Schkeuditz, famous for being the actual site for the Leipzig/Halle Airport [LEJ], sits on the Weiße Elster and right in the middle of Leipzig and Halle.
What can you say about the town of Schkeuditz, except that it’s resilient. Since it’s creation in the year 981, the town has been marred and scarred, yet somehow manages to rise each time just a tad more lovely.
During the turbulent times of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), Schkeuditz had been pillaged nine times and burned twelve. It was also a tiny town along the Pilgrim Route, for those Christian travellers on their way to Santiago de Compostella in Spain.
After the Second World War, it was under East German control. It’s now a modern industrial city with little treaures for you to explore around town.
One of Schkeuditz’ more modern sights is the Toy Museum that has over 3000 “tiny” exhibits of toys (including toy trains) from the turn of the 20th century through to the 1960s.
Even more modern is the Astronomy Center, a planetarium built in 1978, that receives 500 visitors per month. It’s funny, it doesn’t seem like a lot but it’s only open on the last Sunday of the month!
Schkeuditz’s Urban Musuem is quite the opposite of modern. It’s a collection of history and artifacts of the area, with some “finds” from the area dating back to prehistoric times. The Urban Museum itself is history, as it’s housed in an old mill and also filled with books and colorful stories of Saxon princes and Prussian history.
Another great place to visit, believe it or not, is the Old Cemetery. It’s a unique meeting place for local artists and where many concerts and local art exhibitions are held.
After that, head over to Kind Kapella for daily activities with the kids (games, art, and sports). Even the local pub, the Golden Deer Pub, has been around since around 1789 and makes for an even better time in Schkeuditz!
