Discover Leipzig Coffee Culture With My Special Walking Tour

Discover Leipzig coffee culture through my self-guided walking tour packed with interesting buildings, delicious Afternoon Tea treats and unbelievable stories from the past. Even though Leipzig is not a coffee hub like Hamburg or Bremen, its consumption has been making records since the 17th century. As Germany’s only city still celebrating the tradition, Leipzig is also home to the second oldest remaining coffee house in Europe. Some of the traditional establishments and tea rooms still exist today, which I’m going to share with you.

Put your (virtual) walking shoes on and follow along!

Please Note: I’m aware it is spelled Leipzig’s coffee culture, however for SEO purposes I’m using Leipzig coffee culture as the main keyword.

Historic Overview of Leipzig Coffee Culture

With more than 300 years of coffee culture, Leipzig’s relationship with coffee is on a par with Vienna, Brno and Hamburg. It is even said that Leipzig is one of the last German cities with authentic coffee houses and actively maintains this tradition.

How did the coffee come to Leipzig? 

There’s not a direct story of how exactly coffee came to Leipzig, but it was likely introduced around 1670 by Dutch merchants. They traded with all sorts of export goods from South Yemen and sold these to Europe and East Asian colonies. 

One local story, however, gives a little insight into the very early beginnings. In 1631, a Merseburg-based merchant was sent a coffee sample from a Dutch business partner. The inexperienced merchant passed the beans on to his wife, who used chicken broth instead of water for the brew, turning the drink unsuitable for consumption. 

It is one of these incidents that brought coffee beans to Leipzig. Through trial and error, the Leipziger eventually got their heads around for an edible brew. I can’t tell you exactly who gave them the hint to use water, but once they found out how to make a proper brew, coffee became the “drink of the people” and overruled beer as the most popular drink. 

The roasting process was done the Dutch way: the beans were roasted in a pan, then crushed in a mortar or later, in a coffee grinder. Boiled water was then added. A similar roasting technique from South/East Europe and Northern Africa infuses the crushed beans with sugar and spices to enhance the drink’s flavours. 

And, as it was customary anywhere else, coffee houses were a place for the affluent and centres for intellectual and political exchange. 

Johann Lehmann defines Leipzig coffee culture history

One of the driving forces and household names in the Leipzig coffee house business was Johann Lehmann. In 1694, he was the first Leipziger to run a coffee room. The modest establishment located at Am Markt 16 was hugely successful, and Lehmann developed a reputation as “the finest” coffee trader in town. This secured him the likes of August the Strong, who visited Lehmann’s coffee room whenever he stayed in Leipzig. 

In 1716, Lehmann married the daughter of local goldsmith Adam Heinrich Schütze who also owned the Coffe Baum – another popular coffee house in the Old Town. Lehmann was an excellent choice to take over Coffe Baum because his many connections made him an influential force with the elector and city council.  

Read more in the Coffe Baum section of my tour.

Dodgy Business

By 1800, Leipzig and its surroundings counted 20 coffee houses and tea rooms. Not all had a great reputation though, and some were run as brothels with dodgy shop fronts. This was of course rather unpleasant for the city.

Unpleasant, because the unlicensed establishments meant the city council missed out on tax. Gambling, such as lucky dips and dice games, was also frowned upon. 

The authorities threatened harsh regulations and patrols, but those were rarely enforced. By 1697 the first German coffee house “house rules” were published and over the years gradually adjusted. The core of the manifesto, however, remained the same for many years: the ban on women being allowed to work in coffee houses (1716) or enter them even though some were operated and owned by women.

Random Facts About Leipzig Coffee Culture

• Leipzig had 8 privileged coffee traders; a close-knit business and hard for outsiders to break into this circle 
• “Blümchenkaffee” (flowery coffee) is an expression for very thin coffee. This is a reference to the early days, when coffee brewed with water had such a thin consistency that one could see the flowery pattern on the China’s bottom
• Leipzig is a pure merchant city, mostly known for book & fabric trading, but during the heydays of coffee, it became the second largest producer of coffee grinders after London (1650)
• Germany’s leading coffee culture historian, Ulla Heise, lives in Leipzig. Strikingly she never references or mentions the Riquet House in her work which I consulted for this post
• The coffee grinder production had its heyday in the 18th century and heavily  influenced other industries such as china-ware before Dresden & Meissen established themselves as the top spots for crockery. Delicate China was so on trend and a favourite gift  
• Saxony is sometimes referred to as the “coffee state”. There are obviously no coffee plantations here (lots of vineyards tho) but it’s an insider’s joke to Saxony’s love for coffee culture and the glorious weather during the summer months

My Leipzig Coffee House Tour

Inspired by Leipzig’s traditional coffee houses and tea rooms, I’ve planned and designed this self-guided walking tour myself. I hope you like it!

Let’s start the Leipzig coffee house crawl at the iconic train station. We’ll then head south to the Augustusplatz and follow the outer ring of the Old Town, before diving back into it via Peterstraße. The tour will then continue via the Thomaskirche, Am Markt and end in Katharinenstraße near Am Brühl.

All points of interest are a 5 to 10 minute walk away from one another.

1. Leipzig Train Station
2. Riquet Coffee House
3. Augustusplatz, Café Ferschel (lost)
4. Arko, Café Richter
5. Bachstübl
6. Café Kandler
7. Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum
8. Am Markt, Zara
9. Katharinenstraße

Leipzig Train Station

Leipzig Central Station is Europe’s biggest train station handling about 120,000 passengers a day. It’s a one-way station, which only reinforces its unique character. The iconic building opened in December 1915. It was built and gifted to the city as a reconciliation symbol between Prussia and Saxony after years of war and fights. This connection is still reflected in its structure today. The West-side represents Prussia whilst the East stands for Saxony.

A shopping mall is built into the lower floors, but the two most interesting shops for this Leipzig coffee tour are Starbucks and Ludwigs. Both have a café surrounded by an exquisite Art Nouveau ambience. In true coffee house style, the Starbucks café has a dark and moody vibe, yet exudes spaciousness. The Ludwigs bookstore also has a café section at the back of the store on its second floor. The environment is equally stunning, spacious but feels lighter and more airy. Both cafés are great places to experience and enjoy a break.

Please Note: I’m not endorsing the Starbucks chain and usually avoid supporting it. However, this Leipzig café uses a historic environment. It makes this café interesting and a great place to consume “time and space” in true coffee culture’s nature. 

Riquet Coffee House

In 1745 the French Huguenot Jean George Riquet founded the company Riquet & Co, which imported coffee, tea and chocolate. The quality was exceptional and soon developed a high-end reputation way beyond the borders of Saxony. Even Goethe became a fan and regularly requested chocolate from Riquet sent after him on his travels. 

To cover the horrendous rental costs in central Leipzig for one of their warehouses, the company introduced a tea room in 1908/09 using the merchant house in Schuhmachergäßchen. Local architect Paul Lange managed the conversion of the house and included all sorts of intricate details. To underline the exotic character of the colonial products, his design channelled Asian elements such as a delicate pagoda on the roof, colourful inscriptions on the façade and the iconic elephant heads which pay tribute to the cacao plantations in Ghana. The rest of the building’s material is grand, too, e.g. the granite for the columns inside comes from Bavaria and Sweden. Further art nouveau elements skilfully decorate the interior.

Like other buildings in town, the war did not spare the Riquet coffee house. It destroyed large parts of the pagoda and the first floor burnt down to complete demolition. Only in 1961 the owners finally expanded the fourth floor and created much needed business space. 

After the GDR times, the Riquet House received another architectural makeover in 1994/95 which is today’s final design. Not only was the tea room established with a roastery, a counter to sell chocolates, cakes and coffee, but also seating was established to celebrate good old bourgeois coffee house culture in Leipzig.

Source: information inside the menu

Augustusplatz, Café Felsche (Lost)

Let’s walk down the Grimmaische Straße and stop at Augustusplatz. Next to the Paulinerkirche is Vapiano. You’ll notice the modern design of the complex with glass and an imposing overall look. This historical part of Leipzig was destroyed during the war and only just rebuilt in the past 20 years.

Whilst the Paulinerkirche has been a part of Leipzig since the 13th century, today’s Vapiano location used to be home to one of Leipzig’s most prestigious coffee houses: Café Felsche.

In 1834, the Leipzig confectioner and chocolate merchant Wilhelm Felsche bought a part of the monastery right next to the Paulinerkirche. Within six months he built a three-story townhouse to bring some Parisian chic and flair to Leipzig. The Café Francais was born and became one of the most renowned addresses in Leipzig.

Felsche already operated a chocolate factory in the Gohlis district of Leipzig and wanted to increase his profits with a more central location. Impressed by the French coffee house culture that he experienced on his travels, he hoped to impress the people of Leipzig with “high-quality products and first-class service”.

The café was structured similarly to Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum, with several tea rooms for coffee, cake and conversation. Chocolate was made in the basement and the enticing scent regularly attracted visitors. This became a problem during wartime when hungry people tried to storm the coffee houses. In 1916, the police had to order cafés to put up “curtains” on their storefronts to avoid the view of the delicious treats causing a riot. All hell broke loose in 1925 when the Café Francais was stormed and set on fire.

The café changed its name to “Café Felsche” when Germany declared war on France in 1914. The building was heavily bombed and lost in 1943 during World War II.

Source: Leipziger Universitätsmgazin, Das Kaffeehaus Felsche als Nachbar der Paulinerkirche

Arko, Café Richter

Max Richter founded a coffee house and roastery in 1878/1879, which he moved in 1887 into the renaissance building on Peterstraße. The new shop spread over two floors; the first one was used for the coffee tasting whereas the second floor served as the office and stored the coffee beans. The offering also included other colonial products such as tea and chocolate. Unfortunately, Richter passed away without an heir and the business fell into corporate hands, which changed frequently.

During GDR times, the café remained a specialty shop for coffee and tea and quickly developed a high-end reputation. In 1992, the company Arko took over and since then has continued to sell coffee & tea specialities as well as gift ideas, baskets and confectionery. In 2008 the former strong room was redesigned as a seating area and today, makes for a narrow, but cosy tea room so guests can enjoy fresh coffee and admire the preserved golden spiral staircase – an eye-catching centrepiece of the shop. 

Source: information note located in the shop

Bachstübl

The house was first documented in a copper engraving from 1650, but modern structural surveys suggest that the house is significantly older. By the time of 1735, the house was adjoined by its neighbouring houses and formed a three storey building, owned by the affluent merchant family Bose. Around 1840, the amalgamation expanded by two more floors and uniformly connected by a façade in the classicist style.

Historical records show that there was a small pharmacy on the ground floor from 1836, which operated until 1996. Not much is known about the café that moved in in 1977 nor its relation to Bach. My guess is that it pays tribute to Leipzig’s most famous composer as it is directly opposite the Thomaskirche. Today’s tea room painted in a delightful yellow colour is inviting. Displays of a variety of memorabilia from the building’s glorious past adorn its walls. Warm gold applications and the baroque chandelier further add to the tea room’s charm. In true coffee house style, the furnishing includes booths and marble table tops. 

Source: information inside the menu

Café Kandler

Whilst Kandler is not 300 years old, it certainly is worth mentioning here, as it celebrates Leipzig’s coffee house culture like no other. A local brand with traditional cafés around town, the main one is near the Thomaskirche. The tea room is borderline kitschy, but there’s no denying its playful charm. Just sit back and let its magic enchant you.

Kandler has been in operation since 1989 and is the place for Leipzig originals such as Bachtaler, Leipziger Lerche or Räbchen.

Leipziger Lerche (Leipzig Lark Pie)

The Leipziger Lerche (Lark Pie) is a tender shortcrust pastry with a firm marzipan filling and a characteristic cross on it. The pastry costs around 3€ and is available in different fillings.

The treat was not always filled with sweet marzipan. Around 1800 these were actually made from real birds. In fact, larks were a very popular delicacy in Saxony.

Some of the historical cookbooks share recipes such as e.g. lark on kebab, lark with truffle sauce or lark stuffing. 1.5 million birds were trapped annually to power this highly profitable trade. Once caught, the birds were prepared for trade and shipped in specially designed boxes. It was a huge business that expanded internationally and the larks were even exported as far away as Russia and Spain.

In Leipzig, the birds were mainly traded in the Salzgäßchen. However, the flourishing trade came to an abrupt end in 1876. A catastrophic storm killed most of Leipzig’s lark population and significantly reduced it. However, the attractive trade and demand for lark pie did not end!

Bakeries got super creative and designed a shortcrust pastry with a decadent marzipan filling instead. The distinctive cross at the top symbolises the string that originally held the lark birds together. The sweet lark pie is now an integral part of Leipzig coffee culture not to be missed for your 3pm Afternoon Tea. You can even buy lark pie as a souvenir or as a gift for your loved ones at home.

Leipziger Räbchen

People from Leipzig have a real sweet tooth. Another food specialty are Räbchen. They are plums stuffed with marzipan and baked in a pancake batter. The dish comes with a hot vanilla sauce. Similar to Lark Pie, the Räbchen were in the 18./19. century very popular. Plums and marzipan were expensive ingredients back then, reflecting the wealth of Leipzig and the high standard of living compared to the surrounding rural areas. The dish is still going strong at Café Kandler, 3 Räbchen with hot vanilla sauce will cost 10€.

Bachtaler

This is an invention by Café Kandler to commemorate Johann Sebastian Bach’s jubilee in 2000. The praline was first introduced in 1999 and has become a favourite with guests. So what is it? It’s a dark chocolate praline made from chocolate ganache and mocha nougat. The middle holds a coffee bean, which often comes as a surprise but was included to pay homage to Saxony’s reputation as coffee lovers. 3.50€ each.

Did You Know: Leipziger carry the nickname “Coffee Saxons”. During the Seven Year war (1756-63) Prussia occupied Leipzig. The Saxon troops were forced to serve Prussia but they resisted, claiming “without coffee, we won’t fight”. The Prussians then came up with the derogatory reference “Coffee Saxons” which remains intact today, but with a less hostile connotation.

Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum

The town house is the oldest preserved coffee house outside the Arabian zone and the oldest existing in Germany. In Europe, it holds second place after Café Le Procope in Paris. It houses Germany’s only coffee museum and is currently closed as the business can’t find a new owner.

The Coffe Baum is a true epitome of the golden past of coffee houses in Leipzig. Open since 1711 it was owned by a local goldsmith. Later on, Johann Lehmann married the daughter and became part of the business. Johann had big ideas for transforming the Coffe Baum into the crown jewel of the city. Unfortunately, he died before its completion and renovation. His widow, Johanna Elisabeth, took over ownership in 1719. Famous visitors included et alia Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Robert Blüthner, Edvard Grieg and Richard Wagner. 

Following a similar success story as Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Johanna Elisabeth led Coffe Baum to greatness over many years. An iconic change to the building was the addition of an imposing baroque façade in 1720 and a logo above the entrance.

To this day, the baroque trade logo above the entrance makes for a striking feature. It is rumoured to be a love gift from August the Strong to Johanna as a token of gratitude for making him delicious coffee and fuelling his addiction (plus he had a massive crush on her). It is not 100% confirmed who designed this logo, but Dresden-based stonemason Johann Benjamin Thomae is often associated with it. The logo itself represents the East and West. 

It shows an Arab (later confirmed to be a Turk) resting under a blossoming coffee tree and offering a cup to a putto (naked chubby boy). This symbolises the final gift of the Orient to the West. The putto stands for modernity and a coffee-consuming future. 

After Johanna’s death, the building changed owners several times, each putting their mark on it. At one point, it was entirely used as living quarters and rented out. During the Weimar Republic in 1920, it was nearly destroyed, but the general consent of the population was to keep it. The Coffe Baum proved to be indestructible. It survived 7x fires, 3x water leaks and the GDR times! 

Bought by the city in 1993, restored and then operated as a coffee museum, the future of the Coffe Baum, unfortunately, remains uncertain today.

Source: Der Kaffeebaum in Leipzig, Hannelore Stingl

Am Markt, Zara

Johann Lehmann’s first coffee room stood at Am Markt 16, which makes it today’s location of Zara. His coffee room started in 1694 and ran until 1705 before moving to Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum.

Katharinenstraße

Designed as a grand boulevard, the Katharinenstraße is still an impressive and important street in Leipzig, perfect for flanering and discovering its past whilst doing so.

1. Former seat of Riquet headquarters (couldn’t find an exact location)

2. The Romanushaus was home to Richters Caffee Haus (1772-1794) and the birthplace of the German publishing institution, book exchange, fair & association. The café, with national & international reputation, attracted 600 guests per day. The café could not cope with such a rush and as a result the coffee was used up relatively quickly. Richter therefore invented a special punch to satisfy the demand of his highly affluent clientele. 1792 saw the first book trading exchange taking place here and finalised Leipzig’s reputation as a book and publishing hub.

3. Lost Café: Katharinenstraße 14, former home to Zimmermannsches Kaffeehaus which became famous as the birthplace to Johann Sebastian Bach’s Collegium Musicum (1729-1740). Concerts were often held here and showcased classical compositions which made up the pre-stage of today’s Gewandshaus Concerts. The concerts stopped with Zimmerman’s death in 1741. The building was destroyed during the war in 1943. Today you’ll find the Katharinum here in its place – a part of the art gallery from next door.

Leipzig Coffee House Tour Finish

At the end of the Katharinenstraße, turn into Am Brühl. Finish your tour at Bakery Kleinert, the specialist confectioner for Lark Pie. You can find their family-run bakery opposite the shopping mall Höfe am Brühl. Here, the Lark Pie is made freshly and can be bought daily from 8am onwards. On display are a variety of Lark Pies with different fillings: pistachio, coffee, sour cherry or a seasonal lark pie are their signature treats. Available for take-away and gift wrapped with the story of Lark Pie included.

What Can We Learn From the Leipzig Coffee Houses?

• Germany’s only city with a coffee culture close to Vienna, although the main model is Paris due to the city’s prestige of chic and exotic character
• Similar fate to Brno, most coffee houses were destroyed during the war and Leipzig has a “lost” world of cafés. Another one to mention is the opulent and exquisite Café Bauer (1880) which resembled Café New York in Budapest. Café Bauer was located at Roßplatz outside the inner city ring. Today the space is empty
• Leipzig is more alike to Vienna: both cities are connected through a deep love for music, culture & intellectual flair
• The coffee houses tell a story of city development and influence. Their historic settings will take you back in time to an era of old skool bras, porcelain and grandeur reserved for the affluent. Sometimes they reflect on the people and a long gone society, what was important to them, or tell the stories of locals who devoted their lives to contribute and place a mark on the city

Making of “Leipzig Coffee Culture”

Here are some insights into my work and research when I compiled this post:

• Multiple visits to Leipzig and time spent at cafés at my own financial expense
• Researched cafés and chose them specifically for designing the tour
• Spent 4h researching at Albertina library, read two books by leading coffee historian Ulla Heise
• Included and processed direct information from cafés
• Kept abreast with historic coffee culture developments in Leipzig over one year
• Reached out and worked together with Leipzig Travel, the local tourism board, to ensure correctness of information and crediting images
• Tried and tested cakes and treats multiple times at my own expense

FAQs about Leipzig Coffee Culture

I understand this is quite a lengthy post and you may have some quick questions about Leipzig coffee culture. You can, of course, always come back to any section of my post and read in more detail what you’d need for your trip. If you have questions or need help, please get in touch and I’m happy to assist. 

How unique is Leipzig Coffee Culture? 

It is rumoured to be the last city in Germany to maintain the tradition. Even though the remaining coffee rooms are limited in number, they provide an excellent insight into the once glorious past. Of course, time has changed city structures and the war contributed to the loss of many buildings. However, Leipzig does a great job in remembering some of these historical buildings by honouring their past. 

How long is this self-guided walking tour around Leipzig?

The Leipzig coffee culture tour has 9 stops in total, which are a 5 to 10 minute walk away from one another. If you would only tick off each stop, you could easily do the tour in 45 minutes. If you like to stop and have coffee or simply enjoy the cafe’s atmosphere, this can stretch to 3h. 

Thanks so much for reading,

If you’ve enjoyed my Leipzig coffee culture, you can always support my research via Buy Me a Coffee.

Till next time,

Carolin

You may also enjoy:

• Beautiful Bike Tour on the Ecumenical Pilgrimage Route in Germany
• How Brno Cafes & Coffee Culture Shaped The City Now & Then
• 10 Leipzig Activities to make you feel like a Local
• How Authentic are Coffee Houses in Vienna Today?
• Quality Hamburg Cafes You Can’t Miss On Your Next Visit
• Big Travel Guide to Brunch & Modern Cafes in Vienna
• Brand New Coffee Guide to Helsinki Cafes & Finnish Coffee Culture

Cover Picture: © Leipzig Travel / Michael Bader

Sources: Der Kaffeebaum in Leipzig by Hannelore Stingl | Kaffee und Kaffeehaus by Ulla Heise