How To GET There

It is said you can get a flight from anywhere to Frankfurt! From Dubai, Emirates has daily flights, including the A380 service

everlasting love — but not quite the right time because the bridge was overrun with milling tourists photographing the locks and the couples in action.

It was also here that the walking tour ended and I bid goodbye to the guide. I crossed the bridge leading to Sachsenhausen to look for the famed half- timbered houses and a feeding spot.

SHOPPING SCENES

Whether you convince yourself to go on a walking tour or not, there is another way to orient yourself with this city of banks and bourses. Head straight to the City Centre ( u- Bahns are the best option) and go up the 200m high Main Tower for that ultimate bird’s eye view for a small fee. Remember, along with the fabulous views, you can explore other options if you are culturally inclined and indulge in some top- class cuisine in one of the restaurants. Built in the 90s, this tower is an important landmark of Frankfurt. It pays to remember that during bad weather, it remains closed for obvious reasons. Plan accordingly.

Head to Zeil, Frankfurt’s premier pedestrian promenade for an unforgettable shopping experience — and even if shopping is not what you are here for, you are likely to be temped into buying “something, just for fun.” Zeil has the best specialty shops, department stores and retail chains all spread out under beautifully maintained sycamore trees.

Among other things, you can watch some interesting street performances with some ver y t alented musicians entertaining passersby. This is one of the trendiest parts of the city, crammed with chic boutiques that deliver one of the most superlative shopping experiences in the world.

Another of Frankfurt’s historical site is the Kaiserdom, the city’s famous cathedral with an interesting history. While it is not strictly a ‘ cathedral’, it was the place kings and emperors were crowned and was an important seat of power. This Gothic church is dedicated to St Bartholomew and has been built and rebuilt over the centuries, beginning in the 12th century.

LITERARY HUB

Did you know that the Frankfurt Book Fair, held in the month of October, is the world’s largest book fair? If you are a book lover, this could be your reason to head there. This book fair is a bright spot on Frankfurt’s literary scene and showcases books published ages ago, as well as the latest bestsellers. History has it that during Hitler’s rule, he ordered all books to be burnt, leaving the country quite literally literature free, but when the rule ended, the city and its people returned to literature with a vengeance, outdoing every other book fair in the world.

GET OUT

Get on a romantic day- trip cruise from Frankfurt to the Rhine River Valley. The boat sails leaves from Frankfurt to Mainz, then continues through the UNESCO World Heritage listed

section between Mainz and Koblenz — one of the most scenic boat rides in all of Europe, passing by hilltop fortresses and beautiful villages spoken about in novels.

If you want to further step back in time, head to Trier, one of Germany’s oldest cities, two hours away from Frankfurt. This is where the country’s oldest cathedral, built by Constantine in 326 AD stands. The site is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

GETTING AROUND

Frankfurt has a fantastic and well- organised transport system within the city. If you are keen to explore on your own, opt for the hop- on- hop- off buses. The S- Bahn and U- Bahn connect the city to the Rhine Main Region and the suburbs of Bad Homburg respectively, while the local trams ensure all round connectivity. GERMAN PRECISION: 1 Frankfurt, the commercial hub of the country 2 A tram around town, fancy a ride? 3 Germany bakes an awesome variety of breads — this is one of their local flavours 4 Hauptbahnhof, Frankfurt's main train station 5 Locks on the Love Bridge 6 View from the Love Bridge