Tours with a Discount
- On both Wednesdays (26th July and 2nd August) there will be (especially for us) English guided tours through Leipzig combining 1 hour of walking in the center and 1.5 hours cruising in an air-conditioned bus to more distant destinations.
Capacity: 52 people
Starting time: 26th July and 2nd August each 9:30 a.m.
Meeting Point: Thomaskirche bus stop
Reduced cost: 18 € p.P.
Please register at the Info-Desk.
2. The daily guiding tours from www.leipzig-erleben.de, which are unfortunately just available in German, can be booked with keyword “EGC2023” to get a discount. The following themes are available: Old town, Passage & courtyards, Times and Tales (Geschichten und Geschichte), Thomas Church with tower (Thomaskirche mit Turmbesteigung), Night stroll with stories from the old days (Nachtwärter).
Further informationen about the tours can be found here: Leipzig-erleben.com
You can book by phone: +49 341-7104 280 or by email: tickets@leipzig-erleben.com
Cospudener Lake
Cospudener Lake is host to water sports of all kinds. Very popular are: Stand Up Paddling, Canoeing, Windsurfing, Diving and, of course, swimming.
For those who don’t like getting wet, the sandy beach offers volleyball courts, beach soccer, Frisbee and much more. Around the lake runs a bike-friendly path, which also invites you to inline skating and rollerblading. Feel free to bring your shoes. A bowling center nearby offers opportunities for indoor activities. Even a golf course is just a few minutes walk away.
Total relaxation, on the other hand, can be found under the trees in the shade. In cafes and snack bars you can indulge yourself with drinks and ice cream.
Leipzig and surroundings
As a family-friendly diversion from the Congress, the Belantis amusement park is located in the immediate vicinity of the lake. Rides for children and adults provide you with just as much adrenaline as the thrilling games of Go.
The Leipzig Zoo is a popular destination. Founded over 140 years ago, the zoological garden is considered the best in Germany. 6 adventure worlds and 3 playgrounds are more than enough to fill many unforgettable hours.
If you prefer something smaller, you can also go to the wildlife park, only 10 minutes away from the tournament location. The floodplain forest and various parks are also excellent places to walk and relax.
In Leipzig, sights and countless cultural institutions such as the opera, the Gewandhaus, Thomas Church, many museums and the university are always worth a visit. As a big city, Leipzig also offers a lively nightlife with bars, pubs and clubs, as well as a colorful pedestrian zone with plentiful shopping opportunities.
And what else is Leipzig known for?
The University of Leipzig was founded as early as 1409. After Heidelberg, it is the second oldest university in continuous use in Germany. The integrated monastery church of St. Pauli was consecrated by Martin Luther as the university church.
More than 20 Nobel Prize winners – including Theodor Mommsen, Werner Heisenberg and Svante Pääbo (2022) – are associated with the University of Leipzig. Right beside it, the city erected the so-called “Uni-Hochhaus” (University skyscraper) in 1972. At 155 meters high, it is the tallest building in Leipzig. Affectionately called the “Uni-Riese” by the people of Leipzig, the giant symbolizes an open book (which only about one in every 100 Leipzig residents knows).
In 1813, in the last battle of the European wars of liberation, a small great Frenchman – Napoleon Bonaparte – was defeated by the combined forces of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden, who as a result withdrew from Germany.
100 years later, in 1913, still the tallest monument in Europe was erected in memory of this battle: the so-called Völkerschlachtdenkmal (Monument to the Battle of the Nations). It is still a landmark of Leipzig with its graceful and harmonious forms. After climbing exactly 500 steps to its observation deck, it gives a breathtaking view over Leipzig.
But Leipzig is much more. Johann Sebastian Bach was the Thomaskantor in Leipzig for 27 years. He directed the Thomas School and the Thomas Choir and composed many of his best-known works here, including the Coffee Cantata and the St. Matthew Passion.
Auerbachs Keller is certainly the most famous restaurant in Leipzig. Martin Luther dined here. It is the site of a very famous scene from Johann W. Goethe’s Faust. At the entrance there is a statue of Faust and Mephisto. Rubbing Faust’s shoe is said to bring good luck … Maybe we will find a long line of Go players at this place every evening.
Leipzig has also played an important role in recent history, which you can learn about in museums and exhibitions.
In 1989, for example, Leipzig was the starting point of the profound political changes in the GDR with the Monday demonstrations, from which the impetus for German reunification emanated. In recent years, the area around Leipzig has changed from an open-cast mining landscape to the so-called Neuseenlandschaft (new lakes landscape).
In short: Leipzig offers more than just Go!