Leipzig, Germany

(last updated November 2009)

Everywhere we have been in Germany it has been extremely pet-friendly, especially for dogs. Leipzig is no exception and dogs are pretty much found everywhere!

As a general rule in Leipzig, dogs are allowed (on-leash) in:

• Restaurants
• Coffee shops
• Bars and Pubs
• Beer gardens
• Stores, including department stores and malls
• Public Transit (Trams, Trains, Buses) *
• Virtually all outdoor public areas
  

*dogs must pay a child's fare to ride public transport UNLESS they are carried in a bag. Large dogs must be muzzled on request

Dogs are NOT allowed in:

• grocery stores
• bakeries
• stores where food is sold (ie: DM pharmacy)
• movie theatres (independant movie theatres may make exceptions, call beforehand to inquire)
• Leipzig's one and only Karaoke bar (zum kakadu)
• Leipzig Zoo
  

Leipzig is really dog-safe and we have never heard of (nor had) anyone stealing or hurting dogs that were tied up oustide a store (like a supermarket). There are very few/no stray dogs in Leipzig, however one friend of ours, returned from her shopping to find her tied-up dog making sweet love to a female dog that was off-leash and in heat. So be aware if your dog is not spayed or neutered.

In shopping malls if you must enter a dog-unfriendly store , you can tie your dog up to the nearest post INSIDE the mall.

Always have poop bags with you, there are city officials that can stop you if they feel you are breaking any of the dog rules (e.g.: dog off-leash in an on-leash area) and they generally will ask you if you have poop bags with you. Plus, its just common courtesy.

Hotels
Several hotels allow dogs however our experience is limited in this area as we live in the city. Generally hotels do accept dogs so if you find somewhere you would like to stay then call or email in advance to see if its allowed; it never hurts to ask (and please leave us a comment to this post or send us an email so we can add the info to this entry, thanks!) Booked.net currently lists 17 hotels in Leipzig that allow pets, but the only one we know first hand is:

• Best Western Premier Viktor's Residenz Hotel: this is a pretty old-style European hotel located right beside the hauptbahnhof (main train station) and a 2 minute walk from the city center. Their website states a 10 euro charge per pet per night applies. Georgiring 13, 04103, Leipzig, +49 (0) 3 41/68 66-0, info.leipzig@victors.bestwestern.de

Dog Parks
In Leipzig, most park areas require dogs to be on-leash, however, there are many areas that are designated off-leash with signs that read "hundewiese". These areas are great places to meet other dog owners and socialize your dog, especially on weekends (see some examples below in "best dogs parks").

In most cases, even if you dog is not on-leash in other areas, no one will say anything (especially if you are a responsible owner and have control of your dog and clean up after him/her).

The following map points out some of the best dog-friendly parks in the 'zig:

View Leipzig Dog Parks in a larger map

• Rosental: Rosental Park has a huge off leash dog area surrounded by forest at its westernmost side. Its a great place for your dog to learn to be off leash since even if he/she runs away there is no nearby road. We have never had any problems or seen any vicious dog fights and always feel totally safe with our dog at this park. As an added bonus, the Leipzig Zoo's Kiwara savanah area borders the human park (just beside the dog park) so on your way to and from Rosental you can see giraffes, zebras and other African "wildlife".

• Cospudener See (aka the Cossi) is a man-made lake just south of the city. The lake is 11km around which makes for a terrific jog/walk/bike ride with your 4-legged companion. Alternatively, you can take your dog to the dog beach ("hundestrand" - "hoond-de-shtrund") where (s)he can play in the water and on the shore with other dogs off-leash. The only caveat is that nudism (FKK - Freikörperkultur aka free body culture) is alive and well in Leipzig and the dog park borders (and blends with) the nudist beach, so prudes be warned. To get there, take tram #3 from the Leipzig main train station (hauptbahnhof) to the Huttenstrasse stop. Then turn the corner and go to the bus stop, where you will pick up bus #65 and get off at the Cospudener See, Nordstrand stop (use this LVB link to check times of departure). When you get off the bus and walk straight to the beach you will be at the Hacienda strand (beach). From the Hacienda restaurant, walk rightwards (as you face the lake) and at the Western end of the beach (just keep walking till there is no more beach) that is the dog beach.
  

• Leipzig Wildpark. Tucked away in a large forested area is the Leipzig Wildpark ("Vild-park"), a small city zoo with free admission and animals from Europe and North America. You can take your dog through the park with you and its open 365 days of year and is quite beautiful in the winter when it snows. The entire forested area is lovely to walk through and the trails are extremely easy to follow. The main paths are primarily used for cycling so it is not advised to have your dog off-leash in those areas (and certainly not in the Wildpark itself). Take tram #9 to the Wildpark stop.

View Larger Map

Dog-Friendly Restaurants/Pubs
The following map points out some of our favorite dog friendly restaurants and pubs in Leipzig. There are some very cool restaurants/bars/beer gardens such as Substanz (See map) where dogs are allowed off-leash to roam around and meet other pups as well as patrons but this is completely up to the owner's discretion. In this case, follow the lead of others.:

View Leipzig Restaurants in a larger map

• Shiki Sushi The amazing staff at Shiki Sushi will happily make you a large vegetarian sushi platter for however many people you want (15 euros for a good sized portion, 30 euros for two and so on). They have always been so nice to our dog there and have even made him maki on occasion when its a slow day. Make sure to ask for "vegetarisch" ("veh-gay-tar-ish") and "ohne fisch" ("oh-ne fish") (and "ohne eier" ("oh-ne aye-er") if you are vegan) as most Germans who call themselves vegetarian still consume fish. Casual dining. Marktgalerie, 04109, Leipzig (in the Breuniger passage and just off of Barfussgäschen)
  

• Sol y Mar One of the restaurants with the best atmosphere's in the 'zig. Dogs are allowed at the this restaurant no questions asked however, in the area where you are served in bed, dogs are not allowed on the bed, they are permitted to lay beside you on the floor however. Casual/buisiness casual dining. Gottschedstraße 4, 04109 (just 20 meters west of the city center)

• Le Telegraph This restaurant in the city center has some of the yummiest breakfasts to start your day and supplies newspapers from around the globe for your morning reading pleasure. Lunch and dinner also served but they really excel at breakfast! Casual Dining. Dittrichring 18-20, 04109
  

• La Grotta Palazzese has the best pizza in Leipzig and the owner is a big dog lover too. Over 100 wood-burning stone-oven pizzas to choose from plus other Italian fare and a dessert chef who always has some amazing confection to satisfy your sweet tooth. Casual Dining. Ratsfreischulstrasse 6-8, 04109

• McCormack's ballroom hosts a ENGLISH pubquiz on Tuesday nights starting at 8:30pm. The trivia game usually goes until 11pm and you can get some good food and drink at cheap prices and do one of the few English activities there is to do in Liepzig. (note: pubquiz is sometimes off over the summer months) Kurt Eisner Str. 43 (not to be confused with McCormack's Pub)

• Barfussgäschen. This small street just off of the Marktplatz in the Leipzig city center ("zentrum") is a great place to grab a drink and/or some food when visiting the city. Kildare's Irish City Pub and 100Wasser are two of our favorites but all the establishments have something fun to offer. Most of the year you can sit outside on the front patios as heaters and blankets make it tolerable even when the tempertaure dips.

• Stelzenhaus. This "stilt house" right on the Karl Heine Kanal is a real treat west of the city center. The food is exquisite and the atmosphere modern and soothing. Business casual attire is best for this fine dining experience. There is a map on their website if you care to tram and then walk there, but easiest for visitors is to take a taxi which will drop you at the Stelzenhaus front door (~10 euro with tip from the city center). Weißenfelser Straße 65, 04229

• Brunch. If you are in Leipzig on a Sunday then you must do as the Leipziggers do and grab a brunch buffet! Some of our favorites are at the Südbrause (Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 154, 04277) or the Kanal 28 cafe (Am Kanal 28, 04179) which is in the neighbourhood of Plagwitz in the West of the city, but well worth the cab ride there.
  

Only Sorta Dog-Friendly but worth a mention

• Zest This is our favorite restaurant in Leipzig. It is vegan and fusion cusine but almost every meat-eater we have taken there has fallen in love with the chef. Sadly, however, no pets allowed inside. Luckily though, during warm weather they have an outdoor patio, in which case you can dine outside with your dog :) Casual/buisness casual dress for this fine dining experience. Bornaische Str. 54, 04277, 0341 2319126

View Zest Restaurants in a larger map

• Basamo One of our most favorite places to hang out. Jerry offers up great Moazambican food, an amazing selection of drinks and the best Afro-carribean music around. The main restaurant/bar has 2 floors of chill out space where dogs are allowed. The basement houses the "dance cave" which alternates between Reggae & African music nights and Hip-hop & RnB nights (referred to as "black music" in Germany). Jerry will let you bring your dog downstairs but its dark and some of the clientele are easily freaked by our canine companions, so stick to upstairs if you have your pet with you. Casual dining. Nürnberger Straße 11, 04103, 0341/960 76 54

• Kaimung a great sit down & take out Thai/Asian fast food restaurant located near Augustusplatz in the city center, but because they share floor space with a bakery, no dogs allowed inside. During the summer you can eat outside and otherwise just run in for takeout after tying your dog up outside. For take out ask for your order "zum mit nehmen" ("tsoom mit nay-men"). Grimmaische Str. 25, 04109
  

Just skip it

• Kaiser Maximillian - possibly the most overated restaurant in the 'Zig.

Veterinary care & health concerns

We have been taking all of our pets to Dr. Sabine Zimmermann-Kuhn since we have been in Leipzig. Her English is quite good and she has always been very friendly and professional with us. Taking your dog to the vet is really cheap in Leipzig (at least compared to Canadian/American standards) so if you have any problems with your pet you should not hesitate to contact Dr. Zimmermann or anyone else who is recommended to you. Veterinarian is "tierartz" ("teer-art-st") in German. note: We have found that German veterinarians are not as forthcoming with possible tests and treatments as North american vets, as such, we find saying something along the lines of "money is not an issue" will open up possibilities to you when faced with few treatment options. 

Lyme disease (commonly referred to as Hundemalaria (dog malaria) in German) exists in Leipzig and throughout Germany. It is transmitted by ticks which are incredibly common here, so make sure to have your dog properly treated against ticks with your treatment of preference. Even with regular use of frontline medication, our dog generally picks up a tick now and then, so be vigilant and check your dog for ticks.
Heartworm (a common concern in North America) does not exist in Germany but does in other parts of Southern Europe, so plan accordingly.


The Leipzig Tierheim is one of the best run animal shelters I have ever visited. Please consider adopting from them if you are staying in Leipzig for an extended period of time or donating to keep their program and facilities running.