Each year at Whitsuntide the Goth Festival takes place throughout the city of Leipzig in Germany – entitled the Wave-Gotic-Treffen. We have been to many Steampunk Festivals in Britain in order to take photos of people in costume, but this was the first time we’ve attended one abroad. People have spent a lot on their outfits and love to be photographed!
We stayed at the Premier Inn Leipzig Oper Hotel, which is a five-minute walk from the main raiway station – as we travelled in by train. This is also where the buses and trams stop. The hotel overlooked Schwanenteich Park and the grand Opera House. We bought our wristband from the ticket booth in the park. Wearing a Wave-Gotic-Treffen wristband entitles you to free travel by public transport around the city.
There is a lot going on with over 50 various events taking place such as a themed picnic in Clara Zetkin Park. There are concerts taking place on stages in the various squares. Not only is the music great, but also the concerts are free. Compared to similar events in Britain, the squares were set out with tables and chairs. You pay more for your first drink then take the glass back for a cheaper refill. So, no-one has to go around collecting the glasses! It was also noticeable the lack of of litter that you often experience back in Britain.
There were two “Medieval” markets – one of which we went to at Torhaus Dolitz. Here there were stalls, food, drink, folk music plus demonstrations of traditional arts and crafts.Several of the Leipzig museums offered free admission. There were also free opera and theatre tickets but places were limited.
The whole event was well organised and friendly with families enjoying themselves. Of course, there is so much more to see in Leipzig which we didn’t have time to visit. We are considering a return trip in the future when we can also do some more exploring.
