The visit to Halle (Saale) was made during a press trip together with German Tourist Office, but all opinions and thoughts are, as usual, my own.
Salt – the white gold that transforms flavors and preserves food. One of the most important trade goods of the Middle Ages and one of the factors that made historic cities flourish. Salt not only shaped countries and economies, but salt created jobs and attracted traders. Saxony-Anhalt's largest city Halle is named after the Celtic word "Hall”, which means a place where salt is produced. Because here in Halle, salt is an important part of the city's history.
Halle, also called Halle (Saale), with its 240 inhabitants is the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt and here culture and music have always been an important part of the city's pulse. The great master Georg Friedrich Handel was born here in 000 and the city has an interesting range of art museums, music museums and musical events. Statues, fountains and half-timbered houses line the streets, side by side with stone houses built in recent years.
At the end of World War II, the city was subjected to two devastating aerial bombings. One attack destroyed the beautiful art deco area of the railway station and the other attack destroyed parts of the southern city centre. Over 3600 buildings were destroyed and counting 1000 inhabitants died. After the war, the area became part of East Germany and no money was spent on rebuilding or renovating destroyed houses. After German reunification in 1990, however, reconstruction began and today you see both renovated and new buildings on almost every street. A cool mix of the Middle Ages, Bauhaus, Brutalism and Art Deco.
It is a relaxed university town that meets me this weekend, a city with a lot of life and movement on all streets. Market stalls with goodies and handicrafts have been set up on Marknadstorget and the outdoor seating is full, even though it is already the end of September. Halle is an authentic and vibrant German city that is still relatively unknown to the large foreign tourist masses, and maybe that's exactly why I like it.
Sights in Halle
A weekend in Halle offers a nice mix of museum, history, food and nice walks - but without the hassle and stress. Here are my best 13 tips for both sights and places to eat and have coffee in central Halle.
1. Market square (Marktplatz)
The Marktplatz has been the heart of Halle since the Middle Ages and here are both the Red Tower clock tower and the Market Church "Unser Lieben Frauen" with its four towers. Here there is life and movement, and vendors offer everything from flowers to sausages. 14 roads lead to the Marktplatz, making the square a major hub for the city's trams as well.
The two round towers of the Market Church are called "the watchtower” and here lived the guardian of the city with his family. The Guardian watched over the city from above, warning the city's residents of everything from fires to enemies. In danger he blew his trumpet. Today you can climb the 60 meter high towers for a nice view of the city.
The 84 meter high Red tower from 1506 which is right next to the church impresses with its 76 bells, the largest carillon in Europe.
The bronze statue of Georg Friedrich Handel was erected in the middle of the square in 1859 and has been a meeting place in Halle ever since. It is said that if you follow the statue's gaze, it points towards London, the city where Handel lived for most of his life and is also buried in.
2. Handel house
One of the great masters of the Baroque, Georg Friedrich Händel, was born in Halle in 1685. During his lifetime, he wrote a large amount of music, ranging from operas to cantatas. His most famous and beloved work is the pompous oratorio Messiah with the "Hallelujah" choir, which is still often played during Christmas.
In the museum Handel House you get to learn all about Handel's life and get to listen to many of his works. It is a museum with both a large collection of documents and sheet music, but also with interactive music stations.
In the Händel Haus there is also a large amount of instruments from different centuries, most of which can be played by visitors. When I visit the museum, some elderly men play the instruments with great enthusiasm. It's almost like being at a private concert. A real highlight at the Handel Museum.
3. The hawthorn
Germany's oldest chocolate factory Halloren is located in Halle and has produced its popular praline Halloren Kugeln since 1804. The name comes from the name of an old salt workers' guild in Halle that had clothes with large round silver buttons, buttons reminiscent of today's pralines. These are really good pralines with a two-tone filling reminiscent of a chewier marshmallow or coconut ball.
In Halloren's stores, you can buy both the classic cream/chocolate praline, but also a large number of other flavors. A place not to be missed!
I visited the store on Leipziger Str. 66.
4. Market Church Unser Lieben Frauen
In 1529 Cardinal Albrecht of Magdeburg merged two medieval churches to form the present one Market Church on the square in Halle. The result was the special church with its unique towers. Handel was baptized here in the church and Martin Luther's death mask is also found here.
Although the church was damaged during the bombing in 1945, the appearance has not changed over the years. Every single renovation has been done to preserve the original appearance.
5. Leipzig Tower
The Leipzig Tower (Leipziger turm) was built in the 15th century as part of the city's city wall and defense facility. Today, the city wall is no longer there, but the tower still stands near Leipziger strasse. The tower is a well-known landmark in Halle, reminiscent of the city's history.
6. Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte
The Prehistoric Museum in Halle is a modern and interactive museum with an impressive collection of objects from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. The most famous artifact is The Nebraska record, a 3600-year-old bronze disc depicting the sun, moon, and stars. A unique object discovered as late as 1999 that has re-evaluated our view of Bronze Age trade and our knowledge of astronomy.
The story of the Nebradisken is a true crime story about illegal treasure hunters, black markets and unexpected finds. A story that deserves its own post.
9. Salt Square (Hallmarkt)
There is nothing left of the old salt mines that used to be on the square Hallmarkt right in the center of Halle. Once upon a time, there were four wells here for salt extraction and all around stood row after row of small stalls that boiled the salt water to extract the coveted salt. Today there is a fountain with bronze statues in the square depicting events from Halle's history.
8. The district court
The pompous building for the district court was built in 1905 in sandstone and has an abundance of beautiful wood carvings in bright colors and gold. A house that is not only beautiful on the outside, but also has an interesting inside. During office hours, you can enter the building and, among other things, look at its famous double spiral staircase.
9. Stadtgottesacker Cemetery
On the eastern edge of the city's old town center is the old cemetery Stadtgottesacker. The cemetery was completed in 1594 and is built in the Italian Renaissance style, a unique architecture for a cemetery in Northern Europe. During World War II, large parts of the cemetery were destroyed and it was not until 1985 that renovations began, through a foundation created by the town's residents.
Eat and have coffee
Halle is a relatively large city and the range of restaurants and cafes is good. Here are the four places I managed to test during my weekend.
10. June – Vegetarian restaurant with small dishes
Modern and vegetarian/vegan restaurant, with a focus on local produce and seasonal dishes. The restaurant June is an exciting concept with tasty and well-prepared "shared plates". Textures are mixed with humanistic flavors and the plates are beautifully laid out. The wine served is exclusively natural wines and there are both good drinks and local small-scale beer.
A popular place with simple and unpretentious decor and nice crockery. Recommended even if you are not a vegetarian!
11. Zum Schad – Classic German restaurant
For a slightly more classic German menu is the century-old restaurant Zum Schad a good alternative. Zum Schad serves home-brewed beer and large schnitzels in a classic setting. A nice place for a lot of German feeling.
Before you dive into the meaty menu, you should start by looking at the large facade painting by the restaurant's outdoor seating area. It is an impressive work of art by local artist Hans-Joachim Triebsch, on a wall surface of almost 400 square meters.
I ordered in Meatballs, German meatballs served with cream sauce, capers and potatoes. Very good!
12. Cafe NT – Das Kulturkafé
One of Halle's cozy cafes is Café NT, a cafe from 1989 with a large collection of beautiful old coffee pots and books. Of course, coffee is served here in all its forms, but also cakes, pastries and lighter dishes such as sandwiches, salads and pasta.
13. Cafe Koffij – Trendy and youthful
Cafe Coffee is a café where really good coffee is served and which also invites coworking. Popular and pleasant and with a lot of environmental thinking. If you want to have a take-away, you need to buy a reusable cup with you for a few euros, which is an easy way to reduce the use of disposable products.
During the lunches, a simpler lunch menu with salads and lighter dishes is served.
How do I get to Halle?
Halle (Saale) is located 17 Swedish miles southwest of Berlin in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. You can easily get there by fast train from Berlin in just over an hour, or by train from Leipzig in 20 minutes.
There is a very good one free audio guide in English which tells everything about the city's houses and history - you run it directly on your mobile and do not need to download anything.
Read more about Halle at website of the tourist office, here you will also find tips on attractions on the outskirts of the city.
If you see this after your page is loaded completely, leafletJS files are missing.
