Halle an der Saale

Halle an der Saale

Nestling beside the River Saale, to the southern part of Saxony -Anhalt lies an economic and educational center boasting proudly of its enriched culture, tradition, and economy, a German town known to the world as “Halle an der Saale.” The city is proud of being the motherland of the famous German legendary composer George Fredrick. This famous city along with its neighbor brother Leipzig is at the core of the heart of the Central German Metropolitan Region.

Location:

Covering an area of about 135.01 km² and bearing the burden of 232470 inhabitants, Halle sits on the right bank of the Saale river (hence called Halle an der Salle) flowing through the surrounding neighboring plains from the Free State of Thuringia to the Thuringian basin. Leipzig lies only 35 kilometers away from this historic town. The magnificent scenario alongside the beautiful river, Saale acts as a magnet to attract a large crowd of tourists to this old romantic place.

Climate:

With an average temperature of 9.1 degrees Celsius and average rainfall of about 483 mm, this beautiful town of Germany receives rainfall throughout the year including the driest month of the calendar. The climate of Halle an der Saale is overall temperate and humid in nature.

History:

Halle is a city with noted historical significance. Its historical trail is embarked everywhere in the city which bears witness of several characteristics imprints of many epochs. First mentioned in a historical chronicle in the late 806 A.D, the early medieval salt city,  Halle an der Saale has grown as an important and unique point of interest. Its rich past could easily be spotted in an old part of the town which bears the evidence of the Age of Reformation. With the establishment of the universities and various educational institutions, Halle came to be known for its rigorous science and helped to connect to the most influential movements of the age. Apart from being an educational center, Halle has always been a home for arts and paintings. The beauty of this historic salt city attracted many painters to create Halle on their canvas. Moreover, Handel’s birth house, market church, etc. have left behind many imprints representing the rich past of the city.

The city:

Proud of being one of the major educational centers and citadel of tradition and culture, Halle on the bank of the beautiful river Salle is the land bearer of one of the oldest and largest universities of the Germanic lands, the University of Halle- Wittenberg. The city is the only place in Germany which hosts the celebration of the famous Handel Festival, attracting a large number of people from in and out the country. The city enthralls the audiences with the various operas performed by top leads since the year 1922. Apart from various attractive sights, this city also boasts of its rich industrial heritage. Salt trade was responsible for making the city of Halle such prosperous and wealthy. The historical ambiance of the salt city can be sighted from the remnants of the medieval castle. Various museums, scientific academies, music schools increase the charm of this city. Weinberg Campus, Francke Foundation, etc. provide opportunities to the traveler to explore Halle in the relaxed and charming atmosphere.

Travelling in the city:

It is a city of life, a city packed with its rich, glorious past and bounded with spell magic of scenic beauty, attracts a large crowd ever year. The stylish town, numerous green areas, and various works of architecture with its narrow roads and paths create a trail of history everywhere. To explore the city which is still bestowing its ramparts of past and also holding the privilege of being an important trade and economic center of the country, the best way recommended is on foot or by cycling. Since it is a small city, exploring Halle en der Salle is much like exploring a university campus.

Why visit:

Halle is an ideal study center, with three universities providing educational facilities to about 20,800 students. Cycling is mostly favored by the tourists and even the rent expenses are cheap compared to the German average. The summer life of Halle is very exciting; Life takes place in streets there lined with various cafes and pubs serving delicious hot chocolates, coffee dipped in various flavor ranging from cinnamon, chili to coconut. The restaurants and bars provide a homely atmosphere for its customers. Moreover to meet new people one can visit the famous Peissnitz Island, which marks as the junction of the meeting of river Salle and the saline river. Moreover, the nightlife in Halle is too exciting and cheap, various spots across the nestling river of the old city provide a cool and relaxed atmosphere to enjoy and unwind. A place called Hufeisensee makes every traveler feel like he is in the middle of the country. The city also has excellent transport connections to reach and explore the nearby towns and lakes. The laid back and cheerful atmosphere of Halle make every tourist revisit this place again and again.

Major attractions:

Setting a perfect example of the blending of historical and modern culture and tradition, Halle en der Salle have many attractive spots and places to explore.  From culture, tradition, shopping, relaxing life, Halle has so much to offer. Barely any other place holds such promising possibility of exploration to the traveler. Although the list is too long for this beautiful city, the following list highlights the famous and major attractions of this city:

• Halloren Chocolate Factory is a major visiting site for tourists as it is the oldest in Germany with “Halloren globes” being its very famous and a delicious product. Interestingly, this famous factory also has a museum which exhibits the history of chocolate making, equipments required and also a view of the working process of the factory.
• Moritzburg representing the residential places of the bishops was reconstructed partially after its ruin in the Thirty Years War. Presently it is an art gallery.
• Neue Residenz represents a historic palace which is a mark of Renaissance
• The famous Market Square comprising the:

1. Market Church: Its four towers marks as a landmark of the city bearing the status of owning the death mask of Martin Luther.
2. Red Tower: It was built as the bell tower for the church of St. Mary. Red Tower with St. Mary’s church‘s steeples makes an assembling of five towers forming the skyline of the city.
3. The monument made by Hermann Heidel to George Frideric Handel in the year 1859.

• Handel House: The legendary Geman Composer was born in this very historic city of Germany in the year 1685 dated February 23. This Handel House is now a museum that helps tourists explore the uncovered secrets of this legendary composer
• Nebra sky disc: A Bronze made disc plated with gold leaf decoration, found near Nebra in the year 1999, this disc marks as an artifact dating back to the Bronze Age. Presently found in the State Museum of Prehistory, it is believed to be one of the rare early known depictions of the heavens.
• The ramparts of the Leipzig tower and the town wall also serve as major attractions for the travelers.
• Saline Museum: A museum in Halle depicting and representing the life of the Halle’s salt workers and the corporation of those known as Halloren.
• The Francke Foundation: Founded in the year 1698, it is an educational as well as social charity foundation.
• Halle Cathedral: Marking as one of the oldest religious buildings in this salt city, Halle Cathedral, its magnificent interior beholds the eye of the observer which features the artwork of the famous painters, Lucas and Matthias.
• The famous theaters of Halle are Halle Opera House, Neu’s Theater, Puppet Theatre, Steintor Buhne, Thalia Theater (which is known for being the only children theater) etc.
• The botanical gardens and parks of Halle attract quite a good number of tourists from all around. The famous ones are the Botanical Garden of Halle-Wittenberg University and Reichardts Garten, which is a historic park, both being parts of Garden Dreams Project.
• The Halle zoo is popularly known for its contribution in EAZA breeding programme for breeding purposes of Angolan Lion and the Malaysian tiger.
• Moreover, Peibnitz Island, Pestalozzi Park, and the Zoological Garden also known as Bergzoo are famous places of attractions in Halle.
• Halle –Neustadt: It is popularly known as a model city of socialist which was built during 1964 lying to the west of Halle.
• Dolauer Heide forest: It is famous for including about 35 graves which are known to date back to the Neolithic Period i.e. from 2500-2000 B.C

Other places around Halle en der Salle:

Apart from exploring various places in Halle, one can also enjoy the following nearby areas around this city:

Merseburg, Scheuditz, Leuna, BadDurrenberg, Delitzsch, Bitterfeld, Kothen, Querfurt, Wolfen, Leipzig, Hettstedt, Bernburg, Taucha and Aken.

Among these, Leipzig holds a prior significance due to the fact of being the largest city in the state of Saxony. It also occupies a significant place in the list of being one of the most populous cities in Germany. Besides being a trade city Leipzig also has the privilege to boast of Leipzig University which was established in the year 1409 for being one of Europe’s oldest universities.

All these facts and places provide huge opportunities for the traveler to explore this Land of beauty

“Halle en der Salle.” So go ahead and visit this amazing place with your family and friends. With lots to explore and roam around, this tourist hotspot would keep you enthralled at all times. A highly recommended place, you won’t regret visiting it!