USA TODAY International Edition
GO SEE ... FRANKFURT
1. Palmengarten
Established in 1868, this oasis in the Westend is Germany’s largest botanical garden. Displays include more than 13,000 tropical and subtropical plant species. Siesmayerstrasse 61
+ 49 69 2123 3939
2. Hauptbahnhof Station
The busiest train station in Frankfurt consists of a massive main vestibule and two adjoining neoclassical halls made of steel and glass. Inside are a series of platforms, shops and food stands.
Am Hauptbahnhof
3. Museumsufer
A walk along the Main River’s Museum Embankment is a must. Twelve museums sit on a single tree- lined street, the most notable being the Städel art gallery. Städel, Schaumainkai 63
+ 49 69 605098 232
4. Rheinfels Castle
West of the city, this castle’s ancient stone ramparts rise over the Rhine at Sankt Goar. The ruins recall the Middle Ages, while the restaurant and its lovely terrace herald the modern day. Schlossberg, Sankt Goar
+ 49 6741 7753
5. Goethehaus
Grand wood staircases take visitors through the reconstructed timbered house where the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent his childhood.
Grosser Hirschgraben 23
+ 49 69 138 800
6. Gerbermühle
After cycling along the Main River, relax in the garden at this 16th- century flour mill renovated as a hotel complex. Gerbermühlestrasse 105
+ 49 69 689 7779 0
7. Hauptwache Station
This busy rapid- transit station resembles an underground city with its street performers, chalk artists, international markets, dry cleaners and even an entrance to the Galeria department store.
An der Hauptwache 17
8. Kleinmarkthalle
This market hall hosts some 60 vendors selling fresh food, wine and flowers every day except Sunday. Locals like a glass of wine in the outdoor garten upstairs. Hasengasse 5
+ 49 69 2123 3696
9. Römerberg
Heart of Frankfurt’s old town, this charming central square is lined with reconstructed halftimbered houses. Be sure to visit the Zum Römer, where Holy Roman emperors were coronated.
Römerberg, Altstadt
10. Alte Oper
The Italian Renaissance- style Alte Oper is Frankfurt’s original opera house. Can’t make a show? Linger at an outdoor cafe on Opernplatz, the Opera Square.
Opernplatz 1 + 49 69 1340 0