Marktplatz: Leipzig Travel Guide (4.6★)

A town hall that fills one whole side

The Old Town Hall takes up most of the eastern edge of the square. Its long, pale façade runs under a steep roof lined with gables, and the clock tower sits slightly off-centre. Arcades run along the ground floor, so you can walk the building’s length in shade or out of the rain.

The Altes Rathaus went up in 1556 under mayor and builder Hieronymus Lotter, famously in less than a year. Today it holds the city history museum, the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum. The inscription band under the eaves is worth reading slowly from the middle of the square.

Reading the square’s edges

Turn a slow circle from the centre and each side gives you a different century. The square was remodelled in the 2000s around the City-Tunnel works, which is why the paving looks so new against such old buildings.

• East: the Altes Rathaus and its arcades.
• North: the Alte Waage, the old weigh house, rebuilt after wartime damage.
• South: the Königshaus, with its corner oriel, where Saxon rulers stayed when visiting.
• Behind the town hall: the Naschmarkt, with the Baroque Alte Börse and a statue of the young Goethe.

Getting there without a map

You arrive underground. Leipzig Markt station is on the City-Tunnel S-Bahn line, and its exits come up right onto the square. From Leipzig Hauptbahnhof it is one stop, or about a ten-minute walk south through the pedestrianised old town.

Everything else is close by on foot. The Thomaskirche, Bach’s church, is a few minutes southwest. The Nikolaikirche, where the 1989 Monday demonstrations began, is a short walk east. The Mädler Passage and Auerbachs Keller, the cellar tavern from Goethe’s Faust, open off Grimmaische Straße on the southeast corner.

Beating the crowds on the square

This is one of the most visited spots in Leipzig, so timing matters more than anything else. It is calmest between 7am and 9am on weekdays. The light then falls flat across the town hall façade and you can photograph the arcades without people in the frame.

Try not to come on a weekend between 11am and 9pm. That is when the square is fullest, with tour groups gathering under the tower and the café terraces packed. If a weekend is all you have, come before 11am.

The square never closes, so a late evening walk is another option. The town hall is lit after dark, and the Naschmarkt behind it gets much quieter once the shops shut.

How the square works day to day

On market days, stalls set up across the paving selling vegetables, flowers, bread and sausages. Traditionally these are Tuesdays and Fridays, but check the city’s website before you plan around one. Go mid-morning for the best choice. Many stallholders prefer cash, though card readers are more common than they used to be.

A few habits will help you fit in:

• Bratwurst stands: order by pointing and saying “eine Bratwurst, bitte”. Mustard goes on at the counter.
• Café terraces: wait to be served at your table. Pay at the table too, rounding up as a tip rather than leaving coins behind.
• Trams and bikes: cyclists cut across the square fast, so check before you step back for a photo.
• The museum: current hours and admission are posted on the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum’s official site.

When the Christmas market moves in

From late November until just before Christmas, the square hosts the core of the Leipzig Christmas market. It is one of the oldest in Germany, with roots going back to 1458. Wooden huts fill the square, and a large tree stands in front of the town hall.

Here the crowd advice matters most. Weekday mornings are the only easy time to walk between the huts. Mulled wine (Glühwein) comes in a mug you pay a deposit on, and you get the deposit back when you return it. Look for Leipziger Räbchen, a fried, filled prune pastry, alongside the usual roast almonds.

For a short visit, give the square about 30 minutes. Allow two hours or more if you add the museum, the Naschmarkt and the Mädler Passage.