Overview

Although hit badly by Allied bombs at the end of WWII, Frankfurt was largely restored, rebuilt and revitalized yet still retains its historic quarters and many buildings of interest. Frankfurt Altstadt, Bornheim, and Römerberg are the most interesting parts of the city, where glitzy skyscrapers rub shoulders with ancient museums and monumental financial centres.

Frankfurt Altstadt

The Altstadt of Frankfurt is the old part of the town where many of the remaining historic attractions can be found. Much of it was destroyed during WWII and has subsequently been modernized, yet some fine old buildings remain. Highlights of Frankfurt Altstadt include Goethe Museum, Römer, Paulskirche, and Leinwandhaus. A walk across the iron bridge to Sachsenhausen is interesting and the Freßgass Passage and Schillerpassage shopping malls are also popular.

Bornheim

Bornheim is more intact than the city centre of Frankfurt, having been spared the worst of the WWII bombs. It is a pleasant residential quarter featuring a bustling market and medieval houses. Berger Straße is the most interesting street here; it runs from downtown to the heart of Bornheim. Part of this street has many artsy shops, cafés and restaurants, while taverns do the tasty local cider, Ebbelwoi.

Apple Wine Express (Apfelwein Express)

The Apfelwein Express is a streetcar that does interesting tours of Frankfurt. The vehicle is a traditional old-fashioned streetcar and tours start from the zoo, going by way of Frankfurt's major sights and taking about an hour. Riders get a glass of apple wine and pretzels in with the tour.

Frankfurt Zoo

Frankfurt Zoo is touted as one of the best in Europe. It features all the standard exotic animals that most zoos do, as well as several unique attractions. Be sure to check out the tigers, lions and the acrobatic seals, as well as Grzimek House - a simulated darkened room where visitors get to see lively, normally slumbering, nocturnal animals.

Frankfurt Stock Exchange

A visit to Frankfurt's main money institution is a must. Lying at the heart of Germany's financial system and the world's third-biggest stock exchange, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE) is pretty impressive both for its status and its looks. The Renaissance structure stems from the late 1800s and visitors are allowed to view the trading floor in action.

Frankfurt Cathedral

Frankfurt Cathedral used to be a Carolingian chapel and gained its ‘cathedral' status in the mid-1500s. The cathedral was badly damaged by fire in 1867 and was subsequently rebuilt in neo-Gothic style. It was also hit by Allied bombs in WWII but was again fully restored. The red sandstone cathedral has a 312-foot high tower which offers splendid views if you can get up it.

Römerberg

Römerberg is another interesting tourist place in the centre of Frankfurt where you can see some of the city's original buildings. There are a few buildings dating as far back as the 14th and 15th centuries. The buildings that were destroyed in the war have mostly been rebuilt. The main square here is loaded with shops and eateries and you are also within walking distance of the popular Zeil shopping district.

Städelsches Kunstinstitut

The early 1800s Städelsches Kunstinstitut is a fantastic and diverse art gallery and tends to differs from most other prominent galleries in the country. A Frankfurt banker set up the museum as a working art college for students and its main highlight is Jan van Eyck's Lucca Madonna from the Netherlands School.

Overview

Frankfurt has excellent facilities for those into sports and activities. It has several beautiful and well equipped city parks with miles of walking and cycling paths, while the river banks of the Main River are just to the south of the town and also have good cycling and walking. Skating enthusiasts will also enjoy Frankfurt.

Walking and cycling

Frankfurt has dozens of city parks and the River Main going through it, making the walking and cycling opportunities vast. A stroll along the riverbank in the summer is a must and it is only just south of the town centre. Another popular area for walking and cycling is City Forest to the south of Frankfurt. It boasts several square miles of forested area, the largest of its type in urban Germany in fact, and also has six playgrounds and good access.

Inline skating

Inline skating is a very popular pastime in Frankfurt. Several places rent out skates and you can go it alone at the city parks, or perhaps get together with the rest of the city for a ‘Tuesday Night Skate', taking in about 20 miles of Frankfurt from Deutschherrnufer. A police escort keeps the streets traffic-free for the skaters.

Ice skating

Eissporthalle Frankfurt has two indoor ice rinks where visitors can skate year-round. Eissporthalle also happens to be home to the Frankfurt Lions hockey team and matches are regularly staged here during the winter season. The best time to skate here is between November and March although it is open year-round. There are several other places where you can ice skate in Frankfurt in the winter.

Golf

Although there are many top-flight golf courses in Frankfurt, much of them are reserved for members only and thus not open to visitors unless they are accompanied by a member. The Schlosshotel Kronberg castle in the nearby Taunus region and the Frankfurter Golf Club on Golfstrasse 41 in town, however, are both open to members of international clubs.

Swimming

If you need to cool off while in Frankfurt there are several public swimming pools throughout the city. Rebstockbad, on August-Euler-Strasse 7, is one of the biggest and best in town with indoor and outdoor pools as well as slides and wave machines. In addition, Rebstockbad has saunas, sun beds and many other facilities and services onsite.

Spectator sports

Frankfurt, like most German towns, is into football in a big way and hosted several matches of the 2006 World Cup in the flashy Waldstadion. Located in the Commerzbank Area, the Waldstadion was totally transformed for the World Cup and features a mobile, see-through roof and extensive facilities. The Waldstadion regularly hosts Bundesleague matches. Eissporthalle Frankfurt is the main ice hockey venue in town.

Dining and shopping

Frankfurt has some superb eateries and a good variety of food. The standard is high, as with any notable German city, and you can find everything from French gourmet to English and American stodge, and tasty ethnic eats. Value for money in most parts of Frankfurt is pretty good, perhaps apart from the city centre, and the town does particularly well with its cheese, sausages, bread, and wines.

The Grosse Bockenheimer strasse, known locally as Fressgasse (meaning ‘gorging alley' or ‘pig-out alley'), has oodles of cafés, restaurants, and delis and is easily the best place to eat in town. In the town centre you will also find everything from expensive international eateries to fast-food restaurants like McDonalds and Burger King. Other noteworthy eating areas in Frankfurt are Sachsenhausen, Bornheim, and Westend, while Opernplatz has a fantastic variety of restaurants and cafes. Cheaper eats can be had in the student-heavy Bockenheim area of town.

The best place to taste some local Frankfurt specialities is in one of the many taverns, which are well spread throughout town. Cured pork ribs with sauerkraut (shredded cabbage) and spicy cheeses are popular dishes to try. The cheese with vinegar sauce dish known as handkäs mit musik is also a good bet for the uninitiated and can be found all over.

Frankfurt's restaurants also have a good selection of local wines and it is an important centre for beer production, to boot. Try the taverns and microbreweries for the best selection of beers. Apple wine (ebbelwei) is the city's most popular tipple for visitors. It is a cider which is best had with cheese, onions, and vinegar. Traditional cider pubs are all over town.

Frankfurt has superb shopping options, with everything from the latest electronics, sports equipment and European fashion in small boutiques and large chains, to elegant foods and art. The Zeil is the main shopping area in town. It was originally established as a cattle market in the 14th century and today is the Fifth Avenue of Germany's shopping, translated as ‘The Golden Mile'. The pedestrian zone from the Hauptwache to Konstablerwache is where it's at here.

In the centre of town is the Hauptwache, which is good for books, tobacco, clothing and photo supplies, while the nearby Schillerstrasse is another popular pedestrian zone, where you will find loads of boutiques and specialty shops. The Opera House (Alte Oper) is also near here and has some of the most elegant stores in town. This area is also good for food, especially in the aptly named ‘gorging alley' (Fressgasse), with its delis and butcher shops.

Other popular shopping areas in Frankfurt are the Kaiserstrasse, which is well known for its better priced clothing, photography equipment, and audio gear, while Düsseldorfer Strasse is the place to come for fur products. It lies opposite the Hauptbahnhof. Braubachstrasse, near Römer, is the place to come for antiques and old books. You will also find loads of antiques stores on Alt-Sachsenhausen along with some natty artwork.

As far as markets go, Frankfurt is well-endowed. The Frankfurt Flea Market takes place every Saturday morning along the banks of the Main River - Sachsenhausen side. The Kleinmarkthalle is located near to the Zeil and is the best covered market in town for groceries, while the Rossmarkt can be found just west of the Hauptwache. Here you will find three floors of smart boutiques and restaurants.

Frankfurt's best eateries are up there with some of the best you'll find in Paris or London and usually at a fraction of the price. It is surprisingly chic and sophisticated for a mid-sized business city with eateries ranging from the very best French and Mediterranean restaurants to top German places in superb surroundings.

Overview

Frankfurt is well positioned in the centre of Germany and has a major international airport and rail station. Flights come into Frankfurt International Airport from all over the world, while high-speed trains and standard services come in from cities Europe-wide. Long distance buses and efficient autobahns also converge on Frankfurt.

Airports

Frankfurt International Airport (Flughafen Frankfurt am Main) is one of Germany's busiest airports with flight arrivals left, right and centre from other European cities, as well as from North American, Asian and Australasian destinations. There are two terminals here (with a planned third) and they are connected by the efficient Sky Line. Facilities are good and include banks, ATMs, currency exchange, and excellent duty-free and eating.

Frankfurt Airport is situated just southwest of the city centre next to the useful A5 autobahn, which runs up to the city. Flights serve Frankfurt International Airport from numerous destinations in over 100 countries, as well as many internal flights, with the likes of Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, American Airlines and Qantas.

The best way to get to the town centre for those without cars, and those who prefer not to take a taxi, is the cS-Bahn commuter train. It leaves from beneath terminal 1 every 10 minutes and takes around 12 minutes to reach Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. You can also get direct to other German cities in the region from the terminal station. Two bus stations also reside outside terminals 1 and 2 while taxis provide the most convenient transfer option to hotels. Those who hire cars need to take either the A5 autobahn or the A3 and A661 autobahns for Frankfurt.

Public transportation

Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is the main train station in town and receives services from all over Germany and Europe. The Southern Station (Südbahnhof) also receives many services. Both of these stations are huge and have a plethora of services with high-speed links from the likes of Cologne, Munich and Berlin, and farther afield, throughout the day.

Frankfurt is also served by Eurolines buses, and due to the city's central location in Germany bus travel is a popular option for many people on a lower budget. The main bus station is just south of the Hauptbahnhof. Local bus services also come in from hundreds of destinations all over Germany.

In town, the Metro, although somewhat expensive, is the easiest way to get around. Two lines of note for tourists are the central line, which runs to Sachsenhausen, and the one from the Hauptbahnhof to Berger strasse, via Römerberg and Konstablerwache. Tickets cannot be bought on the trains. The S-Bahn commuter rail service is good for suburban travel and getting to and from the airport.

There are more than a dozen tram lines (strassenbahn) in Frankfurt that cover the inner-city well, are easy to use, and take in many popular areas and attractions. In addition, Frankfurt has dozens of bus lines with stops all over the place. Services generally take in given bus stops every 10 minutes or so and travel is cheap. Taxi ranks are also all over town and you can hail one from the street if the roof light is on. Taxi drivers in Frankfurt are generally courteous.