Frankfurt has charm, beauty and history
GERMANY: There’s lots to see even if you’re short for time
Frankfurt has one of the busiest airports in Europe, which means many travellers only see the inside of a terminal.
Those who take the time to visit will find an international city overflowing with attractions.
As the city centre is a mere 15 minutes away by train, Frankfurt can be easily explored even if you have an airport layover of a few hours. The city centre is also compact so it’s very walkable and you can visit a lot in a short time.
If something is too far away, it’s easy to get around by taxi, tram, bus or subway and English is widely spoken in a city that is the base for many multinational corporations.
Here are some things to do in the city based on how much time you have.
Afternoon layover
Take the train from the airport to the Hauptbanhof, Frankfurt’s main station for local and long-distance trains.
Walk straight out the front door and walk the length of Kaiserstrasse, a street that runs through the city’s rapidly gentrifying red light district. It is filled with nice restaurants, cafés, ethnic groceries and shops of all sorts.
The road takes you toward the heart of Frankfurt’s old city and one of its most recognizable landmarks, Römerberg. It’s a wide cobblestone plaza surrounded by historic buildings, or recreations of them since the originals were destroyed in the Second World War, including the iconic Römer which has been Frankfurt’s city hall for more than 600 years.
The city’s tourist office is also in Römerberg. You can book walking tours there or sign up for a hop-on, hop-off bus tour that will let you see the city’s highlights in a short time.
If an organized tour is not your thing, simply wander the old city and soak up some atmosphere as you head toward the River Main where you can stroll along green spaces that line the river that runs through the heart of Frankfurt.
Overnight stay
Take a relaxing cruise down the Main. You can book a 50-minute voyage upriver or downriver. You can also combine the two legs for a 110-minute trip. On board, you can admire skyline views and enjoy a meal or a drink.
Across the River Main from Frankfurt’s old city is Sachsenhausen, an area brimming with bars, restaurants and markets. It boasts several historic buildings that escaped bombing during the war.
Here you’ll find Apfelwein, or apple wine, a traditional drink of Frankfurt. It remains a popular beverage and is not merely for tourists. Some vendors experiment with apple varieties and juice blends just as vineyards do.
The neighbourhood’s trendy Schweizer Strasse is the place to start your exploration.
Weekend visit
Frankfurt has 34 museums and you can buy a pass that lets you visit as many as you can manage in two days. Among the more popular are the Museum of Communication, the Museum for Modern Art and the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History. Many are clustered along the south side of the River Main in Sachsenhausen in an area known as the Museum Embankment. In August, there is a Museum Embankment Festival where the museums remain open all night and host special events both inside and outdoors.
The city has a plethora of restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world, but if you want to sample traditional Frankfurt fare head to one of the apple wine establishments in old Sachsenhausen.