Its Germany’s busiest airport and also the largest financial hub in Europe, with the headquarters of the European Union’s central bank. Initial assumptions about Frankfurt are often about its airport and banking located in the city.
If you’re in for a long flight layover or just passing by, here’s a couple of things to do out in Frankfurt am Main:
Shopping
Frankfurt’s MyZeil and the surrounding area is a great place to shop to your heart’s content. There aren’t any unique shops that other cities are missing, but in case you’ve forgotten to pack something in your luggage, its a place worth going for some retail therapy.
Old town
Frankfurt’s tiniest district has only recently completed its reconstruction work in 2017. Here, there is the Römer, Römerberg, Kaiserhalle, and Kleinmarkthalle. These consist of old traditional town buildings dating back to the 1400s.
Kleinmartkthalle is also great market for a bite to eat. You can buy a bunch of specialities too, like Frankfurt’s famous (and tasty) green sauce. If you miss it, you’ll likely find this sauce to accompanying a traditional meal somewhere in this district.
Apple wine, Apfelwein, or Ebbelwei?
Venture further down and there is the Altstadt (old town). Traditional German bars will serve the heartiest meals and the famous Ebbelwei of Frankfurt. To get away from the tourist shops, Sachsenhausen is the place to go, and is probably the most traditionally German of areas in Frankfurt with the town dating back to the Middle Ages.
Goethe’s birthplace
Let’s time travel to 1749 and head to Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s birthplace and family home in Großer Hirschgraben. This 4+ story house is restored to almost how it was originally left by Goethe’s family when it was sold in the late 1800s.
This house tour also coincides with Deutsche Romantik Museum – an additional building that is home to an extensive collection of German literary works and art create by artists during the height of Romanticism in the 1800s.
The Main River
Is a city ever really a true city without a river running through it? The Main River doesn’t have much going on along the bankside, but it makes for a nice walk to people watch and admire the close-up view of the city’s famous skyline, which is also known as Mainhattan. Situated between the old town and Museum Ufer, it’s a good spot for people watching.
Museum Ufer
Like any major German city, Frankfurt has several museums about to niche topics – I’d recommend do a bit of reading into what kind of exhibits will be on display first. Most entrance fees are relatively affordable and range from €5.00 to €12.00 per person. The Stadel Museum, the Senckenberg Natural History Museum and the German Film Musuem are ranked the most popular.
Nadia Cheung 