Unfortunately, the pandemic still has Germany and the world firmly in its grip.
And my hometown Leipzig is in lockdown.
So: stores are closed, streets are empty and no tourists at all.
Here you are only allowed to go 15 kilometers away from your home.
So let's see what you can discover within this radius.
Of course, maintaining the distance, sticking to the outdoors and
wearing a face mask, when necessary!
And as you can see — just a second — I’m always prepared.
This is exhausting!
Tadaa, der "Wackelturm", that means Wobble Tower.
Maybe you can see it... ... yeah, it’s wobbling.
That means Wobble Tower, der "Wackelturm".
That makes me a little nervous.
But from up here you have a perfect view over the city.
That’s my hometown… That’s Leipzig.
Now let's go to the city center!
In Leipzig, many things are within walking distance, that's what I love about the city!
It's also possible to go by bike or by train, of course.
But today I prefer to take the car, so as not to get too close to anyone.
More than 600,000 people live in Leipzig,
but you won't see many of them on the streets at the moment.
The center is very compact and mainly a pedestrian zone.
Many signs in the city center show you that wearing a face mask is mandatory.
The heart of the city is the marketplace.
Usually there's a lot going on here.
And right now it's almost empty — kind of… kind of depressing.
Weekly markets, the Christmas market and other events are usually held here.
The Old Town Hall from the 16th century!
Today it's home to the City History Museum.
But that is closed at the moment, of course.
What’s interesting is that the facade of the Old Town Hall is supposed to have a kink.
To be honest I've never looked for it, let’s see if we find it.
Ah, yeah, all right here.
Can you see it?
Behind the Old Town Hall is the so-called "Naschmarkt"
with the baroque Old Stock Exchange and the Goethe Monument.
In the past, fruit was sold here.
It was regarded as a sweet treat —
something to "naschen" — as we say in German.
Hence the name — "Naschmarkt".
Just across the street: the "Mädlerpassage".
Leipzig used to be an important trade fair and trading city.
And this building was also a trade fair building.
Today, there are more than 20 small stores and restaurants here.
On the upper floors there is office space.
The architecture is just beautiful, even when everything is closed — like now.
This way leads down to "Auerbach's Keller".
That’s the second oldest restaurant in Leipzig and pretty famous!
So, shame on me: I've never been inside but right now it’s closed anyway!
In the 18th century, Goethe was often a guest here during his studies.
With the scene "Auerbach's Cellar" in his play "Faust",
he brought literary fame to his student pub and to the town.
The enchanted students on one side
and on the other side there is Mephisto and Faust.
And if you're in Leipzig, feel free to stroke it here —
it's supposed to bring good luck.
In Leipzig there is not only the "Mädlerpassage",
but many other shopping arcades.
Take a look around, maybe you'll find them all!
Leipzig naturally also has a university.
Founded in 1409, it is the second oldest in Germany — after Heidelberg.
There are all the shops, and right next to it, in the city center,
is the university of Leipzig.
The modern university building is located at Augustusplatz.
This place is huge! 40,000 square meters!
This is the opera house
and across the street that’s the so called "Gewandhaus".
That’s the place where concerts are usually held.
And on the right side here is the city skyscraper.
142 meters and 34 floors high — Leipzig's tallest building.
At the top there is an observation deck,
from which you have a great view over the city and surroundings.
The people in Leipzig say, that the city skyscraper looks like an open book —
so like this… an open book.
Or maybe not, maybe it looks like a tooth?
My next stop: St. Nicholas Church. It is the oldest and largest church in Leipzig.
It also played a major role in the 1989 Peaceful Revolution.
Because this is where the Monday demonstrations started.
Take a look at the ceiling… it’s beautiful.
The Peace Column commemorates these events too.
Just a few steps away: the main train station of Leipzig.
I usually travel a lot, so I'm here a lot at Leipzig main station.
Not only because of the train rides
but also because of the huge shopping mall down there!
Here the supermarkets are even open on Sundays —
really something special in Germany,
where everything else is closed on Sundays.
And by the way: this is the largest terminus station in Europe!
Do you know him?
That's Johann Sebastian Bach, a famous composer.
He was the choirmaster at St. Thomas Church –
the church in the background.
So this is the statue — Johann Sebastian Bach and of course
that’s the church so let’s go inside.
Here is Bach’s grave.
And there is supposed to be a stained glass window with his portrait.
Ok, let's see if I can find him!
Ah...yeah… alright, that’s him.
So, the last building in the center of Leipzig I want to show you:
the New City Hall!
It's not really new anymore, built in 1905,
because the Old City Hall became too small.
It looks like a castle, don’t you think?
There are still empty houses and dilapidated industrial buildings in Leipzig...
exciting lost places! Good for Insta snapshots.
Many of the old factory buildings are now creative sites.
For example, the cotton mill.
There are studios and galleries here.
Did you know that Leipzig is considered a trendy city?
So compared to other cities in Germany it is still relatively cheap to live here.
And there is a lot of room for creativity.
So it’s perfect for young people.
I have been living here since 2013, and I don’t want to leave yet.
And now to a special Leipzig landmark, outside the center:
the Monument to the Battle of the Nations.
Pretty gigantic!
This here is the small Lukas and that’s the huge "Völkerschlachtdenkmal", 91 meters high.
Why is there such a massive monument here?
Well, in 1813 Leipzig was the scene of the Battle of the Nations.
The combined armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden fought against Napoleon
— and won!
This is another nice view of my hometown: Leipzig and that’s the city skyscraper.
Okay, let's go even further out.
Because the nice thing about Leipzig is:
there are lots of lakes for swimming here, more than 20.
The best known is the "Cossi", or Lake Cospuden.
And even though it's outside the city, it's still within a 15-kilometer radius.
And I have to say: this is the place to be in the summertime.
You have to imagine — the whole beach here packed with people.
So, if you are coming to Leipzig in the summertime I definitely recommend
swimming in Lake Cospuden, the water quality here is excellent!
Ahhhh…. Freezing cold!
In winter it's very quiet here, perfect for a relaxing walk — not bad either.