Hello Leipzig: Here’s how Monday 6 July 2026 begins

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The little giraffe calf eyes its surroundings somewhat warily at Leipzig Zoo (LZ presents the best photos in a gallery). There’s also plenty to marvel at in terms of all the construction work starting today in Leipzig – which brings with it some less pleasant road closures. At the Bach Monument, the summer concerts for all ages kick off with a Mediterranean flavour, and in Tübke’s former villa, works by his artistic heirs are on display.

Leipzig’s major summer building sites get underway

For some, the holidays are beginning; for others, the hard graft is only just getting underway. Numerous new construction sites are starting up in Leipzig. Work is set to progress most quickly in Mölkau. There, power lines are being laid on Zweinaundorfer Straße until 13 July; as a result, the carriageway heading into the city centre will be narrowed, with traffic flowing past the building site in both directions. On Antonienstraße, which is prone to traffic jams, telecommunications works will result in a reduction to one lane on weekdays between 9 am and 2 pm until 17 July, with the expected consequences.

On Muldentalstraße in Liebertwolkwitz, work on the waterworks network will result in a narrowing of the carriageway heading into the city until 17 July. Work on Nonnenstraße in Plagwitz will continue for some time. Until 27 July, no-stopping zones will be in place in sections between Erich-Zeigner-Allee and Weißenfelser Straße whilst road markings are being applied.

Viaduktweg on the Südtangente in Wiederitzsch is completely closed until 7 August due to sewer works. Torgauer Straße in Heiterblick will be closed in the direction of the city centre until 4 September due to renovation works; traffic is being diverted to the opposite carriageway in both directions.

Work will continue until autumn at the following locations: Brandiser Straße in Baalsdorf will be fully closed in sections until 11 September for road resurfacing; diversions will be in place via Sommerfelder Straße and Engelsdorfer Straße. On Riesaer Straße in Paunsdorf, there will be restrictions on the outbound carriageway until 30 September due to electricity works; pedestrians and cyclists will be diverted onto the carriageway.

Work on the district heating network will continue on Leisniger Straße and Dürrstraße in Lößnig until 16 October; Dürrstraße is fully closed, with the diversion via Bornaische Straße and Liechtensteinstraße. Fabrikstraße in Böhlitz-Ehrenberg is fully closed between Südstraße and house number 19 due to roadworks until 30 November; a diversion is signposted.

The city has published a map ONLINE showing all the nuisances that need to be dealt with, and updates it regularly.

You should give the area in front of Leipzig Central Station a wide berth. Extensive digging has been taking place there since Saturday, with lanes being narrowed or closed.

In total, eleven tram routes are also affected by diversions or shortened services. Lines 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16 are particularly affected. In some cases, replacement buses are operating, or routes are being diverted via Zoo, Westplatz, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz or Wintergartenstraße.

Leipzig’s public transport authority has published a comprehensive dossier on this project on its website.

Little giraffe soon to be ready to go out

It still looks a little sceptical at times – the little giraffe calf at Leipzig Zoo. But its curiosity about life seems to be winning out. And, looked after by its mum and the other ‘big ones’ in the herd, it is growing increasingly confident about life on long legs. It is currently still settling in at the giraffe house, which has its own open-air area just outside the door.

There is no pressure to present the little chap, born on 16 June, on the spacious African savannah just in time for the start of the summer holidays. According to the zoo, the decision on when to move him to the large enclosure depends solely on the animal’s welfare and is not tied to any deadline. However, it is expected that this week will see the as-yet-unnamed little bull finally get to meet the playful zebras, the proud antelopes, the leaping gazelles and the ever-excited guinea fowl.

As well as the delight of seeing the long-necked, big-eyed zebra, the zoo is offering a comprehensive programme during the school holidays. In the Concert Garden, during the zoo’s regular opening hours, two productions developed especially for the zoo can be seen; admission to these is included in the zoo ticket price. From 4 to 12 July, the ice dance theatre will present ‘Polares Land – A dance and musical expedition to the Earth’s polar regions’, created in collaboration with IceLab Leipzig e.V. and the independent music school Neue Musik Leipzig gGmbH.

This will be followed, from 16 July to 2 August, by the family play “Pauli sucht ein Zuhause – A play about friendship for the whole family”, produced in collaboration with the ARTEMIS Drama School in Leipzig, which tells the story of a little meerkat. And even if it rains, the Gondwanaland tropical adventure world offers an exciting adventure, featuring Komodo dragons, broad-snouted tapirs, a boat trip and constant temperatures between 26 and 28 degrees, amongst other attractions.

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World music at the feet of Johann Sebastian Bach

Following on from the major Bach Festival in June, a smaller-scale event begins today: this year’s series of ‘Concerts at the Bach Monument’ kicks off at 7 pm with an open-air concert in the Thomaskirche courtyard. For decades, this long-standing series of events has been inviting the public to free concerts during the summer months at one of Leipzig’s most famous musical venues, regularly transforming the square in front of St Thomas’ Church into a stage for artists from Germany and abroad.

The series opens with Greek soprano Maria Kostraki and her programme ‘Mosaico Mediterraneo’. Together with her ensemble, she takes the audience on a musical journey through the Mediterranean region. The repertoire ranges from Renaissance and Baroque works to traditional songs from Greece, Italy and Spain, as well as modern Greek pieces. In this way, historical art music and vibrant folk music traditions come together.

The concerts at the Bach Monument are considered an integral part of Leipzig’s cultural summer. Admission is free. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to St Thomas’ Church. The full programme for these summer concerts is available online.

Tübke’s Heirs at the Sommergalerie

Galerie Schwind is opening its summer exhibition with new works by several of the artists it represents. Works by Frank Hauptvogel, Sten Gutglück, Ana Monteiro, Sven Hoppler, Matthias Ludwig and Ulrich Hachulla are on display until 29 August. The exhibition is complemented by further works from the gallery’s programme, including pieces by Rolf Händler, Gero Künzel, Leif Borges and Willi Sitte.

The gallery is situated in the former home and studio of the painter Werner Tübke, which has been used as an exhibition venue since 2006 and now also opens Tübke’s former studio to visitors. The summer exhibition is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm. The gallery is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Werner Tübke, born in Schönebeck in 1929, lived and worked from 1977 to 2004 in the Art Nouveau villa in the immediate vicinity of the Zoologischer Garten, to which he was closely connected due to his love of lions. The painter gained international renown primarily through his monumental Peasants’ War panorama in Bad Frankenhausen.

Ulrich Hachulla, one of the artists featured, was himself a pupil of the former owner of the villa, Tübke. He passed on his knowledge to, amongst others, Matthias Ludwig, whose works are being exhibited this summer on Springerstraße.