Frankfurt is the largest city in the German state of Hesse, in Central Germany, known for its futuristic skyline and international airport. Located on the river Main, Frankfurt is the financial capital of Europe and the transportation centre of Germany. Frankfurt is the place of residence of the European Central Bank and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Furthermore, it hosts some of the world's most important trade shows, such as the Frankfurt Auto Show and the Frankfurt Book Fair. It is also birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Frankfurt is a city of contrasts. Wealthy bankers, students, and granola drop-outs coexist in a city that has some of the highest, most avant-garde skyscrapers of Europe next to well maintained old buildings. The downtown area, especially Römer square and the museums at the River Main, draw millions of tourists every year. On the other hand, many off the beaten track neighborhoods, such as Bockenheim, Bornheim, Nordend and Sachsenhausen, with their intact beautiful 19th century streets and parks, are mostly neglected by tourism and lesser visited by tourists.
Frankfurt is the largest traffic hub & banking capital in Germany. This is the place where Germany's major Autobahns and railway-connections intersect. About 650,000 people commute to the city each day, not counting the 660,000 people who really live here. With a huge airport — the second-largest in Europe — it is the gateway to Germany and for many people also the first point of arrival in Europe. Further, it is a prime hub for interconnections within Europe and for intercontinental flights.
PLACE TO VISIT
Deutsches Architektur Museum The Architecture Museum displays various types of exhibits about buildings and architecture. Their tagline is "From Primordial Hut to Skyscraper". There's also a small cafe in the DAM. Mon closed, Tu, Th-Su 10AM-5PM, We 10AM-8PM. €6.00 for adults, €3.00 for children.
Deutsches Filmmuseum (German Film Museum), The German Movie Museum displays—as the name implies—the art and history of film making. Mon closed, Tu,Th,F,Su 10AM-5PM, We+Sa 10AM-8PM. €4.00 for adults, €1.50 for children.
Städel-Museum, Dürerstrasse, Fully named the "Staedelsches Kunstinstitut" (named after Johann Friedrich Staedel), the museum displays various works of arts, both modern and old. There are also varying exhibitions at any time. Behind the museum is the Städelschule, an art school with a cheap cafeteria. Mon closed, Tue, Fri, Sun 10AM - 5PM, Wed + Thu 10AM - 9PM. €8.00 for adults; students € 5.00; children under 12 free.
Museum Giersch (Museum of Regional Historic Art and Culture), The broad exhibition range covers all types of art – painting, photography, sculpture, graphic art, architecture and applied arts. Usually the exibitions focus on artist that have some sort of connection to Frankfurt or the Frankfurt region. It presents works on loan from public and private owners, which are often stored in depots or private collections and therefore not otherwise accessible to the general public. There are also varying exhibitions at any time. Public guided tours for groups such as pupils or adults by arrangement. Tuesday - Friday, 12.00 - 19.00 h, Saturday + Sunday, 11.00 - 17.00 h, Monday closed €4.00 for adults, €2.00 for children.
Liebieghaus (Liebieg House), Large collection of sculptures and statues from all over the world. Very nice cafe in the garden. Mon closed, Tue, Thu-Sun 10 AM - 5 PM, Wed 10 AM - 8 PM.
Museum der Weltkulturen (Museum of World Cultures), Due to a lack of space and funding currently doesn't display its permanent ethnographic collection but rather shows well-made exibitions. Mon closed, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun 10 AM - 8 PM, Wed 10 AM - 8 PM, Sat 2 PM - 8 PM.
Museum für Kommunikation (Museum of Communication), Formerly known as the postal museum, it explains the history of communication with a strong focus on postal services and telecommunication. A lot of old telegraphs, phones, fax mashines etc. can be tried out so it is fun for not too young kids. Don't miss the small but impressive art collection, hosting works with communication themes from the early 19th century up until today. Mon closed, Tue - Fri 9 AM - 5 PM; Sat-Sun 11 AM - 7 PM. € 2 for adults; € 1 for children.
Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum), This is not on the actual Museumsufer but on the other (north) bank of the river. - The Jewish community in Frankfurt can look back on 200 years of history in Frankfurt and is the second oldest community (after Worms) in Germany. The well funded museum in the old Rothschild (they originate from Frankfurt) palais pays reference to this history with a strong focus on the holocaust. Mon closed, Tue-Sun 10 AM - 5 PM, Wed 10 AM - 8 PM. Adults 2.60 Eur, children 1.30 Eur. NB.
Museum Judengasse is part of the Jewish Museum, but at differing address (not anywhere near the Museumsufer),. Here mostly excavations from the old ghetto are shown. There is another outpost of the jewish museum near by, which hosts exibitions on a regular basis. It is housed in a 4 story world war II overground bunker. Mon closed, Tue-Sun 10 AM - 5 PM, Wed 10 AM - 8 PM. Adults 2.0 Eur.
Lange Nacht der Museen (Long Night of Museums) One night a year (in the End of April), most Frankfurt museums are open to the public until the early morning of the next day. Special bus lines will take visitors from one to the next. Various special events are organized; for example dances, music performances, special exhibits, games, and so on. It is very crowded but also highly recommended; be prepared for very long lines. Buy a ticket in advance so you do not have to waste time during the night of the event on this, and do not forget to pick up a schedule of the events and map of the bus routes. Similar events are organized in other German cities as well.
Main Tower (Subway station Willy-Brandt-Platz or S-Bahn-station Taunusanlage) building is special as it is the only Frankfurt high-rise that is open to the public. For 4.60 Euro (price for one adult as of Nov 2008) you can take the elevator to the viewing platform at a height of 200 meters. From here, you will have a good view of Frankfurt and the surrounding area. Make sure to go on a clear day, and if you're in Frankfurt in Fall or Spring you might wish to try to go up a short while before sunset. That way, you can witness how the city changes from day to nightlife. The Main Tower is something that you should not miss during your stay. The viewing platform will be closed during severe weather.
The European Central Bank in downtown Frankfurt (Subway station Willy-Brandt-Platz) - easily recognized by its hexagonal layout and the big neon color € statue in front of the entrance - might be of some special interest as this is the seat of European financial power and decisions. It's not open to the public, although a small gift shop downstairs will sell you all the Euro-related memorabilia you want.
Römerberg is a central, old place in downtown Frankfurt. It features various buildings and a church from the 14th and 15th century (in theory; the buildings were mostly destroyed during World War II but completely rebuilt afterwards). The Römer itself is the town hall of Frankfurt. Cafés and shops can be found at the square itself and in the vicinity. A definite tourist attraction. Within walking distance of the Zeil shopping area and the Main river, it is located just north of the Eiserner Steg bridge.
Palmengarten The Palmengarten is Frankfurt's botanic garden. There are special exhibitions and events throughout the much of the year. €5.00 adults, €2.00 children. Prices during special events & exhibitions: €7.00 adults, €2.50 children. (German language part of the website has a lot more information than the English part)
Grüneburgpark This is Frankfurt's largest public park. Even though there are many parks in Frankfurt, the Grüneburgpark is probably the most liked. Located close to two campuses of the university, many young people meet there, and many business people jog there after work.
Alte Oper (Old Opera) - Renaissance Opera Building in the center of the city (take U6 or U7 station Alte Oper, or any line to Hauptwache and walk a few minutes); a busy square with fountains can be found in front of it. Originally opened in 1880, it is not used for operas any more since the rebuilding after the war, but for concerts, congresses, and similar "fancy" events.
Oper Frankfurt (Opera) - this modern building is where to go to see an opera performance. State subsidized performances make this a relatively affordable place to see high quality productions
Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church) was the seat of the first democratically elected parliament in Germany in 1848. It is located directly next to the Römer.
There are a number of trade fairs held in Frankfurt every year. From the central station take S-Bahn lines S3, S4, S5 or S6 on platform 104 (underground) to station Messe or subway lines U4/U5 to station Messe/Torhaus; trains to the trade fairs will be announced in English.
Bornheim A nice residential quarter with a lively market and beautiful medieval houses which survived the war intact (unlike the city centre). The most important and lively street is the Berger Straße, which runs from downtown all the way to the oldest parts of Bornheim. The more central downtown part of the Berger Straße (actually in the Nordend district) features a variety of small and often trendy little stores, cafés, and restaurants, whereas the older parts of Bornheim are famous for its historic Ebbelwoi (a local cider) taverns.
HOW TO REACH
In the summer, a walk along the river Main is a nice thing to do. A lot of people will spend a sunny afternoon walking or sitting there on a lawn or playing frisbee or soccer. It's a relatively quiet area, considering it's in the heart of the city. Nearby cafes and restaurants allow you to have a drink in between. The only disadvantage is that it can be quite crowded when the weather is nice; try going during business hours on a weekday unless you're looking for a crowd.
Visit the Old Town and then take a walk across the iron bridge to Sachsenhausen. Here you can walk along the river bank or visit some of the old cider bars in Sachsenhausen.
Go for a walk in the City Forest in the south of Frankfurt. With about 48 square kilometres, it is regarded as the largest inner-city forest in Germany. Six playgrounds and nine ponds make the forest a popular tourist attraction. The forest can be reached via tram line 14 direction Neu-Isenburg/Stadtgrenze from Frankfurt South Station (Frankfurt Süd).
Try the local cider "apfelwein", especially that made by Possmann. The "Frau Rauscher" edition has a pleasant natural taste with some yeast left into it.
The Saalburg is an old Roman fort just outside Frankfurt, near Bad Homburg. You can either take a bus from Bad Homburg, or take the "Taunusbahn" to station "Saalburg" and walk 45 minutes along the Limes to reach the restored fort.
Once every summer, there is a free open-air concert in downtown Frankfurt called Sound of Frankfurt. Exact schedules will vary every year. Performances are by German and international artists - usually worth the time.
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's largest exhibition centers, hosting a continuous stream of exhibitions small, large and gargantuan — the Motor Show draws almost a million visitors. Most fairs are open to the public for at least part of the time, and can be a fascinating if somewhat overwhelming experience if you're interested in the theme. The Messe has its own train station, Messe, two stops away from the Central Railway Station on S 3/4/5/6, and it's also on the U4 subway line. Advance tickets for fairs often allow free use of all RMV public transport.
Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurt Buchmesse), The largest event of the world's publishing industry, held yearly in mid-October. The last two days (always Sat-Sun) are open to the public, with book sales allowed on Sunday only. In recent years, the public days of the Book Fair have also drawn a vast contingent of manga/anime fans, many of whom dress up as their favorite characters! Photography is allowed, but only after asking permission. Day ticket €12.
Frankfurt Motor Show (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung), The world's largest motor show and Frankfurt's biggest event, held every two years, next on Sept. 17-27, 2009. (In even-numbered years, the show is held in Hannover.) Day tickets €11-18.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Frankfurt Airport is among the busiest in Europe — second in passenger traffic after London Heathrow (LHR) — and one of the busiest airports in the world. Frankfurt is the banking center of Germany and hosts numerous international trade fairs. Therefore all major airlines and all airline alliances fly frequently to Frankfurt and connects it to every continent and major city in the world. The German flagcarrier Lufthansa is the main airline in Frankfurt and offers the best connections.
By train - Frankfurt has three major train stations, the main station (Hauptbahnhof), the South Station (Südbahnhof) and the Airport (Flughafen Fernbahnhof); however, inter-city trains that stop at the airport will usually (not always!) also stop at Hauptbahnhof. The Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is one of the biggest and busiest train stations in Europe, so it's definitely worth a visit. Frankfurt has connections to most German cities - and some international destinations - via InterCity and high-speed InterCity Express trains. There is no problem to get a connection to any train destination from Frankfurt.
Be aware that Frankfurt train stations (other than at the airport) are very large, confusing, labyrinth-like places for newcomers. Allow plenty of extra time to locate the boarding area of your train. It's likely you'll have to ask someone for help the first time. There is a large departures signboard above the main exit/entrance with destination and platform information. You can also get information from the railway travel office in the station.
By car - Frankfurt is connected to several autobahns and can be easily reached by car. Try to avoid rush-hour and especially snowy days, as car traffic can easily break down. Parking is definitely a problem in most areas. Especially during big conventions—such the Internationale Automobilausstellung (International Automobile Exhibition) in September, or the Frankfurter Buchmesse (The Frankfurt Book Fair) in mid-October—you should consider using the well designed park-and-ride system.
By bus - Frankfurt is serviced by various trans-European buslines like Eurolines. The main terminus is the central station (Hauptbahnhof). If you are on a tight budget, this will be a good way to reach Frankfurt.
