Borna City Festival
Annual city festival around the marketplace, usually after Ascension Day in late May or early June. With music for every taste, gastronomy, rides and a family mile.
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Borna
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ℹ️Practical info — Borna
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🌤 Weather — 5 days
📍 Nearby
Sights nearby
💡 Tips
- Borna is a gateway to the Leipzig New Lakeland; check the local bus connections if you plan to visit the nearby flooded open-pit mines.
- The Emmauskirche, moved entirely from a village destroyed by mining, is a must-see historical quirk located at Martin-Luther-Platz.
- Parking is generally easier here than in Leipzig, but check for restrictions around the historic market square.
- Many signs regarding the town's mining history are only in German, so having a translation app handy is useful.
🍽 Food
🍽
Saxon Sauerbraten
Available in traditional restaurants near the market square.
🍽
Leipziger Lerche
A sweet pastry specialty you can find in local bakeries.
🍽
Hearty stews
Look for traditional German pubs in the town center for a filling meal.
🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots
🛍
Local Farmers' Market
Fresh produce and regional goods sold at the market square.
🛍
Onion symbol souvenirs
Borna is famously known as the 'Onion City', look for onion-themed crafts in local gift shops.
🧘
Breiter Teich
A photogenic city pond great for a relaxing stroll or sitting on a bench.
🧘
Witznitzer Kippe
A renaturated mining area nearby offering calm walking trails and nature observation.
Water temperature…
Highlights of 2026
1
Borna is a historically significant town south of Leipzig, heavily shaped by decades of lignite mining in the Central German coal district. Where massive excavators once tore up the landscape, the Leipzig Lake District now flourishes; old open-cast mines were intentionally flooded to create modern recreational spaces like the Borna reservoir. The city's most unusual landmark is the Romanesque Emmaus Church. It gained international attention in 2007 when the entire heavy stone structure was lifted onto specialized wheeled platforms and transported 12 kilometers to save it from the neighboring village of Heuersdorf, which was being demolished for mining expansion. Another key historical site is the Reichstor, the only surviving medieval city gate, which now functions as the local municipal museum. In addition to mining, Borna has a long tradition of onion farming; in the 19th century, the "Bornaer onion" was traded throughout Germany. To experience local daily life, visitors should check out the weekly market in front of the historic 1845 town hall. Today, the heavily renatured surrounding landscape draws cyclists and walkers to its newly established paths along the glittering lakes.
- Location: Saxony, Germany
- Top sights: St. Mary's City Church · St. Kunigunde Church · Reichstor Gate
- Nearby: Kitzscher (6 km)
- Population: ~20.013
Best time to visit & climate
The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °C | -1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| Rain mm | 56 | 38 | 46 | 35 | 61 | 65 | 82 | 68 | 59 | 49 | 56 | 55 |
Geography
Facts
- District capital of Leipzig county
- Elevation: 158 meters above sea level
- Relocation of Emmaus Church: Oct 2007
- Weight of the moved church: 830 tons
- Number of districts: 10
- Total area: 62.49 square kilometers
Explore nearby
Notable places around
Route planner — Car & Motorhome
Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.
Vehicle
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© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService
Sights in the town Borna (11)
Schwimmhalle Jahnbad Borna👨👩👧 family
A public indoor swimming pool in Borna, providing visitors with swimming pools for sports and leisure activities.
🌐 borna.de🕒 Mo,Tu 14:00-21:30; We 07:00-10:30,15:00-21:30; Fr 16:00-21:3
Frequently asked questions
What is Borna historically known for?
Borna was a center of brown coal mining in the southern Leipzig region.
What is the Leipziger Neuseenland?
It is a lake district around Borna created from former open-cast mines, good for water sports.
What special church is there in Borna?
The Emmauskirche is famous because it was moved in its entirety from the village of Heuersdorf to Borna in 2007.
How do you get from Leipzig to Borna?
The S-Bahn connects Borna directly with Leipzig city center in about 35 minutes.
Can you go swimming nearby?
Yes, the Harthsee and the Borna reservoir offer good swimming opportunities in the summer.
Borna: where is it located?
Borna is located in Saxony, Germany.
Borna: what is there to see?
Highlights include St. Mary's City Church, St. Kunigunde Church, Reichstor Gate.
Borna: when is the best time to visit?
The most pleasant time to visit is Jun, Aug.
Borna: why is it worth visiting?
Borna is a historically significant town south of Leipzig, heavily shaped by decades of lignite mining in the Central German coal district.
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