The best walks and hikes around Auensee

The area was formerly covered by floodplain forest. From 1937 to 1983, household waste was dumped here. In 2003, renaturation work began, costing 4.3 million euros. Since 2008, the site has been open to the public, but in parts "at your own risk". Paved paths lead to the plateau, from where there are good views of the city center in some places, but the vegetation has now grown so high that this is limited to a few spots. For a time, the Nahleberg was heavily frequented by mountain bikers. Despite repeated renovations, parts of the covering on the slopes have slipped and exposed household waste residues. For this reason and due to legal concerns, the Nahleberg is not an officially designated recreational area. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahleberg

The area was formerly covered by floodplain forest. From 1937 to 1983, household waste was dumped here. In 2003, renaturation work began, costing 4.3 million euros. Since 2008, the site has been open to the public, but in parts "at your own risk". Paved paths lead to the plateau, from where there are good views of the city center in some places, but the vegetation has now grown so high that this is limited to a few spots. For a time, the Nahleberg was heavily frequented by mountain bikers. Despite repeated repairs, parts of the covering on the slopes have slipped and exposed household waste. For this reason and due to legal concerns, the Nahleberg is not an officially designated recreational area. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahleberg

The 12-hectare Auensee, while a popular destination, has been suffering from recurring blue-green algae problems for decades. Auensee is a highly eutrophic lake with no inflow or outflow, fed exclusively by groundwater heavily loaded with nutrients. When temperatures are high in summer and little fresh water is supplied, the oxygen content in the water can drop drastically. Fish – especially sensitive species and large, established populations – then suffer from acute oxygen deficiency. Under unfavorable weather conditions or further stress such as nutrient input, a critical situation arises, regularly leading to significant losses of animal life. For the affected fish, this means great suffering, as the suffocation or oxygen deficiency often extends over hours. In addition to fish, numerous other animals in and around the water are also affected: insects, waterfowl, and small mammals lose an important food source, and the ecological balance is thrown off. Repeated fish kills indicate fundamental deficits in water management and a lack of protective measures. From an animal welfare perspective, this should be counteracted – for example, through sustainable management (e.g., better fresh water supply, reduction of nutrient inputs, technical aeration in midsummer). Only in this way can the body of water be developed back into a species-rich and animal-welfare-friendly habitat. Measures aimed at long-term improvement of water quality and the prevention of fish kills are indispensable for a functioning urban ecosystem and the preservation of biodiversity. The Green Party faction has repeatedly advocated for improving the lake's condition through additional oxygen input. Since spring 2012, three deep water aeration systems (TIBEAN) have been in use, supplying the lake with oxygen. However, the fundamental problem of high sludge volumes in the lake cannot be solved by this alone. This station is part of the Discover Green Corners tour "Animal welfare in Leipzig" - gruene-ecken-entdecken.de

It always looks beautiful when you walk past it

I attended the Unheilig concert there on November 20, 2025. A very nice venue. Easily accessible by tram (Wahren/Rathaus stop). Friendly staff.

In addition, the steam-powered railway

Free parking is available near the Auensee. Arrive early to secure good spots in good weather!

The Burgauenbach branches off from the Nahle in the Leipzig district of Alt-West in the Leutzsch district above the Nahle weir. Over the next three kilometers, it passes through three culverts, first the Kleine Luppe, then the Leipzig–Leutzsch railway line (the Wahren–Leutzsch railway line that follows shortly afterwards is crossed in a tunnel) and finally Gustav-Esche-Straße. In this area, a branch leads approx. 0.2 m³ of water per second to the Bauerngraben.[3] At the nearby border with the Burgaue district in the Wahren district, the Burgauenbach has almost completed half of its journey. After about 3.5 km of flow, a trough bridge directs the Burgauenbach over the Bauerngraben, which runs almost two meters lower. The Burgauenbach joins it after a total of 5.374 km and, according to the common definition, ends at this long-standing body of water. However, according to the criterion of greater water flow, the Bauerngraben flows into the Burgauenbach, shortly before its confluence with the Neue Luppe.