Leipzig's coolest strip links our hotels at Bayrischer Platz and Alt-Connewitz. Street life, indie shops and staff picks from Südvorstadt to Connewitz.
The KarLi as a spine
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, or KarLi for short, is Leipzig’s coolest stretch between Südvorstadt and Connewitz. For a good two kilometers you get food spots, boutiques, bars, Spätis and cafés stacked close together, with proper street life in between. This is not a glossy boulevard. Think corner pub next to espresso bar, vinyl next to natural wine, döner next to falafel.
The real KarLi basically invites you to wander, and from both of our Leipzig hotels it is an easy walk. Hotel am Bayrischen Platz sits northeast of the street, a few minutes from the southern edge of the center. About ten minutes on foot and you are right in it, or take the tram and you are even quicker. At the other end waits Hotel Alt-Connewitz, close to Connewitzer Kreuz and the southern KarLi stretch. City in the morning, neighborhood at night - or the other way round. The KarLi works as a lively axis in between.
From Hotel am Bayrischen Platz you cross over via Paul-List-Straße and Riemannstraße. From Alt-Connewitz you head north on Meusdorfer Straße to Connewitzer Kreuz. Both are short walks, and that is what makes the street so easy for a Leipzig day. Plenty of stops, not much distance.
North to south along the strip
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße roughly starts at Emilienstraße, runs past Südplatz through Südvorstadt and ends at Connewitzer Kreuz. In between, the stretches around Kochstraße and Schenkstraße and the blocks by the old factory yard each have their own rhythm. Late breakfast, an Asia deli lunch, an after-work drink or midnight pizza. You can often find all of that within a few house numbers.
Browsing on the KarLi
Browsing on the KarLi is worth it if you like curated stores and small makers, the kind of finds you will not get from mass retail. Stilkontor at Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 30 is into menswear with craft and substance. Further south, Vielfach at number 66 gathers design, stationery, ceramics and gifts from indie brands. Just around the corner at number 58, Südseite is all about interiors, plants, jewelry and carefully picked gift pieces.
The heart of it is the old factory yard of the Kunst- und Gewerbegenossenschaft Feinkost at Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 36. Locals just say Feinkost, and they do not mean a deli counter. They mean studios, shops, workshops, markets and the odd summer cinema behind the old halls. In the courtyard you will find Mrs. Hippie for fair fashion and secondhand, Whispers Records for vinyl and Serifee, a children’s bookshop made for lingering. On the first Saturday of the month the flea market joins in. It feels very KarLi, full of local finds and short on boring thrift-store filler.
If you want actual delicatessen, keep going to number 55 for Feinkost Kretzschmar. Since 1933 this family spot has sold regional specialties right on the KarLi, with tradition and quality still doing the talking.
Tips from the team
Our Leipzig team knows this street from everyday life. Here are their staff picks.
Anastasia likes to send you to Schnellbuffet Süd at Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 139 before a bar night. Hearty German home cooking, classic East German dishes and proper canteen charm. You will leave with a solid base for the evening, and it actually tastes good too. She also puts the Feinkost flea market on the must-do list for the first Saturday of the month.
Anne swears by Perlentaucher at Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 51. Beads, jewelry bits and one-offs, plus advice and the odd workshop. Great for souvenirs and DIY nights.
Viktoriia has the sweet stop. Magic Waffle is on Riemannstraße 29b, basically on the corner with the KarLi and perfect on the walk from Bayrischer Platz. Waffles, cake, ice cream and those hyper-realistic fruit tarts à la Cédric Grolet that blow up on TikTok. Viktoriia stays loyal though. The waffles still win.
Sandra thinks more international and café. At La Cosita on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 89 she loves the homemade nachos with the dips. Sona at 57 is her go-to for sushi and Asian fusion with a calm interior. And at Forest Park at 94 you get all-day breakfast, sandwiches, sweet stuff and plenty of vegan and vegetarian options.
Roadworks on the KarLi
Roadworks are back on the KarLi in 2026 too. Leipzig’s water utility has been renewing drinking-water pipes between Südplatz and Hardenbergstraße since April, section by section and likely through the end of the year. Sidewalks stay open, shops stay reachable and the tram keeps running. Cars heading out of town often get diverted via August-Bebel-Straße for the stretch under construction. A short-term pain for a long-term fix. On foot or by tram you are still right in the middle of it.
Back to our hotels
The KarLi is everyday life and a bit of a stage at the same time. For guests of our houses it links city-edge convenience at Bayrischer Platz with neighborhood energy in Connewitz. Take an afternoon or a full day. Drift, taste your way through and bring home a find from one of the small shops.
Some of the stops from this piece are on the map, and our hotels wait at both ends of the strip.