Halle

Halle is the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany with a population of 233,700. Located on the river Saale, it is often referred to as Halle an der Saale, or Halle (Saale) for short, to distinguish it from other municipalities in Germany sharing the same name.

For other places with the same name, see Halle (disambiguation).

Halle has always been an important industrial centre - its industrial heritage spans salt mining, chemical industries and chocolate confectionery. Internationally, Halle is perhaps best known as the birthplace of the Baroque composer Georg Friedrich Händel, who later went on to a successful career in London.

Understand

Halle owes its existence to brine springs: salt has been produced in the region since the Bronze Age. The name Halle probably stems from the boiling "hall" of the salt works. The oldest document mentioning "Halla" dates from 806 AD. From the 10th to 17th century, Halle belonged to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, temporarily serving as the second residence of the Prince-Archbishop, who was both religious leader and political ruler of the territory. An important trade centre, Halle was a member of the Hanseatic League during the late Middle Ages. After the Protestant Reformation, the Archbishopric became the secular Duchy of Magdeburg before being merged into the Kingdom of Prussia.

Baroque composer George Frideric Handel was born in Halle in 1685 but moved to Hamburg at age 18 and later became famous in London. With its university (founded in 1694) and August Hermann Francke's Foundations (since 1698), Halle was an educational centre during the Age of Enlightenment. Thanks to its university, the picturesque landscape of the Saale valley and ruined castles in the surroundings, Halle was a place-to-go for Romantic poets of the early 19th century, namely Joseph von Eichendorff who studied in Halle and composed numerous poems during his rambles. The composer Johann Friedrich Reichardt's garden near Giebichenstein castle was considered the "shelter of Romanticism".

The city was connected to the Leipzig–Magdeburg railroad in 1840. Halle soon became an industrial centre with notable chocolate, chemical and rail vehicle construction plants. During the communist rule, an extensive new town, Halle-Neustadt (colloquially Ha-Neu, homophonous with Hanoi), was built west of the city. It was declared an independent city in 1967 and was home to more than 90,000 inhabitants, mostly workers of the chemical plants, at its peak in 1980. It was reunited with Halle proper in 1990. One of Halle's most famous sons is the politician Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927–2016) who moved to West Germany during the country's partition, becoming foreign minister and leader of the liberal FDP. Halle's chemical industries broke down after the German reunification, leading to a massive loss of jobs but also to a recovery of the terribly polluted environment. New jobs were created in the service sector, science and technology. Halle is the seat of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and many startups. While separated by a state border since 1990, Halle and Leipzig are closely integrated with one another, sharing an S-Bahn system and an airport and many commuters move between the two or from suburbs of one to the other.

Get in

By plane

Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ IATA), sometimes called Schkeuditz Airport, is 30 km away from central Halle. The airport is the second biggest airport in Eastern Germany after Berlin. Trains between the airport and Halle Central Station run roughly every 30 minutes, alternating a S-Bahn (S 5X) and an IC-train enroute to Hanover. The trip takes 11 minutes and costs €4.20 (S-Bahn) or €6 (IC). The train station is below the terminal building and can be reached by stairs, escalators and elevators.

Berlin's airport (BER IATA) is less than two hours away by train and offers more direct flights.

By train

🌍 Halle (Saale) station, Bahnhofsplatz 1, ☏ +49 180 6 996633. Is connected to the high-speed rail line Berlin–Erfurt–Frankfurt or –Munich. ICE high-speed trains from Berlin and Erfurt call approximately once an hour, from Frankfurt or Munich about once in two hours, respectively. In addition, Halle is served by hourly intercity trains on the (Cologne/Bremen)–Hannover–Leipzig(–Dresden) line; as well as several regional train lines. (updated Oct 2023)

Deutsche Bahn operates regular train service between Halle and nearby cities such as Leipzig (€7.60, 25 minutes), Lutherstadt Eisleben (€9.50, 30 minutes), Dessau (€14, 50 minutes), Magdeburg (€22, 50 minutes), Jena (€20, 60 minutes), Weimar (€20.50, 60 minutes), Lutherstadt Wittenberg (€15, 65 minutes).

High-speed trains are available to major cities in Germany including Erfurt (€40, 30 minutes), Berlin (€49, 70 minutes), Frankfurt (€88, 2:40 hours), Munich (€117, 3 hours), Hamburg (€106, 3:15 hours). Prague (€66, 4:40 hours) can be reached with an additional transfer in Dresden; or by train and bus via Leipzig (3.5 hours). Tickets may be much cheaper if booked in advance.

By bus

see long distance bus travel in Germany

By car

From Leipzig, take the A14 west to the B100.

Get around

By tram

Hallesche Verkehrs-AG (HAVAG) operates the local surface street tram. It passes most major attractions downtown and will take you to and from the main train station. Tickets are available at the office in the Marktplatz, from vending machines or from the drivers. 1-hour tickets cost €2.20 if bought from a vending machine, somewhat more if bought from the driver. Day passes cost €5.

See
  • 🌍 Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen, . Late Gothic cathedral where Luther preached. Contains Luther's death mask. Handel was baptized here. Church: Free; Luther exhibit: €2. 
  • 🌍 Händel-Haus Halle, Große Nikolaistraße 5, . The house where Georg Friedrich Händel was born, now a museum dedicated to his life and works. Displays his works, letters, and manuscripts. Adult: €5; Student: €3.50. 
  • 🌍 Burg Giebichenstein, Seebener Straße 1 (Take tram 7 or 8 to Burg Giebichenstein). Old Castle that's now been converted into an art school. Is right on the Saale river. Great views of the city. 
  • 🌍 Kunstmuseum Moritzburg, Friedemann-Bach-Platz 5 (take a tram from Marktplatz to Moritzburgring. Go left down Moritzburgring). Th-Tu 10:00-18:00. Castle which has now been converted into a great art museum. Has exhibits which include works by Klimt, Ernst, and Klee. Highlights include Lyonel Feininger's paintings of famous Halle landmarks. Adult: €7; Student: €5. 
  • 🌍 Neustadt (take tram 2). The township built by the GDR in the 1980s to house chemical plant workers. It is a poignant example of East German architecture. 
  • 🌍 Halloren Schokoladen-Museum, Delitzscher Straße 70, . The Halloren Chocolate Factory is the oldest in Germany. The origins date back to the founding of a honey cake bakery in 1804. 
  • 🌍 Beatles Museum, Alter Markt 12, . W-Su 10:00-20:00. Three floors of memorabilia owned by fan Rainer Moers. Adult: €5. 
  • 🌍 Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte (Halle), Richard-Wagner-Straße 9 (Take tram 7 towards Kröllwitz, stop Landesmuseum), . Tu-F 09:00-17:00; Sa Su holidays 10:00-18:00. The State Museum of Prehistory is the archaeological museum of Saxony-Anhalt with Nebra Sky disk and Eulau family graves as highlights. Adult: €5; children: €2.50. 
  • 🌍 Franckesche Stiftungen, Franckeplatz (Take tram 4, 7 or 9 from main station, stop Franckeplatz), ☏ +49 345 2127 450, . Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. The Francke Foundations are a unique ensemble of historical school buildings dating back to the age of enlightenment (founded 1698); the buildings today house departments of Halle University, several schools and other cultural and social institutions. Highlights are the baroque Cabinet of Artefacts and Curiosities and the Historical Library. Occasionally concerts, lectures and conferences. Adult: €6; children: free. 

Do

Festivals

Buy

Leipziger Straße is the main shopping street in downtown Halle. It branches off of the southeast corner of the Marktplatz. There you will find many retail shops and chain fast food restaurants.

Eat

Budget

Make sure you try some döner kebap. It's heavily Germanized Turkish food. Halle has some of the best döner in Germany.

  • 🌍 Ökoase, Kleine Ulrichstraße 2. Vegetarian restaurant popular among the hippie crowd. Try the Arabic tomato soup, Greek vegetable stew, or Swiss chard coconut soup. Only open for lunch on weekdays. Soups €6, mains €9-11. (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Gaststätte Zum Brotkasten, Sternstraße 8. German restaurant (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Bagel 29, Große Ulrichstraße 29. (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 MC-FT, Weidenplan 2. Bistro (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Tristan, Bornknechtstraße 2. Canteen (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Toros Döner, Mittelstraße 14. Kebab and other Turkish specialties. (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Mr. Baguettkov, Marienstraße 3. Baguettes (updated Feb 2023)

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Gasthaus "Zum Schad", Kleine Klausstraße 3 (Take tram 7, 8, 12, 6, or 3 to Reileck). German restaurant and private brewery that boasts having served Mikhail Gorbachev. (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 NT Cafe, Große Ulrichstraße 51. Artsy place affiliated with the Neues Theater (New Theatre). (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Restaurant Schnitzelwirtin, Große Märkerstraße 18. German restaurant (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Restaurant Mönchshof, Talamtstraße 6. German restaurant (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Dompfaff-Restaurant, Domplatz 5. German restaurant (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Mittelalterliche Burgschänke Zum Ritter, Sternstraße 7. Middle-age style (updated Feb 2023)
  • 🌍 Roots, Große Ulrichstraße 23 (5 minute walk north on Große Ulrichtstraße from the market square. Watch for a sign on the left side of the street and then go down a small alleyway.). Excellent modern European and German food. Plates are mostly €20 and up. (updated Feb 2023)

Splurge
  • 🌍 Restaurant Alchimistenklause, Reilstraße 47. (updated Feb 2023)

Drink

Bars and pubs

Clubs
  • 🌍 Klub Drushba, Kardinal-Albrecht-Straße 6. Indie club with good dance parties. 
  • 🌍 Objekt 5, Seebener Straße 5 (Take the 7 or 8 to Burg Giebichenstein and it's a short walk from there). Great indie club and cafe. Folk and rock music and good food. 
  • 🌍 Potemkin, Kleine Ulrichstraße 27. 
  • 🌍 Turm, Friedeman-Bach-Platz 5. Student club. Techno, house, hip-hop, drum & bass. 

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Connect

Go next
  • The Central German Lake District surrounds Halle and Leipzig.
  • Merseburg, 15 km south, more than thousand-year-old town with interesting old centre, Romanesque/Gothic cathedral and Renaissance palace (10 minutes by train, or cycle up the Saale bike trail)
  • Eisleben, 30 km west, birth place of Martin Luther (30–40 minutes by train)
  • Leipzig, 40 km east, Halle's "twin", trade city, cultural metropolis and economic "boom town" of East Germany, half an hour train ride away.
  • Naumburg, 50 km south, impressive Romanesque cathedral, home town of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, centre of the Saale-Unstrut cultural landscape and wine-growing region (30–40 minutes by train, or cycle up the Saale bike trail)
  • Dessau, 50 km northeast, centre of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, seat of the 1920s Bauhaus art school, capital of classical modern architecture (50–55 minutes by train, change in Bitterfeld or Köthen)
  • Wittenberg, 75 km northeast, important city during the late Middle Age and Renaissance, origin of Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation (just over an hour by train)
  • Magdeburg, 90 km north, state capital on the river Elbe with huge Gothic cathedral and one of Germany's most important Romanesque monasteries (50 minutes by intercity train)
  • Weimar, 90 km southwest, centre of classical culture, home of Germany's national poets Goethe and Schiller, composers Liszt and Richard Strauss, Friedrich Nietzsche, the early Bauhaus school and Buchenwald concentration camp (one hour by train)
  • Erfurt, 115 km southwest, state capital of Thuringia, medieval old city (35 minutes by ICE high-speed train)
Routes through Halle
Berlin ←  Hamburg  Munich  → Erfurt → Nuremberg
Berlin ←  Berlin  Frankfurt  → Erfurt → Frankfurt
Hanover ← Magdeburg ←  Cologne/Emden  Dresden  → Leipzig


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