The Löwengebäude — the Lion Building, named for the bronze lions outside — is the central administrative and ceremonial building of the Martin Luther University. The neoclassical block was put up in the early 19th century and dominates one side of the Universitätsplatz.
The university spreads across the northern part of the old town and gives Halle much of its character: bookshops, second-hand cafés, the buzz of 20,000 students. The Anatomy theatre, the Robertinum (now the Archaeological Museum), and the Botanical Garden are all worth seeking out.