Leipzig Leisure

If you are travelling to Leipzig in pursuit of an active holiday, you will not be disappointed. There is a wide variety of recreational activities on offer, ranging from hiking to fishing.

Hiking

Over one third of the city's terrain is made up of gardens, areas of greenery, woodlands, parks and sports grounds. These areas are perfect for hiking or just simply enjoying a leisurely stroll. The Auenwald flood-plain forest dissects the city and it is possible to cycle, hike or even ride horseback through it. Guided tours are available, which allow you to take full advantage of all of the flora and fauna. In the southern part of this flood-plain forest, you will find the Game Park. Here, you will be able to see many European forest animals, living in large enclosures.

Leipzig boasts many popular parks including Clara Zetkin Park and Rosental Park. Throughout the summer, the parks are full of people who flock to enjoy the ponds, lawns, playgrounds, open-air cafés and beer gardens. Open-air stages in the city’s parks host many different events which are fun for all of the family. Leipzig also boasts an impressive Botanical Garden which houses a butterfly enclosure with about 200 different species.

Fishing and boating

The numerous rivers, canals, ponds and lakes of Leipzig are very popular with anglers and those who want to enjoy a boat trip. On the Karl Heine Canal, it is possible to take a boat trip through the brick architecture of the former industrial centre, Plagwitz.

Leipzig has a long tradition of success in sporting competitions. Its two leading soccer clubs are FC Sachsen Leipzig and FC Lokomotive Leipzig, which play most Saturdays throughout the soccer season. Every year, several national and international sports competitions attract many spectators from across the world. These include athletics meetings, fencing championships and the freestyle wrestling German Grand Prix.

Football World Cup 2006

In 2006, the city was given another sporting boost. Leipzig's Central Stadium was one of the venues for World Cup matches, with thousands of people venturing into the city for the games.