Explore Leipzig Sustainably

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Leipzig is one of Germany’s most popular cities. A combination of culture, nature and pulsating metropolis. Sublime finds out why Leipzig should be on your list for a sustainable short trip.

Leipzig is one of Germany’s most popular and fastest-growing cities. No wonder, because rarely do you find such a combination of culture, nature and pulsating metropolis. But what makes Leipzig so worth living in? As a trade fair and cultural city rich in tradition, Leipzig has always been a place of encounters and a driver of visionary ideas.

Leipzig has the courage to break new ground and is constantly developing as a result. It remains authentic, can adapt creatively, and appears lively and inspiring. Plus, you can explore Leipzig with a small ecological footprint and great experience value. Come and find out why Leipzig should be on your list for a sustainable short trip!

City of Short Distances

Thanks to the city-centre location of Leipzig Central Station, you will find yourself right in the heart of the city when you arrive. Flixtrain is not only an economical option but also environmentally friendly thanks to the use of 100% green electricity on the Leipzig–Berlin–Hamburg route. With Deutsche Bahn, it takes just one hour by ICE from Berlin or three hours from Hamburg. Once arrived, you can easily discover the city on foot, by bike or by public transport.

Leipzig is a city of short distances and is ideal for exploring by bike. This is due not only to the compact city structure and low gradients, but also to the numerous green routes open to cycling. In the inner-city area, it is the fastest means of transport for shorter distances and also makes a significant contribution to climate protection in Leipzig.

The proportion of cyclists in Leipzig is to be increased in the future. To achieve this, work is continuously being done on road safety and the attractiveness of cycle paths and services related to cycling. One third of the city consists of parks, green spaces and floodplain forest

The sun rises over the city center of Leipzig.

You can easily reach Leipzig’s sights and city districts via a cycle path through the green. Or are you more drawn to the water? With the Pleiße, Parthe and Weiße Elster rivers running through it, Leipzig is a wonderful place to explore from the cycle paths along the water. If you don’t want to bring your own bike, you can rent one anywhere in the city.

If the distances are somewhat longer, car-sharing services such as teilauto or cityflitzer (including e-cars) add to the sustainable mobility offer. History and future come together in a very special way of moving through the city: Those who don’t want to explore green Leipzig on foot have the opportunity to do so at full speed thanks to the historic and innovative e-carriages.

Leipzig New Lakeland Area

Leipzig is famous for its rich musical tradition. Almost everyone has heard of the Gewandhausorchester, the Oper Leipzig and the famous Thomanerchor. But what will surely surprise you is that Leipzig is also known for its many waterways and its beautiful lakes at the gates of the city. Fun fact: Leipzig is nicknamed “Little Venice”, as it has actually more bridges than the famous canal city!

If you want to experience the city as a local, you should take the paddle in your own hands and discover the city in a whole new way! Five water walking routes offer the opportunity to be your own captain. If you want to learn more about the water city of Leipzig, a guided tour on and around the water is ideal.

In the west of Leipzig you can cycle along the Karl Heine Canal.

Together with an experienced guide, you can explore Leipzig’s waterways and take turns with paddle and pedal. You can even make your way from the city centre to Lake Cospuden, one of the most popular leisure spots among the residents of Leipzig. The canoe tour on Course 1 leads from Leipzig city centre through the idyllic Auwald (floodplain forest) to the water sports paradise of the New Lakeland Area

Lake Cospuden, also known as the “bathtub of Leipzig” and located about 10 km south of Leipzig‘s city centre, is one of over 20 lakes around Leipzig that developed and are still developing from former opencast mines.

The historical transformation of Lake Cospuden from lignite mining to a lively leisure oasis is exemplary for the sustainable development of the region.

The Zöbigker harbour is a popular meeting place for young and old and offers water sports facilities, restaurants and passenger boat trips as well as bicycle and boat rental.

On the north shore, Saxony’s longest sandy beach invites you to swim and play volleyball. The canoe park on Lake Markkleeberg offers even more action: plunge into the floods in a rubber dinghy during white-water rafting or try your hand at bodyboarding.

Culinary delights in Leipzig

Do you love vegan food, value organically grown ingredients and attach importance to regional products? Then you have made the right choice in coming to Leipzig! You can expect a wide range of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, cafés and snack bars.

In Roots Plantcafé, you can try pink coffee with beetroot.

Whether you are looking for gourmet cooking, delicacies from all over the world or a quick takeaway, Leipzig is well-established as a paradise for tasty food without meat. For anyone not wishing to go without meat, many menus across the city offer fish, meat and dairy products from animal-friendly organic farms in the region around Leipzig. You can also buy local products at Leipzig’s various markets.

The city’s numerous organic markets and farm shops make ecological shopping a breeze. If you’ve had enough of excessive plastic waste when shopping, you can get your drugstore products and groceries packaging-free and environmentally conscious. This not only fills your empty shelves, but also reduces your ecological footprint at the same time.

Sustainable Shopping delights

The Leipzig-based initiative Fair Fashion Lab actively campaigns for a change in awareness in the fashion industry. Numerous sustainable fashion labels and alternative second-hand shops across the city offer climate-friendly shoppers the opportunity to enjoy browsing with a clear conscience away from mainstream fashion chains. For example, you can find truly unique items at handicraft suppliers who produce their products with great attention to detail.

So grab your shopping bags and browse to your heart’s content! A detour away from the central shopping streets in Leipzig is also worthwhile. Anyone who’s into unique or second-hand items will love the many flea markets Karl-Liebknecht-Straße or the Karl-Heine-Straße, where you will surely find some unique vintage pieces.

Green Conventions

As a trade fair and congress city, Leipzig also stands for sustainability and resource conservation. In 2009, Leipziger Messe became the first German trade fair company to be certified in accordance with the internationally recognised Green Globe standard for the environment and sustainability, and has since successfully undergone the annual sustainability audit.

For Green Globe certification, 300 criteria on social, ecological and economic aspects of the sustainability principle are considered. In this way, the Leipziger Messe guarantees its exhibitors, visitors and partners sustainable standards and consistent conservation of resources at its locations on the exhibition grounds, the Congress Center Leipzig and the Congress Hall at the Zoo Leipzig. The event venues are also excellently connected to the public transport network; the trams and e-buses of Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe run on 100% green electricity.

More information about a sustainable stay in Leipzig, tips for individual and eco-friendly activities in the Leipzig region can be found here: www.leipzig.travel/sustainable

Discover Leipzig in a more sustainable way watch the video

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