Halle (Saale) market square and Market Church.

City lights and culinary delights

Dine on fine wines and high culture

Halle (Saale) and the surrounding Saale-Unstrut region are ideal destinations for an interesting and varied short break. The city in the south of Saxony-Anhalt is in a picturesque setting on the banks of the River Saale. It’s sure to both surprise and impress you. Here you’ll find a unique combination of history, contemporary art and global high culture. You can stroll through the city’s famous museums and enjoy fine-dining.

The southern part of Saxony-Anhalt, the Saale-Unstrut region, has beautiful countryside to offer. Here footpaths and waterways wind their way through river valleys and water meadows. The region is the perfect setting for a walking vacation with the opportunity to discover the fairytale castles, the ancient churches and the Romanesque Road. In the region’s historic towns, people will welcome you with open arms and introduce you to the contemporary culture of the area.

Set in the heart of the city, the niu Ridge is both comfortable and conveniently located.
The Hotel Dorint Charlottenhof offers stylish accommodation in an ideal position.

Our sample tour will give you an overview of the most attractive sights in Halle and the most interesting destinations in the Saale-Unstrut region. The timings are guidelines for your travel planning.

THIS IS JUST ONE POSSIBLE VACATION:

Day 1

You arrive in Halle (Saale) at around midday. You take an initial stroll through the city to stretch your legs and visit the tourist information center in Marktplatz.
You’ll find the first highlights of your visit in the city center:
- The Hausmannstürme, the four towers of the Market Church, and the Red Tower are characteristic features of the city skyline. You can climb to the top of all five towers by yourself or as part of a guided tour.
- There is a memorial to the composer George Frideric Handel in the spacious market place (Marktplatz). He is the city’s most famous son.
- One of Halle’s main exports is Halloren chocolate and anyone with a sweet tooth would be well-advised to stop by the store in the center of the city.
You take the tram toward Kröllwitz or stroll along the River Saale to Burg Giebichenstein (2 hours), a castle which is part of the city museum. During the summer, guided tours, festivals and theater performances take place there.
From 7 p.m. onward, you enjoy dinner in Speiseberg (you’ll need a reservation). The first Michelin-starred restaurant in Halle seats only twelve guests each day against a simple backdrop. The minimalist menu combines Japanese haute cuisine and regional ingredients.

**Halle (Saale) market square and Market Church.**
© Stadtmarketing Halle GmbH / Maximilian Wiesenbach

**Georg Friedrich Handel Monument in Halle (Saale).**
© Stadtmarketing Halle GmbH / Maximilian Wiesenbach

**Cocktail lounge Hausmannstürme of the Marktkirche.**
© IMG / Alf Maron

**Giebichenstein Castle**.
© Stadtmarketing Halle (Saale) GmbH

**Experience the special flair in the numerous restaurants and bars in the city on the Saale.**
© IMG / Alf Maron

OUR TIP:
The Handel Festival is a major musical event that attracts classical music lovers from all over the world to Halle every year. From May 24 to June 9, 2024, you can enjoy the festival’s unique program which includes performances by the world’s leading musicians in authentic settings.

Day 2

After a substantial breakfast in your hotel, you visit the State Museum of Prehistory and the Art Museum Moritzburg.
- In the eleven themed areas of its impressive exhibition, the State Museum of Prehistory guides you through 450,000 years of human history, from the early Stone Age to the start of the modern era.
- The Nebra Sky Disc, which is part of the UNESCO Memory of the World program, is the world’s oldest known physical representation of astronomical phenomena. You have the chance to discover the world of the early Bronze Age.
- The restored ruin of Moritzburg Castle is home to one of Germany’s most important museums of modern 20th century art. The pieces on show include classical modernist paintings and sculptures, among them works by Lionel Feininger.
At lunchtime, you enjoy hearty German food with regional and seasonal ingredients at the Brauhaus. Don’t miss the Halle Flammkuchen, the German version of pizza, and the specialty beers brewed in-house.
Refreshed and revived, you can move on to the birthplace of Georg Frideric Handel. The composer was born in 1685 in Große Nikolaistraße.
- Today the house is a museum with a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life, work and impact of Handel, one of the masters of baroque music, who made his mark on musical history.
- An English-language audio guide will give you all the information you need about the exhibition.
If the weather is fine, you dine in the pleasant courtyard of Restaurant Charlott at Hotel Dorint, surrounded by greenery. As well as sampling the restaurant’s regional and international cuisine, you can choose from a selection of fine wines.
You round off the day with a musical experience at the famous Steintor Varieté concert hall or at Halle Opera House.

**State Museum of Prehistory and …**
© Stadtmarketing Halle (Saale) GmbH

**… the Nebra Sky Disc.**
© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt / Juraj Lipták

**Kunstmuseum Moritzburg in Halle (Saale).**
© IMG

**Kunstmuseum Moritzburg: Historic room.**
© IMG / Alf Maron

**Handel festival in Halle (Saale).**
© IMG

Day 3

From Halle (Saale), you travel almost 50 kilometers to Freyburg (Saale), where you check in at the Weinhotel Freylich Zahn. After this, you head for Naumburg.
- The Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul is one of the most important buildings of the late Romanesque period and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- The cathedral is home to the twelve founder figures, which date back to the mid 13th century and are masterpieces of medieval art. The figure of Uta, in particular, has inspired artists and creatives all over the world.
- An English-language audio guide will reveal all the secrets of the cathedral.
Before you leave Naumburg, take a break in one of the town’s charming cafés, which serve delicious cakes and a selection of specialty coffees and teas.
Your choice of activities for the afternoon will depend on the weather.
- The Rotkäppchen World of Experience gives you a fascinating introduction to the world of sparkling wine production. The wines from this winery in Saxony-Anhalt are amongst the most popular in Germany.
- If the weather is good, you can take part in a wine tour. The well-known Saale-Unstrut region is the most northerly area in Germany where quality wines are grown. Here more than 60 vineyards and wineries open their doors to visitors. Taste the local wines and spirits in the places where they were made.
Over a delicious evening meal in your hotel, you can look back over an enjoyable stay and sample more of the wines from the region.