A stroll through Halle

Markt in Halle an der Saale

Halle an der Saale might be one of the largest German cities you’ve never heard of. In the little-visited eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, Halle was my home for three years during the 1990s. I was thrilled when I managed to talk my friend Kim into stopping by on our way back to Munich from Leipzig a few weeks ago.

donkey fountain in Halle

Like most cities in eastern Germany, Halle has undergone a lot of construction in the past couple decades. On this visit we were greeted by a new and improved main square, replete with a newly-renovated cathedral, a newly-renovated tower, and a brand new tourist information center.

high water marks in Halle, Germany

After wandering around the center, we made our way up Kleine Ulrich Strasse, a street worth exploring if you ever find yourself in Halle. We had a tasty and inexpensive vegetarian lunch at Ökoase, followed by a coffee out in the sun at Roter Horizont, a cafe with an impressive tea menu.

Nasch Madame bakery in Halle

Next came dessert at the adorable little Nasch Madame, a small, stylish bakery specializing in cupcakes and other not-so-German sweets.

Moritzburg castle in Halle, Germany

Fortified with so much food and beverage, we headed towards Halle’s main attraction: the Moritzburg art museum. The current exhibition features paintings and drawings from Die Brücke, but the permanent collection is equally impressive, as is the structure itself. Old and new architecture interact in interesting ways in this castle-turned-museum, both inside and out. Fond memories of open-air operas in its courtyard came flooding back to me as we reluctantly made our way back to the car.

Moritzburg, Halle an der Saale

We spent much more time at the Moritzburg than expected; by the time we got on the road to Munich, the sun was setting behind the fields of alien-like windmills that lined the road.

roadside windmills in Germany

5 thoughts on “A stroll through Halle”

  1. Ashamed to say I’ve never heard of Halle before, looks well worthy of a visit though from your account Julie, thanks. 🙂

  2. Hi! Visiting from IComLeaveWe.

    I love travel blogs – I have one of my own too! So I’m about to bookmark you and will definitely visit again. I love the photo of the art museum. I’m getting itchy feet again.

  3. I think Halle is known in Britain to a certain degree mainly for the German-British composer Handel/Händel who was born there.

  4. @Patrick – Yes, Handel is probably Halle’s biggest claim to international fame. He is quite celebrated there, and his statue stands in the middle of the main square.

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