This historic market town on the Saale river has grown into an industrial center with two universities. Home to Continental AG and BASF, it's the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt.
Halle (Saale) is a city of 238,000 people in eastern Germany. In the old town center, you can walk past half-timbered houses from the 1500s and hear the 76 bells of Europe's third-largest carillon ring from the Red Tower. Visit the birthplace of composer George Frideric Handel, examine the 3,600-year-old Nebra sky disk at the State Museum of Prehistory, or join the 20,000 university students relaxing in the cafes around Market Square.
Exploring the Old Town
The Market Square sits at the center of Halle's medieval district. The Gothic Market Church of St. Mary dominates the square with its four towers, while the Red Tower stands separately, connected by a pedestrian bridge. You'll find a bronze statue of Handel and the 16th-century Town Hall in the square. Walk through the surrounding streets to see more than 500 Renaissance buildings, many with their original facades intact.
Museums and Cultural Sites
At the State Museum of Prehistory, you can see the Nebra sky disk and explore 15 million archaeological artifacts from the region. Visit the Handel House, where George Frideric Handel was born in 1685, to see original baroque instruments and manuscripts. The city hosts the annual Handel Festival each June with concerts in historic churches and halls. Inside Moritzburg Castle, walk through medieval stone walls to reach modern gallery spaces containing German Expressionist paintings and rotating contemporary art exhibitions.
University Life and Student Areas
Martin Luther University spreads across 50 buildings in Halle, with its main campus near Market Square. In the Paulusviertel neighborhood, students live in converted 1890s villas and meet in small coffee shops along the tree-lined streets. Peissnitz Island stretches for 1.5 kilometers between the Saale and Mühlgraben rivers, where you can play beach volleyball, walk along riverside paths, or have a picnic on the grass.
Getting Around
Trains connect Halle to Berlin (2 hours), Leipzig (30 minutes), and Frankfurt (4 hours). Within the city, 14 tram lines and 22 bus routes run throughout the day. You can walk across the city center in about 15 minutes. To reach Leipzig/Halle Airport, take a 20-minute train ride from the main station. The airport has regular flights to major European cities.
