family travel guide
Leipzig has no striking features, so it can be called a centre of tourism or an open-air museum. Of course, the city has often appeared in history: Johann Sebastian Bach was a cantor at St. Thomas Church, and Goethe studied at the University of Leipzig.
But people come here not so much for that as for the incredibly relaxed, easygoing feeling of freedom. Leipzig lives life at its own pace, without having to chase after the sights or queue for museums.
Are there attractions and museums here? Of course — as there are family entertainment, parks, castles in the surrounding area, and (have you ever heard of it?) geoportals. If you like a friendly and relaxed holiday with your family, Leipzig will leave a good impression on you.
Read about Leipzig's sights, attractions, hotels, winter and summer programmes and other details of a holiday with children in Leipzig in the Kidpassage review.
The city of Leipzig is located in eastern Germany and forms part of the federal state of Saxony. It surpasses the administrative centre of Saxony, Dresden, in population. The distance from Leipzig to Dresden is 115 km, to Berlin 190 km, Hanover 265 km and to Nuremberg 292 km.
The first known mention of the city was at the beginning of the 11th century. At that time, the Slavonic settlement of Lipsk was located where Leipzig is now. It was situated at the crossing of important routes and became an important trading centre. Leipzig is still famous for its trade fairs, for which it earned the informal name of Messestadt — the fair city.
Do you want an unconventional trip? Then come to Leipzig with your children. Here, you can put together an utterly unfamiliar picture from the usual components of a trip.
The transport and hotels are the only things that don't fall out of place. It is all about German quality, punctuality, and comfort. But the rest is more interesting. There is no old city in its usual sense. The main university building looks like a cathedral. Under the roof of one museum, you find three. Children turn into market vendors. Imagine, it's all very cool.
Leipzig is good because it creates many ways to relax with your child. It can be a walk in the park or a river rafting trip, crazy amusement rides or axe throwing lessons, a pompous tour of the exhibits in a museum or a race against the clock (also in a museum).
And all in all, Leipzig can be one big attraction for children. This is true even if you go to the opera: the opera house here, one of the oldest in Europe, gives special performances for younger audiences.
Equally enjoyable is a holiday with an infant. Plenty of parks and public areas allow you to change and feed your little one. These are all generalities, but for more information on Leipzig, see the following sections.
A holiday with a child in Leipzig most often takes place in summer. It's a pleasant time, and there's no need to fear that the city is flooded with holidaymakers. There are always tourists here, but they don't storm the sights like in Berlin or Munich.
Summer brings great amount of festivals, including a wide variety of concerts. This is unsurprising, given that Bach, Wagner, Schumann, Grieg and Mendelssohn worked here.
Does it seem trivial? Tailor your trip to the Wasserfest, which takes place in mid-August. You can participate in completely informal activities: for example, bet in a rubber duck race.
The Wave-Gotik-Treffen is just as much fun. The warm June weather motivates you to hit the steam by dressing up as a Victorian vampire. You can buy them immediately if you don't have the right accessories. The festival also includes concerts, performances and film screenings.
The most magical season in Leipzig comes at the end of November when the lights of the Weinachtsmarkt Christmas market come on. It has been held regularly since the 15th century and is one of the oldest fairs in Germany — only Dresden is older.
The children's route runs from the carousel and Ferris wheel to the Christmas tree and Santa's house. And on the way, you will surely stop near the counters with sweets, hot (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) drinks, Christmas decorations, and souvenirs. The fair will give you a festive mood even if you don't buy anything.
Of course, various events at the Leipzig Fair take place throughout the year. Among them are:
You can come to Leipzig with a baby at any time, but the period from May to September is usually chosen for the trip. In city parks, walking with a stroller or relaxing on a bench while the baby is sleeping is pleasant.
It is not at all necessary to tie your visit to some events. But when choosing when it is better to go to Leipzig, you must consider the nuances of the weather.
The climate of Leipzig is relatively mild, without heat and frost. Of course, there are unbearably hot days and severe colds, but in general, the summer is warm, with short rains, and in winter, the thermometers do not fall below zero.
The main feature is changeable weather. Today may be damp and cloudy, tomorrow hot and sunny. Such changes can occur within a single day, so it is best to have several layers of clothing and adapt to the vagaries of the weather.
Summer is undoubtedly the time for the best holidays in Leipzig with children. Even though it rains occasionally, much time can be devoted to walking. The average daily temperature in June-August is +22-24°С, but in fact, it fluctuates from +16-18°С to +28-30°С. Hot days are more typical for the second half of summer. At the same time, the nights are relatively calm; the thermometers drop to + 12-18 ° С.
Summer is the rainiest period in Leipzig. However, sunny or cloudy weather prevails, and there are only 4-5 cloudy and rainy days per month.
If you plan a holiday in Leipzig in September, you can enjoy warm, clear days. The average daily temperature of this month is almost +20°С, but cold snaps up to +12-15°С also occur. But there is very little rain in early autumn.
In October, the temperature drops to +10-15°C; there are more gloomy days. November is even cooler. Moreover, there is discomfort due to dampness. And the first mild frosts come only in December: in the mornings, you can see -1-2°С on thermometers.
Cloudy skies and high humidity make the winter feel pretty cold. However, on average, the temperature of the winter months stays within +3-5°C during the day and +0.1-2.5°C at night. Christmas rarely comes with snow. Instead, you can expect rain.
It gets noticeably warmer in March, and there are clearer days in April than cloudy ones. By mid-spring, the air warms up to +5-18°C. And then May comes — sometimes desperately cold, sometimes hot in summer. It finally awakens nature, saturates the earth with rain, washes the streets, and Leipzig becomes even more beautiful.
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Public transport in Leipzig is very well organized. Moreover, local authorities encourage citizens to travel not by cars but by buses, trams or city trains.
At the entrances to the city are park-and-ride parking lots, the S-Bahn provides convenient communication with the suburbs, and the system of routes and schedules of municipal transport is thought out to the smallest detail.
Ticket prices start from 3 euros for a short trip. A day ticket costs approximately 8.50 euros, while one adult can bring up to 3 children free of charge. For adults, purchasing a day ticket for 2-5 persons is advantageous, and then the fare for each is significantly lower. Pre-school children can use Leipzig transport for free, and tickets for children 6-14 years old cost min. 1.30 euros for a short trip.
Free public transport and museum visits free of charge or at a discount are the benefits of the Leipzig Card. Its price starts from 13 euros. The same opportunities, but already within the region, are opened by the Leipzig Regio Card — its cost starts from 20 euros.
There are still taxi services in Leipzig, where the car must be called by phone. For each kilometre, you need to pay about 2.50 euros; on average, the same amount is charged for calling a taxi. Carsharing is also developing, and its application is quite convenient.
The bicycle rental system is also very well established, and many bike paths exist for getting around Leipzig. However, rental shops tend to close earlier on Saturday and are closed on Sunday.
The cuisine of Saxony is various, and the culinary traditions of Leipzig stand apart in it. That is evident even in the names of some dishes. For example, mixed vegetable and seafood dish is called Leipziger Allerlei, Leipzig stuff. Meat or crayfish is a modern addition because allerlei was initially prepared from vegetables that could be obtained in times of famine.
Not without potatoes, either. We recommend trying potato soup with herbs and sausages, potato dumplings — a side dish and simply a symbol of local cuisine, and potato and cottage cheese pancakes — no longer the main dish but not yet a dessert.
But if you are looking for real desserts, then let it be Leipziger Lerche or Leipziger Räbchen. The first, also known as the "Leipzig lark", is a cake with almonds and marmalade, the second is a donut with prunes and marzipan inside.
And the word Leipziger is also found in the name of alcoholic beverages: you should try kummel (caraway and cumin) and herbal liqueurs. But the excellent Leipzig beer is called Gose (top-fermented, soured via lactic fermentation and slightly salty). You can say a special toast: "Goseanna!"
You're sure to have experience walking around town with your child. On the way to the playground or to the museum, you can run around the square, look at the fountain, count the steps of an old building, and puzzle out the symbols on the walls of the churches. In Leipzig, it all works the same way, and the playgrounds are capable of dazzling the imagination.
Meanwhile, travellers arriving in Leipzig in the morning, when they cannot yet check at a hotel, often begin not with a stroll through the centre but with a trip to the zoo. It is located next to the train station, in a spacious green area, and it is sure to be fun for children. Conditions are similar to the animal's natural habitats, which is why the zoo often sees the arrival of young animals. There is also a large aquarium and a tropical garden.
There are also two playgrounds here. As often in Germany, they lack typical details: fantasy figures that serve as houses, climbing walls, and slides. A favourite place for children is, of course, a playground with water.
Why don't they go straight to the centre with a child in Leipzig? Because there is no centre — if we mean by it a set of old buildings around the main square — and no. True, there is the gingerbread Old Town Hall, which now houses a museum, and the Market Square. Old houses here are interspersed with new buildings, but they look harmonious.
The New Town Hall is also a 10-minute walk from the old one. It is darker and more severe but has an observation tower 115 meters high, from where you can see a somewhat intricate network of central streets.
And from there, within easy reach of vast green areas — Johanna Park and Clara Zetkin Park. They have playgrounds, conditions for outdoor activities, cafes, benches, and lawns where you can have a picnic. A river flows through Clara Zetkin Park, on which many Water Festival events occur.
You can also have fun with the kids looking for Leipzig's monuments and fountains. We will indicate the location of one of them: the Goethe monument should be looked for behind the Old Town Hall. Go around it to read on the back: "Student of Leipzig, 1765-68." During your walks, you will come across an traditional monument to Bach and an unexpected one to Beethoven, a statue of Faust and Mephistopheles, a girl with a yoke, sea monsters with horse heads, a somewhat frightening Jahrhundertschritt and a restored advertising neon sign from the GDR.
We also recommend adding the city lake Auensee to the list of places for a walk, next to which the children's railway passes. It is open from April to October, and it is enjoyable to ride through the park in open trailers and then go to the lake shore and have a picnic.
On warm days, you want to complement your family vacation with a trip to an amusement park. Leipzig's Belantis Park is a green area with 60 rides. There is everything to captivate visitors: entertainment, animated shows, playgrounds, shops and restaurants. The scenery and performances play on different themes. You can turn into knights, then into Indians, follow in the footsteps of Odysseus and go to the pharaoh's pyramid.
The Huracan roller coaster is the coolest in Germany. And for children, a smaller version of them called Huracanito was created.
In autumn, the park is not open every day, and in winter, it opens only during the Christmas and New Year periods.
In cold weather, indoor entertainment centres for children will come in handy. Fidgets can roam in the Kindearena and the Jump House trampoline complex. A calm and educational holiday is organized in the HABA digital workshop, where they learn how to design robots, create computer games and draw animated films.
If you are planning a long vacation, ideas of what to do in Leipzig with a child may be exhausted. Then visit the neighbouring towns, easily accessible by city train or regional trains.
For example, Markkleeberg has a rope park and mini-golf course built on the lakeshore. And on the lake itself, an artificial rafting park with waves and rapids has been created. Rafting on rubber boats is available for children from 12 years old.
Another rope park, Kletterwald Leipzig, is located in Naunhof. There are 11 circuits laid at different heights: some will submit to beginners, others will make even the most daring ones worry. You don’t need to worry about safety — maximum attention is paid to it in the park.
At Stormtaler Lake, adventures are of a different kind. Here they teach archery and axe throwing. There is also a lovely beach and a water amusement park.
In Groitsch, there is an 18-hole golf course, and in Bad Düben, you can learn about the new game SupaGolf, which is easy to master even for preschoolers. The most relaxing activity is a two-day rafting on the Mulde River. The path passes through picturesque places; the organizers care for safety, food and accommodation.
In many sources, ideas of what to see with children in Leipzig do not look attractive. Indeed, only some younger students want to go to the Bach or Schiller Museum. In this case, there are other options.
For example, in the Egyptian Museum, young tourists will see sarcophagi and mummies, sculptures, portraits, and jewellery created in Ancient Egypt.
The Museum of Natural History is famous for its extinct animal exhibition and extensive collection of bird eggs.
Visiting the Museum of Ethnography, part of the Grassi museums is like travelling around the world. It presents clothes and household items from different parts of the Earth.
But if you want to see the paintings of famous artists, we recommend visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig with a child. Its collection includes works by Jan van Eyck, Fra Angelico, Tintoretto, and Raphael.
Children under 17 can visit many of Leipzig's museums for free.
An unusual place in Leipzig is the Panometer. This round building, which served as a reservoir for gas, has been turned into an exhibition centre for Yadegir Azizi's panoramic photographs. The panels are enormous; the demonstration is accompanied by music and lighting effects: it seems you are standing over Ancient Rome or at the foot of Everest.
And here is another tip on what to see in Leipzig. The N'Ostalgie Museum is an illustration of nostalgia for East Germany. The usual everyday things are exhibited here: furniture, household appliances, toys, cars — everything about life in the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
If the institution is called a "children's museum", it promises many exciting things. Unikatum is genuinely childish. Here the children are invited to play, explore, and fantasize. How does food get into stores and then onto plates? How to roll a stone up a mountain? How to connect the past with the future? Children ask different questions and find answers to them.
The Inspirata Museum will be on the list of exciting places for children in Leipzig. It is also a space for whys, but they mainly explore the laws of physics here. Most of the visitors usually gather in the hall with optical illusions.
The Leipzig City Museum invites young tourists to the Kinder Machen Messe exhibition. It is a great way to immerse yourself in the history of trading because the market's atmosphere is reproduced here, and the children become direct participants in the bargaining process.
You can also visit the School Museum. Its theme is to illustrate how schools in Germany have changed during the 20th century. The exhibition "School under the Swastika" makes a strong impression.
In Germany, getting acquainted with history while visiting castles is more attractive than wandering through historical museums. There are many of them preserved in Saxony: elegant as a picture, lying in ruins, serving as filming locations, turned into museums. Here are a few options for showing your child on holiday in Leipzig.
The list is by no means complete, there are more than three dozen castles in Saxony, and all of them are good in their way. Many places host historical festivals during the summer, but winter trips can be just as impressive.
One of the options for outdoor activities in Leipzig with children is geotourism. It is, firstly, an excursion to prehistoric times, when volcanic eruptions shaped the local landscape. Secondly, this is the history of the extraction of brown coal, kaolin, and porphyry and the influence of mineral deposits on the region's life.
Several geoportals have been opened around Leipzig. These walking routes lead to old quarries and small museums exhibiting trolleys and masons' tools. Some are located near famous castles — for example, a geoportal is near the Rochlitz castle.
Where to stay in Leipzig — in a hotel or apartment? Where it is better with children depends only on your preferences. The city has enough housing options for every taste and budget, and a convenient urban transport scheme allows you not to become attached to the central area.
If you are planning a short vacation, staying closer to the centre is better. The preferred area to stay in Leipzig with children is the Centrum-Ost, where the main attractions and the train station are located. Other suitable areas in Leipzig are Centrum-Süd and Centrum-Nord.
There are many hotels of international chains in the city, primarily four-star hotels with a good level of service. Meanwhile, three-star hotels will also please with the quality of service.
You may notice that some hotels in Leipzig are marked with the sign "Family-friendly holidays in Saxony". It is a regional certification, and the mark is given to those places of rest where attention is paid to the comfort of young guests, their leisure and baby food.
For an independent holiday in Leipzig with children, apartments can be convenient. They can cook the usual food or eat in restaurants. Apartments are often larger than hotel rooms.
To avoid limiting your time when travelling around Leipzig, rent an apartment or a room in neighbouring towns. The choice of hotels near Leipzig is small, but guest houses or small apartments are noticeably cheaper than in Leipzig.
Leipzig-Halle International Airport, located 18 km from Leipzig, receives regular and charter flights from Spain, Greece, Austria, Turkey, and other countries. It also links Leipzig with other cities in Germany. After arrival, the city can be reached by train, taxi or rented car. The flight schedule is available on the airport website.
It is also an excellent option to fly to Dresden, which has a much larger airport, and then take the train.
The central railway station is located in the city centre. Deutsche Bahn trains and regional trains of the Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn operator come here, connecting the cities of Central Germany. How to get to Leipzig from other cities can be found on the websites of various carriers, for example, https://www.bahn.de/.
The bus station is adjacent to the railway station. Most international carriers offer routes to Leipzig, and you can book tickets on their websites.
A reasonably convenient way to get to Leipzig is to rent a car. To the north, the A14 bypasses the city and runs through the airport towards Magdeburg. In the south lies the A38, which cuts through central Germany from west to east. The A9 leads in the direction of Potsdam and Berlin.
Leipzig's official website has a parking map, including where to park in the centre.
Leipzig is considered an eco-zone, and you need to buy a sticker confirming the safety of your vehicle to enter. The same sticker also comes in handy when travelling around Germany because there are eco-zones in almost all federal states.
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