Monuments · Südost

    9Ruhmeshalle Völkerschlachtdenkmal

    The city's best-known landmark; allow time for the crypt, the Hall of Fame and the climb, and check the closing time in advance.

  10. ·
    Break

    Free time in the Old Town

    Time to rest or to stroll through the arcades around Market Square.

  11. transit approx. 25 min · 5.2 km
    10
    Meal · German · Zentrum

    10Auerbachs Keller

    Historic vaulted cellar in the Mädler-Passage, known from Goethe's Faust; best to reserve ahead.

  12. on foot 1 min · 30 m
    11
    Bar · Cocktail bars · Zentrum

    11Mephisto Bar

    Also located in the Mädler-Passage, so there's no further walk after dinner.

Good to know

  • It's worth making a reservation for Auerbachs Keller in the evening.
  • Buy an LVB day pass for the trip to the Monument to the Battle of the Nations if you plan to make more rides.
  • There are lots of steps up at the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, so pack comfortable shoes.
  • Museums are often closed on Mondays; check opening hours in advance and swap the order of stops if needed.

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Automatically compiled from travelguide195 places (as of 11/05/2026). Travel times are estimated from distance; please check opening hours in advance.

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