A stroll through Halle

Halle an der Saale might be one of the largest German cities you’ve never heard of. In the little-visited eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, Halle was my home for three years during the 1990s. I was thrilled when I managed to talk my friend Kim into stopping by on our way back to Munich from Leipzig a few weeks ago.

Like most cities in eastern Germany, Halle has undergone a lot of construction in the past couple decades. On this visit we were greeted by a new and improved main square, replete with a newly-renovated cathedral, a newly-renovated tower, and a brand new tourist information center.

After wandering around the center, we made our way up Kleine Ulrich Strasse, a street worth exploring if you ever find yourself in Halle. We had a tasty and inexpensive vegetarian lunch at Ökoase, followed by a coffee out in the sun at Roter Horizont, a cafe with an impressive tea menu.

Next came dessert at the adorable little Nasch Madame, a small, stylish bakery specializing in cupcakes and other not-so-German sweets.

Fortified with so much food and beverage, we headed towards Halle’s main attraction: the Moritzburg art museum. The current exhibition features paintings and drawings from Die Brücke, but the permanent collection is equally impressive, as is the structure itself. Old and new architecture interact in interesting ways in this castle-turned-museum, both inside and out. Fond memories of open-air operas in its courtyard came flooding back to me as we reluctantly made our way back to the car.

We spent much more time at the Moritzburg than expected; by the time we got on the road to Munich, the sun was setting behind the fields of alien-like windmills that lined the road.