Leipzig Hidden Gems: 11 Real Insider Tips

At the Feinkost

The Feinkostgenossenschaft in the Südvorstadt neighborhood on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße — affectionately known as the Karli — doesn’t deal in truffles, caviar, or anything like that. It’s the former headquarters of VEB Feinkost Leipzig and today a seriously cool cultural center.

During the warm summer months, you’ll find a beer garden, an open-air cinema, outdoor theater, and regular flea markets at the Feinkost.

Okay, the Feinkost in Leipzig isn’t really a secret anymore. But did you know you can make the “Löffelfamilie” neon sign light up by sending a text message — and donate 3 euros toward its preservation while you’re at it? How cool is that?

Ever since the children’s bookstore Serifee received the German Bookstore Prize as an “outstanding cultural venue” in 2020, it’s definitely no longer off the beaten path. But you absolutely have to check it out if you love books, coffee, good conversation, and charmingly alternative courtyards!

My tip: In the area you’ll find one of those iconic photo booths that snaps a lovely black-and-white souvenir from Leipzig’s Karli for just 2 euros.

Café Dankbar in the Waldstraßenviertel

In the well-kept Waldstraßenviertel neighborhood, the former butcher shop looks on the outside just the same as it did a few decades ago. The Art Nouveau tiles on the façade — complete with the FLEISCHEREI lettering — as well as those on the interior walls have all been preserved. Much of it is a wonderful nod to times gone by.

The counter, tables, and chairs, however, are new and belong to Café Dankbar. Seriously tasty, incredibly friendly, and so creative! Sitting outside isn’t quite as nice since it’s on a busy street, but the interior is so lovely that you’ll probably prefer sitting inside anyway.

In the small room at the back of the café, it’s worth looking up — you can try to take a selfie in the mirror on the ceiling.

At Café Dankbar you can also eat lunch and dinner. Especially popular and booked up fast is the monthly four-course dinner menu.

Venice Vibes on the White Elster

In the west of Leipzig, you’ll keep coming across water. The White Elster and the Pleiße flow through here, along with several man-made canals. On the water you’ll find excursion boats, paddleboats, pedal boats, canoes, kayaks, and — yes — Venetian gondolas.

That’s right: an Italian restaurant owner imported three gondolas from Venice in 1999 and trained gondoliers. Today you can book a private one-hour gondola ride for five people at the Da Vito Ristorante in Plagwitz for 85 euros and explore “Little Venice” from the water.

Of course it’s not the same as a gondola ride in Venice, but it’s still pretty cool.

If you’d rather go on a canoe tour through Leipzig, check out this tour:

Leipzig: 3-Hour Canoe Tour Through the City

Eisenbahnstraße

Eisenbahnstraße doesn’t have the best reputation and has frequently been the subject of sensationalist TV documentaries. Few tourists tend to wander here.

What makes it special, though, is the genuinely interesting architecture on one hand, and on the other, the chance to eat manakish loaded with thyme and a wide selection of baklava.

Lines sometimes form outside Bistro Syrien on Eisenbahnstraße. The manakish are my top culinary pick for Leipzig’s secret spots, and if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a piping-hot falafel straight from the enormous pan that practically spills out onto the sidewalk from the shop.

Kunstkraftwerk

If you want to experience world literature like “Alice in Wonderland” and “Invisible Cities” or great art like that of Vincent van Gogh in a stunning 360° video installation, you have to visit the Kunstkraftwerk in Lindenau.

The vast hall of the former heating plant exudes industrial charm and pulls you into a completely different world through moving images on the walls and floor.

The shows change from time to time, so there’s always something new to discover on every visit to Leipzig.

The Kunstkraftwerk is located very close to Leipzig-Plagwitz station.

Villa Hasenholz

Villa Hasenholz is a beer garden, event venue, guesthouse, breakfast café, and small animal zoo all in one. Idyllically set amid greenery in Leutzsch, northwest of the city center — it’s the perfect place to unwind. Kick back in a hammock in the garden and let your worries drift away.

A breakfast buffet is served every Sunday, and during the summer season, Villa Hasenholz offers cake, waffles, and ice cream on weekends.

My tip: Be sure to check the Villa Hasenholz website beforehand to make sure the kitchen is open on the day you plan to visit and that no private event is being held there.

Whitewater Rafting in the Leipzig Lake District

Since the 1990s, more and more lakes have been forming on reclaimed open-pit coal mining land. This has turned the Leipzig Lake District into a real recreational paradise. Water sports enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies will find, for example, a wide range of water sports activities at Markkleeberger See.

Admittedly, Markkleeberger See is no secret spot. But did you know you can also let loose there with some whitewater rafting?

The Kanupark Markkleeberg was originally built for Leipzig’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The Olympics never came to Leipzig, as we all know, but the result was one of the most modern whitewater facilities in Europe. Future Olympic canoeists even train here.

Across various courses, you can try your hand at whitewater rafting or hydrospeed even as a beginner. Sounds exciting, right?

My insider tip: If you prefer things a little more peaceful, I recommend the lake at the former quarry in Beucha. A red-and-white mountain church perches almost picturesquely right on the shore before the ground drops steeply down to the water.

For families with young children, this lake is less ideal. You can reach the water on the east side of the lake via steps — or take a bold leap into the crystal-clear water.

Wackelturm in Leipzig's Auwald Forest

If you’re afraid of heights, this tower can make you feel pretty queasy just looking at it. It’s really nothing more than an outdoor staircase.

The Wackelturm stands in the Rosental area of Leipzig’s Auwald forest, which stretches across several neighborhoods of Leipzig.

A climb up the Wackelturm pairs perfectly with a visit to the northern part of Leipzig.

Once you reach the top, you can enjoy a magnificent view over the treetops and spot Leipzig’s skyline on the horizon.

For those who aren’t totally comfortable with heights, the expansive grounds of Leipzig’s Auwald forest are still a wonderful place to be. A walk through the Auwald lets you take a deep breath before diving back into the hustle and bustle of the city.

Browsing Flea Markets

With a bit of luck, a flea market will be happening somewhere in Leipzig during your visit. Not unlikely at all, since there are quite a few of them in the city.

The WESTWERK on Karl-Heine-Straße in Plagwitz, not far from the Karl-Heine-Kanal, has a storied history. Some of the walls on the grounds are well over 100 years old. Today you’ll find studios, small workshops, and a large supermarket here.

The Westfach, with its selection of vinyl records and all kinds of lovely items “Made in Leipzig,” is not to be missed. Twice a month the grounds also host the Kiezflohmarkt Plagwitz.

And once a month, flea market lovers rejoice at the Feinkost. Most of the stalls at the Feinkost flea market on the Karli in Südvorstadt are covered, so you can browse rain or shine.

For a somewhat different kind of market, head to the Täubchenthal grounds in Plagwitz: the design and street food market The Market. There, industrial culture meets design, vintage, art, and culinary delights.

A Tour for Coffee Lovers

There are many ways to explore a city. One of them is combining your stroll through town with something you already love doing. For me, that’s drinking coffee and eating cake.

Specialty coffee culture has absolutely made its way to Leipzig — you’ll find plenty of lovingly designed coffee bars, coffee roasters, pâtisseries, and good old-fashioned cafés.

Following the sun, we recommend this route from east through south and west all the way to the north:

• Franz Morish
• Espresso Zack Zack
• Café Maître und Pâtisserie
• roots. Pflanzencafé
• OBENAUF Kaffeemanufaktur
• Mono Loco Kaffeebar
• Dankbar Kaffee
• Hart & Herzlich Pâtisserie unplugged
• Jeepney Café

Industrial Charm and Abandoned Places

Leipzig has a remarkably high concentration of abandoned places — and you often spot them just driving past on the street. Many buildings show their age. They haven’t been restored (yet) and are often fenced off from curious visitors. The original red brick walls can sometimes barely be made out beneath layers and layers of graffiti.

Abandoned places are popular photography subjects, and Leipzig will put quite a few of them in front of your lens. We obviously can’t recommend the fenced-off ones here. But even the view from outside is often worth it, and you can get some really interesting shots.

For example, of the Karl Krause factory in Leipzig’s Anger-Crottendorf neighborhood, where bookbinding machines were produced until the 1990s.

Your best bet is to book an official photo tour — including, for instance, for the old public swimming pool in Leipzig-Zentrum-Nord.

But several fully public places have also managed to preserve their charm: the Baumwollspinnerei, the Tapetenwerk, and the Kunstkraftwerk in Lindenau, or the WESTWERK and the Täubchenthal in Plagwitz.