About Frankfurt

Frankfurt is one of the most welcoming German cities, largely due to the cultural diversity you will find here, the city hosting nationalities you may never have thought of. Frankfurt is the largest financial center in Germany, a historic city of royal and imperial crowns, the city of Goethe.  It is said to be one of the smallest metropolis in the world, you have a lot to discover here, all of these things being at your fingertips.

How To Get To Frankfurt

Frankfurt airport is one of the most active airports in Europe, ranking third by passenger traffic after Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle. For this reason, all major airlines fly to Frankfurt.

Useful Information

Currency: EUR

Official Language: of course German

Time Zone GMT 01.00

When It Is Advisable To Visit

It can be said that Germany has a temperate climate, therefore the summers are warm but you need to be ready for rainy and cold days.

Best time – June –July – August

Accommodation

Most hotels are expensive and you can find it pretty hard to book a cheap option; therefore, it’s good to book in advance. Prices usually increase by about 5% during the festivals and fairs period, and there are around 30 annually. If you want to avoid that period, it’s good to get in contact with the German National Tourist Office.

The below are of course depending on location and the period you are visiting.

·         1 star around 45 EUR

·         2 stars around 67 EUR

·         3 stars between 40 to 207 EUR

·         4 stars between 50 to 250 EUR

·         5 stars between 90 to 350 EUR

based on booking.com 

Transportation

The city has a well-established public transport system. You can buy tickets from the vending machines at any station.

·         One trip local transport – 2.75 EUR

·         Taxi 1.75 EUR per km

·         Fuel 1-liter approx. 1.50 EUR

Restaurant Prices

·         Three-course meals for two at a medium restaurant 50EUR

·         Local beer (pint 0.5L) 3.5 EUR

·         Imported beer (0.33L) 4 EUR

·         Wine (glass) 5 EUR

·         Cola (0.33L) 2.3 EUR

·         Water (0.5L) 1.76 EUR

·         Coffee 2.8 EUR

Top Landmarks

Markets and Central Areas

Romerberg is the old town center. It offers various buildings and churches built-in the 14th to 15th centuries. Most of them were destroyed during World War II but completely rehabilitated in the coming years. Here you can find many cafes and shops.

 Hauptwache district

This district has been always considered the great city center, especially due to the importance of public transport stations around it. The area is situated between the great shopping street (Zeil) Eschenheimer Tor and Rossmarket, a beautiful civic market. The place is named after an old baroque building called Hauptwache, located more or less in the center. The location was built in 1730 to host the city police station, but since 1905 it served as a café. 

Bornheim district

This beautiful quartier is safe and clean, located northeast of downtown Frankfurt, so you really want to stay with a beautiful memory of the city, make a visit here. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the Am Uhrturmchen (clock towers) host the Farmer Bornheim market with fresh fruits and vegetables, including barkers, butchers and local craftsmen. Actually, Bornheim was nicknamed Funny Village, because this district was known about 120 ago as the Red Light District of Frankfurt, but currently, it’s a vibrant neighborhood and very popular among the youngsters.

Stop here at Solzer or Sonne Zur – for a place where you can taste cider in Frankfurt.

Sachsenhausen district

The old district of Sachsenhausen, is located on the southern bank of the main river and has been preserved with great care. Due to the paved streets, partially wooden made houses and beer gardens, the district is a preferred area for strolling.

The big attractions are – Musseumsufer, the area where 7 museums are located close to each other and the famous taverns where Apfelwein (apple wine) is served.

Cathedrals and Churches

St. Paul’s Church

This church was built where the first parliament composed of representatives from all regions of Germany met. This first German parliament has been active for only one year. Today the St. Paul’s Church, which has been secularized and refurbished without much taste, remains a symbol of German democracy.

St. Bartholomew Cathedral

Because between the 16th and 18th centuries here were elected and crowned leaders of the Holy Roman Empire, this church is also called the Kaiserdom (the Cathedral of the Emperors)

The most impressive thing is the red sandstone tower (nearly 100meters high) which was added to the church between 1415 and 1514. If you are in the tower, you will definitely enjoy a delightful panoramic image.

The Carmelite Monastery

The monastery was secularized in 1803 and renovated in the 80s, now hosting the Museum fur Vorund Fruhgeschichte (Museum of Prehistory and Early History). In the main building, you have the chance to admire the largest religious fresco in the northern area of the Alps. It represents the birth and death of Christ.

Museums and Art Galleries

Schirn Kunsthalle Museum

Schrin Kunsthalle is one of the most modern museums in the city with exclusive temporary exhibitions of modern art and photography. The museum is across the street from Kaiserdom.

Jewish Museum

The Jewish community in Frankfurt was the second largest in Germany by the number of members. In this museum, there are vast archives, which contain documents related to the history and culture of the Jews. 

Senckenberg Natural History Museum

You can find here an important collection of fossils, animals, plants and geological exhibits. It’s a very popular museum for a family with children.

The Memorial House and Goethe Museum

The house where the most famous German poet was born in 1749 is furnished with many of the original objects that belonged to his family. The Memorial House was destroyed in an Allied bombing but rebuilt taking into account all the details of the original construction. In the Goethe Museum, you can admire works that inspired Goethe (the poet was also an amateur painter) and various other works that relate to his contemporaries.

Stadel Art Institute

At the Stadel Art Institute, you can admire one of the most important art collections in Germany, including art signed by Durer, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet, Renoir, and other masters.

Museum of Modern Art

Austrian architect Hans Hollein designed the building by giving an original shape of a cake slice. Inside you can admire American pop art as well as the work of German artists.

Frankfurt’s History Museum

You can admire here all aspects related to the history of the city for over eight hundred years. Here you have the opportunity to admire a mosaic of old Frankfurt, with every street, house, and church as they once looked like.

Buildings and Towers

MainTower

The main tower is the tallest building in Frankfurt sitting at 340 meters tall and has 5 underground floors with two public platforms on which tourists can admire the panorama of the city. It’s the only skyscraper in the city and hosts an observatory for public viewing. 

City Hall

The building is made up of three aristocratic structures. Commercially animated, the building is closed to visitors during the mayors’ working hours. 

The Old Opera House

Affected by the Second World War, the building remained for 40 years a ruin. By the end of the 70’s it was nicknamed “Germany’s most beautiful ruin”. Even if you don’t go to a show, it’s worth admiring the luxurious reception which respects the original version.

Goethe Tower

The tower is 43 meters high, it’s entirely built of wood and is located on the northern edge of the Sachsenhausen forest near Frankfurt. After World War I the tower had to be demolished but was rebuilt with money coming from Jewish donations. Today, it’s still a popular place, especially preferred by families.

Others

The Iron Bridge

The Iron Bridge (Eiserner Steg) is a bridge exclusively for pedestrians and it’s the first suspended bridge in Europe.

Staufenmauer ruins

Staufenmauer dates back in the 12th century and it’s one of the few portions of the old wall of the city that still exists today.

Thurn und Taxis Palace

The palace was built between 1731 and 1739 and has been used by the Imperial Headquarters of Thurn and Taxis, then as the residence of Archbishop and Grand Duke of Frankfurt and in 1905 the city of Frankfurt took over the palace, but it was severely damaged by the airstrikes in the Second World War. The building was demolished completely in 1951 and it’s now a telecommunication tower block.