Whether football, handball, athletics or swimming – Leipzig has a long tradition in competitive sport . The city supports competitive sport through various funding programmes and hosts national and international sporting events that attract tens of thousands of visitors to Leipzig every year. These include not only the internationally renowned Champions League matches of RB Leipzig, but also tournaments such as the Leipzig Open (tennis) and the Leipzig Marathon. The city also has close historical ties with sport. The Leipzig Sports Route showcases the most important sites in Leipzig's vibrant sporting history across a total of 22 stops.
Sports in Leipzig and the region
Sports in Leipzig and the region
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The City of Leipzig supports competitive sports from soccer to swimming
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Leipzig hosts renowned sporting events
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Especially impressive: Leipzig’s soccer history
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The Sports Route highlights the key sites of Leipzig’s sports history
Competitive sports
Horse riding, fencing, cycling, handball – elite sport in Leipzig is flourishing. This is due in no small part to the extensive funding programmes with which the City of Leipzig supports its athletes. Modern sports facilities and training centres offer ideal conditions for efficient training. To support young athletes, sports clubs and schools work closely together here. This means talent is identified and nurtured early on.
The many internationally recognised sporting events that regularly take place in Leipzig and attract numerous sports fans and tourists to the Saxon metropolis are also likely to be a special incentive for young people to get involved in sport. These include Partner Pferd, the Leipzig Open, the Leipzig Marathon and UEFA EURO 2024™, for which Leipzig was one of ten German Host Cities. After the successful European Football Championship in 2024, the sporting momentum continued in 2025: Leipzig hosted the International German Gymnastics Festival 2025 – the world’s largest sporting event for competitive and recreational sport.
Sports venues in Leipzig
Leipzig and Football
Leipzig is in the top league not only in canoeing, swimming, judo and handball. The Saxon metropolis also has a long and successful history in football. The German Football Association (DFB) was founded here in 1900. As early as the 1902/03 season, VfB Leipzig won the trophy and became the first German football champion. Traditional clubs such as BSG Chemie (Regionalliga Nordost), Lok Leipzig (Regionalliga Nordost) and top-flight club RB Leipzig, whose regular participation in the Champions League has put the city back in the spotlight of international top-level football, represent Leipzig’s deep connection to football.
Leipzig soccer clubs
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- full name: Rasenballsport Leipzig e. V.
- family-friendly club
- In the Bundesliga since 2016
- mascot “Bulli” in the colors red and white
- RB Stadium with a capacity of up to 47,000 guests
- current head coach: Marco Rose
- former head coach: Julian Nagelsmann – currently head coach of the German national team
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- full name: Betriebssportgemeinschaft Chemie Leipzig
- traditional club from Leipzig-Leutzsch
- strong identity through dedicated fan culture
- club motto “No one like us”
- volunteer youth and social work in western Leipzig
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- full name: 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig
- official successor to the first German football champions, VfB Leipzig
- club with a long tradition from Leipzig-Probstheida
- Lokruf-Radio with live coverage of Lok matches, organised by fans for fans since 2004
Discover Leipzig city center with the Explore Leipzig app
The city walk “City Centre Walking Tour – Leipzig on Foot” takes you through Leipzig’s city centre and shows you the most important sights and attractions Leipzig has to offer. Along the way, you will be accompanied by interactive and multimedia elements.
If you have less time available, the highlights tour “City Centre Walking Tour with Selected Highlights” is perfect for you. On this tour, you will discover the city’s top attractions on a small but perfectly formed city tour.
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Weitere Infos[Translate to English:] Blog-Artikel
[Translate to English:] Wassersport am Kulkwitzer See
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Jetzt lesen[Translate to English:] Blog-Artikel
[Translate to English:] 48 Stunden in Leipzig
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Mehr erfahren[Translate to English:] Blog-Artikel
[Translate to English:] Das Leipziger Neuseenland
Leipzig Sports Route
![[Translate to English:] Direkt vor der Arena gelegen bietet die Festwiese viel Platz.](https://www.leipzig.travel/fileadmin/_processed_/4/2/csm_festwiese-arena-leipzig-herbst-familie-freizeit-sport-philipp-kirschner-leipzig-travel_6c1abc675c.jpg "[Translate to English:] Festwiese an der Arena - Events in Leipzig")
Leipzig is a city of sport with a rich tradition, a captivating present and a promising future. Sports enthusiasts can explore the city’s multifaceted history along the Sports Route, which highlights the key locations in Leipzig’s sporting history. Alongside informative facts, you will also be introduced to figures who have played a significant role in shaping Leipzig as a city of sport. The Sports Route will be continually expanded in the coming years and is ultimately set to include 22 stations.
Leipzig Sports Route takes you through 200 years of sporting history
The route takes you through sports venues, the development of different sports and sporting institutions, telling their stories along the way. At the marked locations, Leipzig’s identity as a city of sport once took shape. Remembering these places goes hand in hand with honouring the outstanding achievements of individuals from 200 years of Leipzig’s sporting history.
Welcome to Leipzig - The podcast for your Leipzig trip
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