Leipzig City Sightseeing Bus Tour

Leipzig old town and the Market Square

The heart of any Leipzig sightseeing tour is the old town, where the Renaissance Old Town Hall stands at the edge of the market square. Leipzig has been a trade-fair city for more than eight hundred years, and the arcades, passages and courtyards around the square still carry that history. The bus passes the main streets, so you get a clear picture of how the centre is laid out before you decide where to get off and explore.

If you are looking for the best way to see Leipzig in one day, start here: the commentary links each building with the fair, the merchants and the university, and you can plan your own walk through the arcades afterwards. Remember that entrance fees to museums and buildings are not included in the pass.

Thomaskirche, Nikolaikirche and Bach's Leipzig

Johann Sebastian Bach worked in Leipzig for almost three decades as cantor of the Thomaskirche, and his grave lies in this church. The Thomanerchor, the boys' choir he once led, still sings here, and the Bach Museum stands across the street. A short distance away is the Nikolaikirche, whose Monday prayers in autumn 1989 grew into the peaceful demonstrations that helped end the East German state.

Many visitors search for Thomaskirche visiting hours or concert times, which change with the season and with services, so check them before you plan a stop. From the bus you see both churches and hear their story in a few minutes, which makes it easy to choose which one deserves a longer visit.

Augustusplatz, the university and the Gewandhaus

Augustusplatz is Leipzig's largest square, framed by the Gewandhaus concert hall, the opera house and the university tower. The Gewandhaus Orchestra is among the oldest civic orchestras in the world, and the university, founded in 1409, is one of the oldest in Germany. The square also marks the edge of the ring road that follows the line of the old city walls.

On a bus tour, this stretch gives you the modern face of the city next to the historic centre: glass, concrete and fountains beside Renaissance gables. It is also a good place to step off if you want to continue on foot to the shops and cafes of the old town.

The Battle of the Nations Monument and the station

On the southern side of the city stands the Völkerschlachtdenkmal, a vast stone monument completed in 1913 to remember the 1813 battle against Napoleon's army. Inside there is a crypt and an observation platform, and on a clear day the view reaches far beyond the city. Is the Battle of the Nations Monument worth visiting? Most travellers say yes, because it is so unlike anything else in the city.

The route also passes the Hauptbahnhof, one of the largest railway terminal stations in Europe, with its long stone facade and arched halls. The guide explains how the station and the monument reflect two proud chapters in Leipzig's past, the age of railways and the age of national memory.