Top 15 Must-See Attractions in Halle, Germany

The largest city in Saxony-Anhalt, Halle is a historical ducal town rich in heritage. Born in Halle in 1685, the renowned Baroque composer George Frideric Handel lived here until the age of 18. His birthplace has been preserved, along with the churches where he was baptized and learned to play the organ.

Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen, the site of Handel’s baptism, also enables a glimpse into history as it hosted sermons by Martin Luther in 1545 and 1546, shaking the foundations of the Catholic Church. Continuing through the Middle Ages and up until 1680, Halle was part of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, whose ruling archbishop-electors commissioned grand castles in the city, notable ones being Moritzburg and the Neue Residenz.

Now, let us explore the premier attractions in Halle:

1. Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen

As one of Central Germany’s most remarkable Late Gothic churches, Halle’s 16th-century Marktkirche is impossible to overlook due to its four iconic towers.

These constitute four of the five towers that earn Halle the title “Stadt der fünf Türme”. The unusual twin towers on the eastern side served as watchmen’s towers and were linked at a considerable height by a bridge.

Martin Luther preached at the Marktkirche on three occasions, and 140 years later, George Frideric Handel was baptized within its walls.

Luther’s death mask and casts of his hands are preserved in a small museum located beneath the blue towers.

The bronze 15th-century baptismal font utilized during Handel’s baptism in 1685 remains on display.

Handel received his early organ instruction on the small organ situated above the altar, while Johann Sebastian Bach played the organ in the west gallery during its inauguration in 1716.

2. Halle State Museum of Prehistory

This world-class museum showcases Saxony-Anhalt’s archaeological findings in a chronological format.

The permanent exhibition begins in the early Stone Age and concludes in the early Iron Age, approximately 2,000 years ago.

If there is one artifact that demands attention, it is the Nebra sky disk.

This bronze disc, measuring 30 centimeters in diameter, was discovered 60 kilometers away and dates back 3,600 years.

It represents the earliest known depiction of the night sky, illustrating the stars, sun, and crescent moon.

The craftsmanship is so intricate that it was initially suspected to be a forgery until verified by scientific dating.

Moreover, be on the lookout for the museum’s acclaimed special exhibitions, which have explored a wide array of topics, including alchemy, Pompeii, mammoths, and sacred art in recent years.

3. Händel-Haus

The Baroque composer George Frideric Handel was born in this Renaissance complex in 1685. His father, Georg, purchased the property in 1666, with the structure itself dating back to at least 1558. The tradition of painting the facade yellow was established in the early 17th century when the house was known as Zum Gelben Hirsch (the Yellow Stag). This museum focuses on three main themes: Handel, the musical history of the Halle region, and an extensive collection of historical musical instruments.

With 160 exhibits displayed in chronological order, visitors can trace Handel’s early life in Halle, alongside his flourishing career in Europe from 1703 to 1759. The venue features a miniature Baroque theatre where an animated portrayal of Handel can be viewed, coupled with a trove of instruments comprising 700 items, including a Ruckers harpsichord crafted in Antwerp in 1599.

4. Halloren Chocolate Factory

Established in Halle since the early 19th century, the Halloren Chocolate Factory is the oldest operational chocolate factory in Germany.

The museum reveals over two centuries of chocolate-making expertise, featuring puzzles for children, historic chocolate-making tools, and immersive multi-sensory installations such as a listening station and a scent wall.

Visitors can observe Halloren’s chocolatiers at work behind a glass pane at the “Pralineum,” witnessing the craftsmanship required to produce pralines.

A chocolate gallery showcases 1.5 tons of chocolate transformed into artistic creations.

5. Marktplatz

Fourteen roads converge at Halle’s vast 16,000-square-meter Marktplatz, home to various monuments listed here, such as the Marktkirche and the Roter Turm.

Trading has occurred at Marktplatz since the 1100s, when the first communal warehouse, a precursor to modern department stores, was established for the city’s dressmakers and fabric merchants.

The market operates daily from 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Saturday, and is also the venue for Halle’s Christmas market.

A notable landmark not featured in this list is a 3.20-meter statue of Handel, erected in 1859 to commemorate the centennial of his death, pointing towards England, his secondary residence and burial site.

Adjacent to the statue stands the elegant Stadthaus (City Hall), designed in a Gothic and Renaissance Revival style from the 1890s.

6. Roter Turm (Red Tower)

Halle’s fifth and tallest tower encompasses a height of 84 meters, located in Marktplatz just a short distance from the Marktkirche.

This tower, constructed over 88 years, was finalized in the Late Gothic style in 1506. If one squints, they can just perceive the cluster of 246 spikes adorning the gilded orb atop the spire.

As a free-standing campanile, Halle’s Roter Turm remains unrivaled in Germany.

The tower boasts a carillon of 76 bells, the largest in Europe, weighing nearly 55 tons in total.

The smallest bell weighs only 10.7kg, while the largest, known as Dame Händel, is 2.36 meters in diameter, ranking as the third-largest playable bell in the world.

7. Kunstmuseum Moritzburg

The art museum of Saxony-Anhalt is situated within the residence of the Archbishops of Magdeburg.

This palace, an Early Renaissance structure from the turn of the 16th century, was ravaged during the Thirty Years’ War, remaining in ruins for centuries.

In 2010, the palace underwent a transformative modern redesign led by the Spanish architectural firm Nieto Sobejano.

The courtroom and banquet hall are historic remnants where coffered ceilings and wooden paneling reflect the original palace’s grandeur.

The 19th-century galleries encompass works from prominent artists such as Caspar David Friedrich, Anselm Feuerbach, and Max Klinger, in conjunction with sculptures by Rodin and Maillol.

In the contemporary wings, a remarkable array of art is showcased by luminaries such as Lyonel Feininger, Klee, Klimt, Kandinsky, Kirchner, Ernst, and numerous others representing Symbolism, Expressionism, and New Objectivity.

8. Halle-Neustadt

Positioned to the west of the Altstadt, across the Saale River, lies Post-War Germany’s largest construction initiative.

Initiated in the 1960s and designed for workers of Halle’s chemical plant, Halle-Neustadt represented a socialist model city intended to accommodate 100,000 residents.

Neustadt was conceived to be healthy, modern, and comfortable while also embedding an ideological framework within its community.

In these monolithic concrete towers, all apartments were oriented to harness sunlight, with minimized distances between amenities to reduce traffic congestion.

Approximately half of the area was allocated for parkland, with a rapid transit railway ensuring swift access for workers to their workplaces.

Currently, this development faces challenges of decline, with discussions underway for potential revitalization.

9. Stadtgottesacker (City Cemetery)

Originally situated to the east of the city walls, the Stadtgottesacker is a Renaissance cemetery established in 1557. Its design draws inspiration from Pisa’s Camposanto Monumentale and is regarded as a masterpiece of German Renaissance architecture.

The cemetery is enclosed by a wall and is adorned with 94 intricately designed arcades that provide shelter for various tombs.

In 1882, a survey revealed that 92 distinct stonemasons contributed to the reliefs adorning these arcades.

Above the arch at the inner entrance, a relief portrait of the cemetery’s designer, Nickel Hoffmann, can be found.

Additionally, the graves of several prominent figures are located here, including Georg Händel (the composer’s father), the 17th-century philosopher Christian Thomasius, and the 18th-century Lutheran clergyman and philanthropist August Hermann Francke.

10. The Francke Foundations

Established in 1695 by August Hermann Francke, this orphanage and educational institution evolved into a significant complex within 30 years, featuring teacher training programs and various commercial enterprises, including a publishing house and pharmacy.

In alignment with Reformation ideals, Francke’s vision aimed to provide education to all children, transcending social class distinctions, rooted in practical learning tailored to each child’s needs.

Such educational concepts were unprecedented at that time; visitors may explore the site, which includes the “Lange Haus,” recognized as the longest half-timbered building in Europe.

Among its highlights is Francke’s Cabinet of Artefacts and Curiosities, developed initially as an educational resource, brimming with natural and man-made objects, including minerals, plant specimens, artworks, and coins.

11. Hallors and Saline Museum

Halle has been renowned for salt processing dating back to the Bronze Age, thanks to the saline wells, which are geological curiosities yielding concentrated brine.

The term Hallors is derived from a brotherhood of salt workers formed in the late 15th century.

This organization continues to preserve Halle’s salt legacy to this day.

The museum is housed in the old Royal Prussian Saltworks, a preserved facility from the 1700s to the 1900s.

Visitors can observe the process of boiling brine in ceramic evaporation vessels to yield salt crystals.

Remarkably, even as a museum, the saltworks produce 70 tons of salt annually, all of which is supplied to local enterprises.

Additionally, display cases contain ceremonial artifacts related to the brotherhood, including cups and trophies dating back to the 17th century.

12. Hallescher Dom

Halle’s Cathedral, originating in the 13th century, is the oldest religious structure in the city.

Initially a modest Dominican monastery church, it was transformed in 1520 by Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg, the Archbishop of Magdeburg.

Alongside the Neue Residenz palace adjacent to it, he constructed the most influential monastery north of the Alps during that period.

The church measures 68 meters in length and features three naves, along with Germany’s earliest example of a rounded gable adorning its facade.

The interior retains a wealth of Renaissance art, with the most significant being a series of 17 statues along the pillars, dating back to 1525, representing Christ and the Apostles.

Handel served as the organist at Hallescher Dom for a year in 1702-03.

13. Neue Residenz

This exquisite Renaissance palace was another highlight of Cardinal Albert’s reconstruction project, constructed in 1531 situated adjacent to the cathedral. Elements of Italian Renaissance architecture are visible in its arches and courtyards.

Once celebrated as the richest two-story building in Central Germany, although little of that prestige remains today, it remains an absorbing place to visit.

Albert’s coat of arms is still visible on the facade facing the street, and visitors can access the courtyard in the summer months.

Each August, performances occur during the annual Handel Festival.

Furthermore, the gardens undergo annual thematic redesigns as part of an initiative to support the city’s long-term unemployed.

14. Beatles Museum

Located on Alter Markt within an elegant Baroque residence dating from 1708, this museum pays tribute to a more contemporary music legend.

Rainer Moers, a devoted Beatles aficionado, amassed a remarkable collection of memorabilia spanning the years 1964 to 1975, encapsulating the group’s existence (1960-1970) and their solo pursuits.

Initially a traveling exhibition, the museum settled in Halle in 2000, showcasing 3,500 exhibits on all things Beatles-related—from vintage posters, autographs, and stamps to rare LPs, photographs, magazines, and fan memorabilia.

15. Zoologische Garten Halle

Halle’s zoo is commonly referred to as Bergzoo (Hill Zoo), as it is established on the 130-meter high Reilsberg in the northern part of the city.

The inclined landscape around the enclosures can prove challenging for families with young children.

However, the zoo offers stunning panoramic views of the city, especially from the lookout point at the summit.

Founded in 1901, the zoo has seen nearly every habitat restructured since Reunification.

For instance, the indoor crocodile house accommodates alligators and crocodiles in a climate-controlled setting, while iguanas and exotic birds roam freely in the tropical house.

The recently renovated large cat enclosures feature Southwest African lions, jaguars, and Malaysian tigers; adjacent to this is a “predator house” for boa constrictors and agamas.