Self-Guided Walks Around Leipzig

October 31, 2026

Self-guided walks around Leipzig

The historic centre sits inside the Promenadenring and is compact enough to walk. These routes link the main sights, and each one can be done on its own.

Notenspur, the Music Trail

The Notenspur follows the city’s musical history. It links the Thomaskirche, the Bach-Museum, the Mendelssohn and Schumann houses and the Gewandhaus. Start at Thomaskirchhof, where the Bach-Museum is at number 15/16 and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. The museum is closed on Mondays. An adult ticket costs EUR 14, a reduced ticket EUR 9, and under-18s go free. Entry is also free on the first Tuesday of the month. See leipzig.travel .

The 1989 Peaceful Revolution route

This route is a quiet one. It connects the Nikolaikirche, the Museum in der Runden Ecke and Augustusplatz, the places tied to the autumn 1989 protests that helped bring about the end of the GDR. The Runde Ecke at Dittrichring 24 is a memorial and documentation centre in the former Stasi district office. Its walk “Auf den Spuren der Friedlichen Revolution” costs EUR 7.50, or EUR 6 reduced. Check the museum’s hours first, since a notice gives temporary hours that differ from the listed ones: runde-ecke-leipzig.de . The Zeitgeschichtliches Forum at Grimmaische Straße 6 is free and makes a good indoor stop. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00: hdg.de .

On Mondays at 17:00 the Nikolaikirche holds its peace prayer, so keep the route quiet around the church at that time.

The passages

Leipzig’s trade-fair heritage left a network of covered courtyards. Walk the Mädlerpassage, Specks Hof and the other Messehöfe around the Markt. Auerbachs Keller sits in the Mädlerpassage at Grimmaische Straße 2 to 4.

For a guided version, compare Leipzig walking tours on GetYourGuide .

Plagwitz and the Spinnerei

The Spinnerei at Spinnereistraße 7 has fourteen galleries, open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 18:00, with free entry. Walk along Karl-Heine-Straße to reach the Karl-Heine-Kanal. Alternatively, ride the S1 to S-Bahnhof Plagwitz, about 5 minutes on foot from the galleries. See spinnerei.de .

Timing your walks

Several stops close on Mondays, including the Bach-Museum and the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum, so a Monday suits the passages and the Music Trail streets better than museum visits. The Nikolaikirche opens to visitors at 11:00 on weekdays and closes during services and events. The Spinnerei galleries are open Tuesday to Saturday only.

Transport for tired legs

Zone 110 day tickets cost EUR 9.90 and are valid from 09:00 until 04:00 the next day. Validate paper tickets on boarding. The City Tunnel stops at the Markt and at Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz.