The harbour's defining feature is its basin. Built across 4,025 of the site's 13,800 square metres, its curved outline echoes the silhouette of a grand piano – a deliberate reference to Blüthner piano manufacturers, whose factory stood on this site and whose instruments carried Leipzig's name to concert halls far beyond it.
GP Papenburg Hochbau GmbH built the harbour to a design by the Leipzig-based S&P Group. Its timber-hybrid construction nods to maritime building tradition while limiting the project's environmental footprint. The basin holds moorings for three passenger ships and 40 sports and family boats, plus berths for paddle boats (kayaks, canoes, etc.); six further passenger-ship berths sit on the outer pier. The first boats have already moved in. Only electric-powered vessels are admitted, within set height and size limits.
On site, “DOCK 20” combines a self-service area with a 43-seat à la carte restaurant, open from 9 am to 10 pm. Upstairs, the “Eventloft” opens onto a harbour-view balcony and holds up to 110 guests. A short walk away, the Blüthner Wine Café occupies the piano maker's former villa, built in 1858.
The harbour's events calendar opens with the Grand Harbour Festival, a street-food weekend on 18–19 July. An Autumn and Wine Festival follows on 25 and 26 September, and two Advent weekends, 12–13 and 19–20 December, bring a Christmas market to the waterside.
Audio Guides and Podcast
The city is threaded by almost 300 kilometres of rivers, large and small, in addition to its lakes to the south and west. Stadthafen Leipzig now serves as the gateway between the city centre and the Leipzig New Lakeland. From the harbour, visitors can explore the city on a public motorboat tour or individually by canoe or kayak, moving past former industrial architecture and through Leipzig’s protected alluvial forest (Auenwald) to Lake Cospuden, a former opencast mine that has been transformed into a large recreational lake.
The official Explore Leipzig App introduces visitors to Leipzig's waterways via smartphone, with two waterway tours to choose from. The app uses an interactive map and GPS search for navigation. The tours are available for free in German and English. The English-language Welcome to Leipzig podcast, produced by Leipzig Tourism and Marketing, has also turned to the water: hosts Axel and Klara discuss planning a canoe trip to Lake Cospuden, including where to find its most scenic spots.
Download the Explore Leipzig App:
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.droidsolutions.ltm.aggregator&pli=1
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/explore-leipzig-city-tours/id6452014206
Listen to the podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xE9Pnpnu1KxVedOeCxJRB
At a Glance
• Opened: 5 June 2026, after 25 years in development
• Location: Schreberstraße 20, 04109 Leipzig
• Site: 13,800 sqm total; 4,025 sqm harbour basin
• Design and construction: S&P Group (design, Leipzig); GP Papenburg Hochbau GmbH (construction); timber-hybrid method
• Moorings: 3 passenger ships, 40 sports/family boats, paddle boat berths; 6 further passenger-ship berths on outer pier; electric-powered vessels only
• Activities: daily, 9.45 am – 7 pm
• Dining: DOCK 20 (self-service + 43-seat à la carte restaurant), 9 am – 10 pm; Eventloft, up to 110 guests; Blüthner Wine Café (1858 villa), Mon–Fri from 3 pm, Sat–Sun from 11 am
• Mooring enquiries: info@stadthafen-leipzig.com
Further information:
Stadthafen Leipzig www.stadthafen-leipzig.com
Leipzig Region www.leipzig.travel/en