Leipzig Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour 13 Stops

Leipzig Central Station and Goethestraße

The tour starts on Goethestraße, at the junction beside Leipzig Central Station, the Hauptbahnhof. Opened in 1915, it is one of the largest railway stations in Europe by floor area, with a monumental stone façade and vast arched halls that today also hold a shopping arcade. For many travellers it is the first thing they see of the city, which makes it the most practical place to begin a Leipzig city tour by bus.

From here the bus heads around the inner ring, the boulevard that follows the line of the old city walls. The ring frames the compact Old Town, so within minutes you get your bearings on how the historic centre, the parks and the newer districts fit together. If you only have one day in Leipzig, hop off later in the loop and come back to the station area at the end.

Augustusplatz: Opera, Gewandhaus and the university

Augustusplatz is one of the largest city squares in Germany and the cultural centre of Leipzig. On its north side stands the Opera house, on the south side the modern Gewandhaus, the base of one of the oldest civic orchestras in the world, and between them rise the glass-fronted university buildings and the City-Hochhaus tower, whose top floors offer a panoramic platform over the rooftops.

The square is also a symbol of modern Leipzig history: in autumn 1989 tens of thousands of citizens gathered here and on the ring during the peaceful demonstrations that helped bring down the Berlin Wall. Hop off at this stop to see the fountain and the façades up close, then cross into the pedestrian lanes of the Old Town with its arcades, passages and the Renaissance Old Town Hall on the Market Square.

New Town Hall and the Federal Administrative Court

Leipzig's New Town Hall was completed in 1905 on the site of the old Pleissenburg castle, and its tower, at about 115 metres, is one of the tallest town hall towers in Germany. The heavy stone building mixes Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles, and from the open top deck you get the best view of its tower and carved façade as the bus rolls past along the ring.

A little further on stands the Federal Administrative Court, housed in the former Imperial Court building of 1895, a palace of justice with a great central dome inspired by Italian Renaissance architecture. It is one of the most impressive buildings in the city and can be visited on certain days. Both landmarks sit close together, so this is a good stretch to hop off for photographs and a short stroll through the leafy streets nearby.

Leipzig Zoo stop

One of the 13 stops serves Leipzig Zoo, just north of the city centre and one of the oldest zoological gardens in Germany. Founded in 1878, it is known for its six themed worlds, including the giant tropical hall Gondwanaland and Pongoland, where all four species of great apes live. Many families use the hop-on hop-off bus to reach the zoo in the morning and continue the loop in the afternoon.

Keep in mind that zoo entry is not part of the bus ticket, so plan your Leipzig day accordingly and allow at least three to four hours for the animals. The bus ride itself shows you the green belt around the zoo and the nearby Rosental park, a large open meadow that is popular with locals on sunny days and a pleasant place to rest between sights.

Monument to the Battle of the Nations

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations, the Völkerschlachtdenkmal, is Leipzig's most striking landmark. Completed in 1913 for the hundredth anniversary of the battle of 1813, when allied armies defeated the French army outside the city, the granite monument rises about 91 metres above a reflecting pool. Inside, a vast crypt and a domed hall are lined with giant stone warriors, and a viewing platform at the top looks over the whole of Leipzig.

The monument stands in the south-east of the city, far enough from the centre that the bus is the easiest way to reach it. Is the Battle of the Nations Monument worth visiting? Yes, even from outside the scale is overwhelming; entry to the interior and the platform is paid separately on site. Allow about an hour to see it properly before catching the next bus back towards the centre.