A Walk on the Leipzig Music Trail (Self Guided), Leipzig

The spatial density of historic locations associated with music in Leipzig is truly mind-boggling. But then again, this is hardly surprising, given the eclectic score of musicians who had left their mark on the city in various years.

Indeed, it was in Leipzig that Johann Sebastian Bach served as an organist and choirmaster at Thomaskirche as well as a cantor at Nikolaikirche; composer Robert Schumann fell in love with and married pianist Clara Wieck; and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy worked as a director of the Gewandhaus orchestra, the oldest concert orchestra in the world, and then founded a conservatory to instruct his musical protegees.

The city was also home to Richard Wagner, Albert Lortzing, and Gustav Mahler, to mention but a few. Many of the former residences and places of work of these and other prominent musicians, now carefully-preserved, serve as museums. Among them are the Bach Museum, the Mendelssohn Haus, the Edvard Grieg Memorial, the Robert Schumann House and more. Some of the musical grands, like Bach, also found their final resting place here.

Add to this the Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall) where Bach signed an employment contract with the city, the Leipzig Opera House established since the 17th century, and the Museum of Musical Instruments boasting the largest collection of musical instruments in Germany (more than 10,000 pieces), and you, perhaps, will get an idea of the place that music holds in the heart of Leipzig.

The Leipzig Music Trail is fairly short and can be easily explored on foot, allowing visitors a unique chance to discover Leipzig's 800 years of music history on a leisurely stroll. If you wish to learn about the city's architecture, public spaces, history, and personalities – all in the context of musical tradition – take this self-guided walking tour.