A short 2 hour bus ride from Berlin, Leipzig is a fabulous day or weekend trip. I'm lucky enough to have a friend from the States who immigrated here a few years ago with his wife, who is from Germany. We spent a few days wandering around with his daughter, showing a family friendly side to Leipzig.
Kandler Candystore, Restaurant, and Cafe was the perfect place to start a Saturday. They have a kid area in the back to occupy the little ones while their parents enjoy some delicious coffee and cake.
Right across the street from Kandler is the Nikolaikirche, the historic location where citizens of the GDR organized demonstrations against the communist government in the 1980's.
Protesters used all kinds of strategies to express their disapproval of the political system they lived under at the time. This history marker tells of the "Street music festival for the freedom of art", as it was illegal at the time to perform in public without state approval. The violent crackdown of this festival likely galvanized the movement, as the people did not appreciate the arts being attacked.
Leipzig history extends farther back than the GDR, of course. Here we see a statue of Goethe in front of the historic auction house in the city center. Leipzig became a trading destination in the 1700's.
Walking out of the city center, we passed by the "New" City Hall. It dates to the 1700's, the same time as the "Old" City Hall, but the latter housed the government before the former, and nicknames can have amazing sticking power.
An interesting feature of this region of Germany is the fact that the federal judiciary is located here in Leipzig instead of the capitol of Dresden. Here seen on a beautiful autumn day next to one of the many canals dug into the city to provide water for the people.
Classic GDR apartment homes, with a playground in the bottom right. The German Democratic Republic were big believers in supporting families and an open space/playground element will almost always be seen next to residential buildings.
A water feature near the Musikpavillon Clara-Zetkin-Park, a festival celebrating international understanding and cooperation was setting up as we passed through the green space.
A Berliner and a Leipziger on a stroll along the Elsterflutbett. A few native north-westerners enjoying a German autumn day.
The Wildpark of Leipzig appears quite suddenly as your stroll through the forest and is free for all to enjoy.
Animals are given lots of room to roam, though you can't blame them for being curious about the strange creatures on the other side of the fence.
This family of boars was keeping to themselves, many piglets were seen frolicking among the leaves.
An Elk chills out in the distance while people-folk learn about these beasts.
We were lucky to come to the raccoon and mink enclosure right at feeding time. These mostly nocturnal creatures were hiding until the promise of food lured them out.
The graffiti scene in Leipzig is well represented. I couldn't help snapping a picture of Garfield, a personal favorite, saying, "Lieber Gesund und Gelb als Krank und Geld!!", which I translate as having something to do with money and sickness.
After the long walk along the river and through the woods, we took a late lunch at Cafe Pushkin.
Wonderful food and great decor. They have kid seats to make dining easier on parents.
Our tour picked up on Sunday at the Völkerschlachtdenkmal- Monument to the Battle of the Nations. A memorial to the 1813 Battle of Nations from the Napoleonic Wars.
A massive structure that my companions couldn't help comparing to "something straight out of Tolkien".
One can climb quite high without paying the entry fee and see a great view of Central Leipzig from the observation points.
We couldn't resist heading inside and were not disappointed by the elaborate carvings.
We attempted to get up close to these massive sculptures, but the navigation of the memorial can be a bit confusing, so we were only able to appreciate them from afar.
Author and friend at the top. It was a bit wet and windy during our visit.
There were a few other memorials on the walk up to the denkmal. Translation of the stone, "The voice of thy brother's blood is crying to me from the ground."
A monument celebrating the states that make up Middle Germany.
After a few long days of playing tourist, we grabbed a few drinks at a traditional German restaurant that our host frequents for lunch on many days. The author recommends the Goulash mit rotkraut, one of my favorite German dishes that will quickly fill up a tired belly.
Traces of the GDR can still be found, like this plaque that recognizes this restaurant as a meeting place for a GDR Youth Group.
Many thanks to my friend for playing tour guide and showing us his city. Here's to another adventure in Leipzig in the future!
