Introduction
Halle has two claims to fame: it was an important producer of salt from the Bronze Ages onwards, and was the place of Händel’s birth in 1685. A large proportion of the city’s population are students: the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg is one of the oldest in the country, and the Burg Giebichenstein Art Academy specialises in art and design. As such there is no shortage of galleries, theatres, museums and music venues, many of which are concentrated around Kulturinsel, or the “Cultural Island”.If you’re in the mood to shop, Leipziger Strasse is filled with boutiques while the old market square is home to big department stores. To the west of here you’ll even find shops dedicated to cigars and rubber stamps.
