Beautiful Leipzig is Central Germany’s biggest city and a place I recommend to everyone who’s visiting Germany (not just because I live here:-). It’s the cultural capital of the region and has tons of historical sights, but at the same time it’s much less touristy than other big German cities like Berlin or Munich.

One of Leipzig’s most famous sights is the gargantuan Völkerschlachtdenkmal, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations (or Völki, as we locals affectionately call it). Check out everything you need to know about visiting Europe’s biggest monument in this guide.

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Some Historical Context

What Does the Monument Symbolize?

The Monument was built to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon’s French troops during the namesake Battle of Nations in October 1813, which was one of the most decisive fights during the Wars of Liberation fought against the French hegemony in Europe.

In the battle, a coalition of Austrian, Prussian, Russian and Swedish troops fought against the French who were supported by the local Saxons in one of their more unwise political decisions. The whole battle lasted four days and almost 90,000 people died, which makes it one of the bloodiest battles before the First World War.

The fighting took place all over the city and its surroundings, and there are tons of smaller monuments at places where minor clashes happened. Still, the heaviest battle happened on a plain where the monument stands today.

History of the Monument

The Völkerschlachtdenkmal itself was erected in 1913 for the centennial of the battle. With a height of 91m or 300ft., it’s still the tallest monument in Europe and the view across the reflecting pool, which has the somewhat dramatic name See der Tränen (“Lake of Tears”) is quite impressive.

If the thought of visiting an enormous chunk of concrete and granite commemorating the death of tens of thousands of people doesn’t appeal to you (which I’d get), I can assure you that there are awesome views of Leipzig from the top.

Visiting the Monument

The Imagery on the Outside

The entire imagery on the outside and interior of the monument is inspired by the growing sense of German Nationalism during the first half of the 20^th century. Even though the monument predates the rise of fascism, you can see clear hints of what was to come later on.

As such, the Völkerschlachtdenkmal feels at once imposing and a bit eerie, and when I visited for the first time, my sense of awe was somewhat tempered by a feeling of uneasiness at the proud, martial figures that are plastered all over the monument.

The giant figure on the front façade is the Archangel Michael, which in my opinion looks more like a personification of vengeance than anyone leading souls to heaven. In fact, the words “Gott mit uns” inscribed above his head translate to “God with us”, which is supposed to serve as a divine legitimization of the German victory.

The Archangel is framed on both sides by reliefs depicting the furies, the goddesses of vengeance of Ancient Greek Mythology. Twelve statues of warriors in the higher section of the monument stand guard and are supposed to represent the willingness of the people to defend themselves.

Finally, the bearded faces along the stairways depict the medieval German Emperor Barbarossa, who has been mythologized a lot in German history and even has his own monument in Thuringia, which was built a little earlier, but is no less imposing than the Völkerschlachtdenkmal.

What to See Inside the Monument

Inside the monument, there are basically three main areas of interest: The crypt, the so-called “Hall of Glory” (Ger. Ruhmeshalle), and the two viewing platforms.

The entrance to the crypt sits beneath the feet of the Archangel Michael statue. The room is supposed to be a memorial to everyone who died during the battle. Along the walls, there are pairs of somber stone warriors, who in my opinion give the place more of an ominous than peaceful feeling.

To get to the so-called Hall of Glory, you’ll have to climb up the outer staircase of the monument. Inside, the impressive cupola is decorated with a total of 324 nearly life-size horsemen. Four gigantic statues are meant to personify traditional values (bravery, strength of faith, people’s strength, and sacrifice).

Again, the figures are full of pathos, and to me their ominous poses are totally foreshadowing the self-glorifying statuary of the Third Reich.

If you use the stairways on the inside, you can leave all this heavy symbolism behind you and reach the balcony, which runs once around the monument, as well as the viewing platform atop the building, which has even better views in all directions.

To the north-west is the skyline of central Leipzig, while to the south-west lies the large “Südfriedhof”-cemetery. The building there isn’t a castle (like some people next to us thought), but actually the chapel and crematory cemetery. Monumentalism didn’t stop at monuments back then, I guess…

Forum 1813 Museum

This small museum is located right next to the monument and included in the entrance fee. It has some interesting exhibits about the Battle of the Nations itself and about the events leading up to it, including the general political climate of Europe during that time.

For me, the best exhibit here is the big detailed diorama of the battle, but there are also some interesting objects that have been picked from the rubble after the battle, including some of Napoleon’s personal belongings (he had to leave in a hurry). It’s to your right when you’re facing the monument.

Other Sights in the Area

There are several other low-key attractions in the area, which I think are worth checking out, if you have the time.

For one, there’s the Napoleonstein, a small monument erected at the spot where Napoleon is said to have commanded his troops from. It’s rather plain and only shows his distinct triangular hat atop a pedestal.

The nearby Marienquelle used to be a source of drinking water to the area. Rumour has it that the water had healing properties, and it was considered important enough that the entire surrounding neighbourhood of the city (Marienbrunn) is named after it.

Both of these are in the small park to the west of the reflecting pool in front of the monument. South of the park, is the Südfriedhof, Leipzig’s biggest cemetery, which contains the graves of some famous figures from German history (including artist Werner Tübke and Marinus van der Lubbe, who the Nazis accused of burning down the Reichstag Building in 1933).

The huge cemetery chapel is the biggest one in Germany, and is modeled on the medieval monastery Maria Laach in the Eifel Mountains.

Map of the Neighbourhood

All of the places mentioned above can be found in this map of the area surrounding the monument.

Practicalities

When to Visit the Monument to the Battle of the Nations

As you might expect, from the outside the monument is open 24/7, but if you want to visit the interior and climb to the viewing platform,you’ll have to check the current opening times first. You can find them on this site.

How to Get to Leipzig and the Monument

As one of the biggest cities in Central Germany, there’s no shortage of trains running to Leipzig, for example from Berlin Central Station (about 1h 15 min / 35 €). It’s easiest to check the connections on the website of the German train network. A cheaper, if slightly slower, option is using the good long-distance bus network of Flixbus.

Once you’re in Leipzig, getting to the monument is rather straightforward. The fastest way is to take the regional train (S-Bahn) from the main station or the market in central Leipzig to the aptly named station “Leipzig Völkerschlachtdenkmal” (about 10 mins / 3€). At the time of writing you can get there with the S1 and S6 Trains.

Alternatively, Tram Lines 2 and 15 and Bus 70 also pass by the monument. You can check the public transport map for all of Leipzig here.

How Much Is the Entrance Fee?

At the time of writing, entrance to the monument, including the nearby Forum 1813 Museum is 12€.

Where to Stay in Leipzig

You can check out my guide to the best Hotels, Hostels and Guesthouses in Leipzig.

As you would expect, most places to stay are in central Leipzig, and close to the train station, including several cheap hostels like Wombat’s City Hostel or Five Elements Hostel. Hotels in the direct neighbourhood of the monument are more in the mid-range section. You can browse for some nearby places to stay in this map.

Where to Eat Near the Monument

There are surprisingly few restaurants around the monument. The closest one would be Pellorus, which is directly across the road from the northern end of the reflecting pool. There’s also a small café called Bistro 1813 at the northwestern corner of the reflecting pool.

What Else to Do in Leipzig

The ultimate one-day itinerary for Leipzig

The best Hotels, Hostels and Guesthouses in Leipzig

Visiting nearby Colditz Castle, the famous WW2 POW Camp