Katja is a sly person full of charm and wit. We are here in Leipzig with her, touring the city’s history and (culinary) heritage with her as part of a culinary treasure hunt with a GPS tracker looking for … Larks. And lions! “If you can take pictures of 20 lions during this city tour, you will get a special reward at the end,” she encourages us right at the beginning of the three-hour tour.
“Leipzig is the city full of lions”, Katja calls out cheerfully. Lions!? Well then. Let the culinary treasure hunt begin …!
Starting our tour with Katja, of *betourt guided tours Leipzig, we are explained how to handle the GPS tracking system to navigate our way around downtown Leipzig.
Right at the beginning, we see this lion here (and a good many more on city gates, houses, monuments …) so yes, Leipzig is indeed a city of lions!
One task during the culinary treasure hunt through Leipzig is: “Act Goethe’s Faust at the famous Auerbach Keller in Leipzig”. We give our best!
A little later, it is time for rewards: Thanks to our GPS treasure hunt, we find this little voucher for …
… a true “Leipziger Lerche”: This tasty little bakery reverts back to a dark chapter in history, where once real larks (cute little songbirds) where shot from the trees in the nearby Leipzig forests and sold as delicacies all over Europe! Today, however, I think we all prefer the sweet version to the real one.?!
Another thing that is truly unique about Leipzig is this university building here: It has been built to commemorate the fact that once there was a church in this place. I love the architecture – you?
Right next to it, we find .. another watchful lion in the city of Leipzig!
Thank you so much for this interesting treasure hunt around the inner city of Leipzig, dear Katja! We have now got a great many tips for good breakfast places, cafés and restaurants too.
Fresh spirits are awakened by the Leipziger Land, such as canoeing in Markkleeberg or climbing your way to … a luxury tree house!
Around the city of Leipzig, there is a lot to discover as I have already shared with you at the very beginning of my trip to Germany. Although hosting the Olympic Games has never really happened here, the training ground for the rafting & canoeing athletes still stands – and has now been transformed into a well-maintained canoeing park Markkleeberg near the Wachau in Leipzig. I have to smile again, since the Wachau is a very well-known destination in my home country Austria – and also happens to occur in the Leipziger Land! Now who has taken after whom? 😉
Here it is … the famous “Wachau” of Germany. 😀
Still smiling at the coincidence of names, I am met with this view over the water park – brilliant, on a hot summer’s day all you want to do is get right in!
We give our best to follow all instructions and NOT go down in the wild waters here. And we manage!
… somehow, at least. Fun!
After all this wild water rafting adventures, gourmet travellers such as myself need a good old snack – what better way to calm down than having a typical “Brezen” here?
Another tip when visiting the Leipziger Land is the so-called Kletterwald Leipzig, a forest full of hanging ropes, happy swings and climbing devices for visitors of all ages and walks of life. The smell of the forest, the birds singing, the sight of the beautiful Albrechtshainer lake, the feelings & emotions all melt into one here: “I have arrived.” Aaaah. It also has something to do with the fact that my dear host Moritz, at Kletterwald Leipzig, offers to take care of everything. “Over there, right by the lake is our restaurant, where you can enjoy dinner. Breakfast .. We will serve you breakfast right up at your treehouse. You need electricity?” (I am a travel blogger. My “friends” & travel companions are called MacBookAir, iPhone & Co. It’s a hard life 😉 ). Moritz briefly considers this, then his face brightens up: “No problem, I just need to plug two things together for you to have electricity up there at your treehouse! You do know, though, that we are all about disconnecting, and relaxing, here … ?”, he cannot help but smile at me. He is right of course, and I have to laugh with him. When I follow him up to my treehouse for the night, a feeling of elation spreads all over my body. I beam at the fact that a childhood dream of mine has finally come true …!
Arriving at the “Kletterwald Leipzig” climbers’ paradise takes you back to happy childhood days …
… and also means being in good hands: Moritz here takes care of all arrangements, climbing, luxury treehouse or else.
Talking a walk through the forest charges my batteries to the sound & smell of this beautiful patch of land …
… and look at the variety of trails and ropes here, a true and natural climbers’ paradise.
What I also immediately love about this place is the peaceful ambiance by the lake …
… and this of course: MY travel moment of all times, having a luxury breakfast served to me high above the ground in front of my very own treehouse for the night. Pure morning glory!
Camp David – All-On-Sea Resort at Lake Schladitz is both adventure AND recreation. Like in real life, you just have to make choices!
Last but not least, I would like to reveal a real gem in the Leipziger Land. Everything here at Camp David Sports Resort started with … a good idea. Or two. “We use the perfect conditions here at Lake Schladitz to offer seasonal diving courses, surfing lessons as well as several other outdoor activities of all kinds”, says Juliane, who welcomes me at Camp David. Juliane, who immediately invites me to call her Juli. “Easy! We are friends!”
And yes. Here at Camp David, everybody is just so chilled out and relaxed, it is incredibly easy to meet people and make new friends! The perfect summer atmosphere here gets to you. If you want to come down, relax, have the sun shine on your belly, indulge in a few fancy water sports surrounded by summer picnics, deck chairs, nice people, a lake beach & modern holiday homes, you most certainly have arrived. The young surf instructors Christopher and André suggest I do a SUP – Stand Up Paddling course! Do you know what that is? I had only a vague idea. “If you know snowboarding & keeping your balance, then that certainly helps”, Christoph smiles at me encouragingly. I dare not tell him about my recent surf adventure in Ericeira, Portugal … After all, Stand Up Paddling is very different I find, but equally cool! In the evening, Lake Schladitz reflects one of the most beautiful sunsets of my summer travel time in Germany. And early in the morning? It is charming local ladies Conni & Janette looking after me, spoiling me to a breakfast picnic on the lakeside terrace … aaah. Life! Let us not use any more words here, but have the following pictures talk. If travel bloggers are left speechless for once, it is a good sign, I dare say. 🙂
My home near Leipzig: Camp David Sports Resort with a view over Lake Schladitz in the back.
I especially fell in love with the magic of the setting sun out here …
… while morning time is all about being spoiled to peace and calm – and yummy, whole food breakfast German-style!
Sleeping in one of their beautiful, recently built holiday homes means I get to relax for a day full of adventure.
Peace is only interrupted here if major events, such as the Worldcup Final happen: Having Germany win the games was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, celebrating right here with them.
Thank you dear Christoph, for your patience in teaching me SUP – Stand Up Paddling on Lake Schladitz!
Looking for luxury gourmet travel tips, Camp David Sports Resort also provides a fancy restaurant called Levante overlooking the lake.
They serve beautiful, light Mediterranean-style meals out here, such as this crispy home-made Pizza. …
… a true delight worthy of a toast (or two)! Now who wants to come out here with me?
Check out these travel tips and photographs from my summer trip to Leipzig & Leipziger Land here:
Disclaimer: Thank you GNTB German National Tourist Board & Leipzig Tourism Board for inviting me on this trip to discover the Leipzig Lake District. All opinions are my own.