Frankfurt – Travel guide at Wikivoyage
Frankfurt (German: Frankfurt am Main) is the largest city in the German state of Hesse, and is considered the business and financial centre of Germany. It is the fifth largest city in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. The city is known for its modern skyline, and for hosting the headquarters of the European Central Bank, the Deutsche Börse stock exchange and numerous German financial services companies. Furthermore, it hosts some of the world’s most important trade shows, such as the Frankfurt Auto Show and the Frankfurt Book Fair. Located on the river Main at a crossroad of the German Autobahn system and connected to several high-speed rail lines, with Germany’s busiest airport on its outskirts, Frankfurt is one of the most important transportation hubs of Europe.
Understand
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Tower Opernturm and concert hall Alte Oper
Frankfurt is a city of contrasts. Wealthy bankers, students and hippie drop-outs coexist in a city that has some of the highest, most avant-garde skyscrapers of Europe next to well maintained old buildings. The downtown area, especially Römer square and the museums at the River Main, draw millions of tourists every year. On the other hand, many off-the-beaten-track neighbourhoods, such as Bockenheim, Bornheim, Nordend and Sachsenhausen, with their intact beautiful 19th-century streets and parks are often overlooked by visitors.
It’s the heart of the Rhine-Main region, spanning from Mainz and Wiesbaden in the west to Hanau in the east and Gießen in the north to Darmstadt in the south and has some 5.6 million inhabitants (2019) in the whole surrounding metropolitan area.
Frankfurt is the place where Germany’s major autobahns and railways intersect. About 650,000 people commute to the city each day, not counting some 763,000 people who live here (2019). With a huge airport — the third-largest in Europe — it is the gateway to Germany and for many people also the first point of arrival in Europe. Further, it is a prime hub for interconnections within Europe and for intercontinental flights.
In the years following 1968, especially in the late 1970s and up to the early 1980s, Frankfurt was a centre of the left wing Sponti-Szene, which frequently clashed with police and local authorities over politics and urban design issues (specifically whether or not old buildings should be torn down). Several members of these radical groups went on to have quite respectable careers in politics, among them Daniel Cohn-Bendit (long time leading MEP for the Greens) and Joschka Fischer (Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor 1998-2005), though their erstwhile radical and violent antics did hurt them in their later political careers.
Frankfurt has one of the highest percentage of immigrants in Germany: about 25% of Frankfurt’s people have no German passport and another 10% are naturalized German citizens. With about 35% immigrants, Frankfurt is one of the most diverse of German cities.
Frankfurt is home to many museums, theatres and a world-class opera.
Territorial subdivisions
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Frankfurt is divided into 16 Ortsbezirke, which are further subdivided into 46 Stadtteile. As Frankfurt is an expansive city with a large area given its population, most of those are of little interest to a tourist, with most attractions concentrated in the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt I (there are four Ortsbezirke starting with Innenstadt (“inner city”), distinguished by Roman numerals). Some Stadtteile of particular note are:
- Altstadt (Dom-Römer Quarter) – the heart of Frankfurt’s old town, largely rebuilt after the Second World War, particularly, as part of a major urban development project, from 2012 to 2018
- Innenstadt – named confusingly (sharing its name with the larger Ortsbezirk) is the part embracing the Altstadt up until the old city fortifications, still visible as a green belt on the city map. The home to the most of Frankfurt’s skyscrapers
- Bahnhofsviertel – the densely-built part of the city immediately facing the Hauptbahnhof, hosting the most hotels in town and its red light district
- Gutleutviertel – the area south of the tracks leading up to the Hauptbahnhof, with a modern residential quarter on the Main
- Gallus – the area north of the Hauptbahnhof tracks known most for the past-2010 Europaviertel development (a new city quarter with apartment blocks and offices built around the wide Europaallee next to the fairgrounds)
- Bockenheim
- Westend – the most expensive part of Frankfurt by land values, mostly covered with low-rise residential buildings and villas, but also several skyscrapers on its edges
- Nordend
- Bornheim – Popular area with small shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as historic taverns and half-timbered houses. See listing below.
- Sachsenhausen – the historic southern bank of the river Main, which preserved its typical 19th-century character, very different from the modern northern bank punctured by skyscrapers. Includes the Museumsufer museum collection directly at the riverbank. See listing below for further details.
- Höchst – Formerly a separate small town, now a suburb. The small Altstadt, around the Schloss, is one of the closest places to central Frankfurt that you can see large numbers of traditional timber-framed buildings that didn’t get destroyed in the war. The square by the Schloss has some very nice traditional Gaststätte to eat or drink in. See listing below for further details.
When to visit
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The best times for Frankfurt are late spring to early autumn. The summers tend to be sunny and warm around 25°C (77°F). Be prepared, however, for very hot summer days around 35°C (95°F) as well as for light rain. The winters can be cold and rainy (usually not lower than -10°C/14°F). It rarely snows in Frankfurt itself.
If you intend to stay overnight, you may wish to avoid times when trade fairs are held, as this will make finding affordable accommodation a challenging task. The biggest are the Frankfurt Motor Show (Automobil-Ausstellung) every two years in mid-September (next in 2023) and the Book Fair (Buchmesse) yearly in mid-October; see Fairs for details.
Tourist information
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Kaiserdom (Imperial Cathedral)
Römerberg Ostzeile (Römer square eastside)
There are two offices for tourism information:
The skyline of Frankfurt
Get in
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Frankfurt is the heart of central Germany and as such, it is one of the most important transportation hubs. It has excellent connections by rail, road and air. Reaching and leaving Frankfurt is easy.
By plane
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Frankfurt Airport
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- Main article: Frankfurt Airport
(FRA IATA) is among the busiest in Europe — fourth in passenger traffic after London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Frankfurt is the banking centre of Germany and hosts numerous international trade fairs. Therefore all major airlines and all airline alliances fly frequently to Frankfurt and connect it to every inhabited continent and all major cities in the world. The German flag carrier Lufthansa[dead link] is the main airline in Frankfurt and offers most connections. Lufthansa also has several domestic feeder flights to and from Frankfurt that also serve business travelers.
Frankfurt am Main International Airport
The airport is connected to downtown Frankfurt by taxi, bus (line 61 to Frankfurt Süd(bahnhof) U1 U2 U3 U8 S5 S6 (Frankfurt South Station), and most easily by S-Bahn (fast commuter trains).
To get to the city by S-Bahn, take lines S8 or S9 in the direction of Offenbach Ost or Hanau at the regional train station, , on the lowest level of Terminal 1 (entrances in section A and B). If your plane lands or departs from Terminal 2, count in another 15 minutes as you need to move between the terminals with either the shuttle bus or the monorail Skytrain (both are free of charge, just follow the signs). If you want to go downtown, get off at Frankfurt Taunusanlage , Frankfurt Hauptwache or Frankfurt Konstablerwache , which are in the heart of the city. If you want to change to long-distance trains get off at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Frankfurt Central Station). The ride from the airport to the central station takes about 20 minutes. You have to purchase a ticket at the vending machines in the train station before boarding the train. The adult ticket costs €4.80 (€2.80 for children).
If you want to go to the airport by S-Bahn, take the S8 or S9 in the direction of Wiesbaden. Don’t take the S1 , since it does not stop at the airport.
ICE 3 at Flughafen Fernbahnhof (Airport long-distance train station)
Regional trains RB and RE to Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Hanau stop at the same place as the S-Bahn to Frankfurt.
Connections outside the Frankfurt region have a separate long-distance train station, . Here, you can board high-speed long-distance trains (Inter-City and ICE) to Cologne, Munich and other national and international destinations. Local train tickets are not valid on ICE or IC.
Hahn Airport
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The smaller airport called Frankfurt/Hahn (HHN IATA), mostly used by no-frills airlines, advertises proximity to Frankfurt. However, Hahn is far away from Frankfurt and it takes about 90 minutes to drive there from downtown to cover the 125 km (78 mi) distance. For that airport, if you have to use it at all, allow more time in your travel plans and budget. A bus from Frankfurt/Hahn to Frankfurt Main airport and on to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Frankfurt Central Station) costs about €14 and leaves roughly every hour. Tickets are available from the kiosk outside in front of the main entrance.
Frankfurt/Hahn is not far (9 km) from Traben-Trarbach, which lies by the Mosel river and has a train station. The streets between the airport and Traben-Trarbach are not lit at night and have no sidewalk.
By train
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- See also: Rail travel in Germany
Hauptbahnhof with ICE 3M Niederlande
Frankfurt has three major train stations: , and the above-mentioned one at the airport (Flughafen Fernbahnhof). However, several inter-city trains that stop at the airport do not stop at Hauptbahnhof. Long-distance trains leaving from Hauptbahnhof do not stop at Südbahnhof, while a few long-distance trains pass by Hauptbahnhof and only stop at Südbahnhof. Check the timetable to make sure you are going to the right station!
Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is one of the biggest and busiest train stations in Europe, so it’s definitely worth a visit. Frankfurt has connections to most German cities – and neighbouring countries especially to the south and west – via InterCity and high-speed InterCity Express trains. There is no problem to get a connection to any train destination from Frankfurt.
Frankfurt train stations are very large, confusing, labyrinth-like places for newcomers. Allow extra time to locate the boarding area for your train. Don’t hesitate to ask someone for help the first time. There is a large departures signboard above the main exit/entrance with destination and platform information, and you can also get information from the railway travel office in the station.
From the main ticket office at Frankfurt you can buy 5- and 10-day rail travel cards which allow you to travel around Germany using all train services, including the Intercity ones. These are a significant saving on individual train fares. The 5-day ticket costs €189 and the 10-day ticket €289. You cannot buy these tickets from regional train stations.
In addition to regular Deutsche Bahn trains and regional trains on which DB tickets are valid, Frankfurt is also served by Locomore on their Berlin-Stuttgart service. Tickets can be bought through Flixbus, but DB tickets are not valid and there is no BahnCard discount. That said, Locomore tickets are usually considerably cheaper than comparable DB tickets.
By car
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- See also: Driving in Germany
Frankfurt is connected to several autobahns and can be easily reached by car. Try to avoid rush-hour and especially snowy days, as car traffic can easily break down. Parking is definitely a problem in most areas. Especially during big conventions—such the Internationale Automobilausstellung (International Automobile Exhibition) in September, or the Frankfurter Buchmesse (Frankfurt Book Fair) in mid-October—you should consider using the well designed park-and-ride system If you intend to stay mostly in Frankfurt and only make day-trips to the bigger cities in the surrounding area, consider leaving the car altogether and arriving by train, as Frankfurt has a superb public transport system (see below).
By bus
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- See also: Intercity buses in Germany
Get around
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By public transport
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tief
Frankfurt has a good, co-ordinated public transport system of Underground (U-Bahn), tram (Straßenbahn) and bus. Public transit nerds will be quick to point out, that the “U-Bahn” is actually a bit of a misnomer, given the fact that it has moved traffic sections in the outskirts, more in line with systems called “Stadtbahn” in other German cities. The RMV site has basic information and timetable information available in English and other languages. The U-Bahn (metro) stations are signed with a white capital “U” on a blue background 
. For connections to the suburbs or airport, use the S-Bahn, signed with a white “S” on green background 
. Almost all S-Bahn lines and two U-Bahn lines ( U6 , U7 ) come together in the city-tunnel in central Frankfurt ( and ), beside line S7 , which ends at Central Station. If you want to go to the old city take the U-Bahn to or tram line 11 or 12.
The S-Bahn, run by Deutsche Bahn, connects the downtown areas to outer-lying suburbs as well other cities in the region, such as Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Darmstadt. Beware that the S-Bahn is notorious for its delays. If you need to get somewhere on time, allow for some buffer time. In the morning rush-hour, delays of 5–15 minutes are common. If you are catching a plane or have another similar time-critical appointment, allow an extra 30 minutes to be on the safe side. Other services (subway, tram and bus) are usually more punctual.
Tickets
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You can get single trip, all-day and weekly tickets. You can get tickets for one person or a group of up to five people travelling together.
You must use a ticket machine to purchase a ticket before boarding. Ticket machines can be switched to English. You have to press Einzelfahrt Frankfurt for a single trip in the city and Tageskarte Frankfurt for a day ticket in the city. If you want to ride to airport, you have to press Einzelfahrt Frankfurt Flughafen or Tageskarte Frankfurt Flughafen. If your destination is outside Frankfurt, you have to look up your destination on the list provided at the machine, enter this number with the numeric keypad, then press the button for the type of ticket you want (Einzelfahrt – single trip; Tageskarte – day ticket). Also, every station has some stations listed as “short distance” destinations (Kurzstrecke); tickets to those are cheaper. If you have the opportunity, ask a bystander to explain the vending machines to you the first time you want to buy a ticket. Unlike in other German cities, tickets purchased are valid immediately. You cannot purchase single trip tickets in advance, but time tickets (day, week, month) can be chosen according to the date, which you have to know in advance.
Fares are based on the zones you travel through. Central Frankfurt is all contained with a single zone (zone 50) so tickets (except short trip tickets) are all the one fare. In this central zone a single trip ticket costs €3.40 and a day ticket costs €7.20. For the central zone and the airport zone together a single trip ticket costs €5.80 and a day ticket costs €9.35. Group day-tickets (5 people: €11.30 / 16.40) cost less than two individual day-tickets, so are better value if you are travelling together and purchasing day-tickets. Discounts are available for children of age 14 and under.
If you are visiting attractions and museums then consider buying a Frankfurt Card. It allows unlimited travel on Frankfurt’s public transport system (city zone and airport) and discounts in many museums. The Frankfurt Card is available as a one day and two day ticket, and for a single person or a group of up to five (1 person 1 day €11.50, 2 days €17.00; group (max. 5 persons) 1 day €24, 2 days €34) [updated 2023]. These tickets are not sold at the vending machines. You can buy the Frankfurt Card at the airport (arrival gate B, terminal 1), at travel agencies, railway stations, at the tourist information desk at Hauptbahnhof, at the tourist information desk at Römer, or in advance online. A one-day one-person Frankfurt card including airport transportation is cheaper than the equivalent public transport ticket that includes the airport.
A fine of €60 applies for riding without a valid ticket.
By taxi
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Frankfurt has plenty of taxi drivers to service the many business travellers. The city is not too big, although fares tend to be expensive. Watch out for taxi drivers that take detours if they notice that you do not know the city. Still, for door-to-door transport, taxis are a way to go.
Most taxi drivers love to drive to the airport because it’s longer than inner-city fares, but not all taxi drivers are licensed to go there. They tend to drive very fast because most German business travellers expect them to do this. If you feel uncomfortable, let the driver know and he will slow down.
Blacklane – offers an extensive fleet of vehicles for business travellers. An airport transfer service from city centre to Frankfurt Airport is about €30.
In the main tourist areas downtown there are also human-powered bike taxis that convey one or two passengers. For those not too keen on walking this may be a convenient way of seeing the sights.
By car
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Avoid using your car in the city, especially in tourist “hot spots” like Sachsenhausen (especially on a Saturday) because of congestion and a severe lack of parking spaces. It’s very limited, and people tend to park in places they’re not supposed to. This ends up costing a fair bit if your car gets towed, which it often will. If you want to enter the city, your best bet is to use a Parkhaus (parking garage, which charges a fee of €1 per hour or €8 for the whole day) and then either walk, or take public transport.
Many areas are reserved for local residents, in and outside the city. You will see the areas marked by parking signs that indicate a local permit is needed during certain hours during the day. The wording to be aware of is “Parkausweis Nr.X” (where X is a number). If you park in these spaces you risk a fine.
Even vehicles registered in countries other than Germany need a “low emissions” sticker[dead link] (on the inside of the windscreen) to legally enter certain signposted environmental protection zones in Frankfurt. (The stickers are valid for all low emission zones in Germany.) Labelling a vehicle with these emission stickers, also often called “fine particle stickers”, is voluntary, but vehicles without this sticker – even those with foreign number plates and even those that would otherwise meet the criteria – are not allowed into environmental zones without risking a fine of €40.
Also, remember that Germany has strict laws about driving under the influence of alcohol, only allowing 0.5mg of alcohol per mL of blood. That’s just about one beer or glass of wine. Although there are Autobahns without speed limits, when there are speed limits, these are enforced rigorously. Radar traps are frequent. Heavy on-the-spot fines can be levied. The laws pertaining to tailgating have been sharpened, and the fines have gotten larger.
By bicycle
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Frankfurt is bike-friendly, featuring an expansive network of bike lanes. While there are various rental-bike companies in Frankfurt, they are relatively rare and situated in inconvenient areas of the city for travellers. A more convenient source of rental bikes may be Deutsche Bahn. Look out for their rental bikes, marked in the colours red and white and the letters “DB”.
shopping street and bicycle
These bikes are available year-round and can be found pretty much anywhere in the city – especially at street corners, which are the major pick-up and drop-off points. You can rent these bikes 24/7 just using your cell-phone and your credit card. German citizens can also sign-up for direct debit from their checking account. For instructions on how to use this service, call the number on the bike or go their website.
Another service is offered by nextbike. Sign up (either online or via their hotline) and rent bicycles and return them at any station all over town. Rates are charged by the half-hour (€1) and are capped at €9 per day.
See
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While most of the buildings in the inner town were destroyed during the second world war, many of them in Römerberg have been meticulously restored. The imposing town hall and the cathedral St Bartholomeus where emperors of the Holy Roman empire were crowned in the 17th and 18th centuries are among them. Walk on top of a tower or get to the Main for good views of the skyline.
Historical attractions
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Römerberg Ostzeile
Kaiserdom – Imperial Cathedral
Paulskirche – St. Paul’s Church
Alte Oper Frankfurt – Old Opera
Skyline
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Frankfurt am Main Skyline
Frankfurt has some of the tallest buildings in Europe (the Commerzbank tower is the highest office building of Europe), and the tallest in Germany. Its skyline is unique for the country, as the high rises are concentrated in a relatively small downtown area, giving Frankfurt the looks of a metropolis. One of the reasons for this are the lax zoning laws compared to the rest of Germany. Elsewhere, building such high rise buildings is almost – if not outright – impossible. The skyline is the reason why Frankfurt is sometimes called by the nickname Mainhattan.
- For a view of the skyline try the Main river bridges. The eastern bridges offer the best view, in particular the Ignaz-Bubis-Brücke and also the Alte Brücke. For a great view including the new European Central Bank building, the train bridge in Ostend and the new bridge behind it provide excellent views. Also, when you approach the city from the airport via the subway, stay to the right side of the train. Just before the train approaches the Frankfurt central station it enters a big curve, and from here you will have a nice first glance of the skyline. For another good view of the skyscrapers take a walk from
Schweizer Platz
U1
U2
U3
U8
northwards.
Other attractions
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Frankfurt Grüneburgpark with Europe TV-tower in the background
Museums
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Museums in Germany are generally closed on Mondays (there are exceptions); the exact opening hours on other days depend on the museum. If you want to visit a museum on a public holiday, check with them before to be sure they open on that day.
The museums in Frankfurt offer a wide range of exhibits. Many museums are clustered on both banks of the Main in a district called Museumsufer (Museum Riverbank). To get there, take the subway to Schweizer Platz U1 U2 U3 U8 (southern bank) or Willy-Brandt-Platz U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U8 (northern bank), then walk towards the Main river. You can see the downtown skyscrapers when you leave the station Schweizer Platz, that’s the direction you have to take. There are enough museums in Museumsufer to keep you occupied for a while, and it is especially suitable if you are staying in Frankfurt only for a short time.
The Museumsufer Ticket is valid for admission to all municipal museums on two consecutive days and is available at all Frankfurt museums. Individual visitors €18, concessions €10, families (2 adults and children) €28.
Museumsufer with museum Städel and Holbeinsteg
At the Museumsufer
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All of the following museums are at the Museumsufer in Sachsenhausen. You have a number of options to get there, e.g. Schweizer Platz U1 U2 U3 U8 or Bus 46 (Museumsufer Linie) to “Städel”. It is also just a 10 minute walk from Dom/Römer U4 U5 across the Eiserner Steg bridge, or 10 minutes from the main train station over the pedestrian bridge Holbeinsteg.
Liebighaus
Ikonen-Museum in Sachsenhausen
Other museums
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Museum of Modern Art
Do
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Frankfurt and the river Main
Culture
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- Frankfurt Architectural Photo Tour[dead link], Free photography course of architectural fine arts
Fairs
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Frankfurt’s trade fairs are known to have taken place as early as in 1160. The Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s largest exhibition centres, hosting a continuous stream of exhibitions small, large and gargantuan — the Motor Show draws almost a million visitors. Most fairs are open to the public for at least part of the time, and can be a fascinating if somewhat overwhelming experience if you’re interested in the theme. The Messe has its own S-Bahn train station, Messe S3 S4 S5 S6 , two stops away from the Central Railway Station (from platform 104, underground), and there’s also the Festhalle/Messe U4 subway stop. Advance tickets for fairs often allow free use of all RMV public transport. Trains to the trade fairs are announced in English.
- (
Frankfurt Buchmesse
): .
The largest event of the world’s publishing industry, held yearly in mid-October. The Frankfurt Book Fair has a long history, first being held in 1485, shortly after Gutenberg’s printing press in nearby Mainz made books much more easily available than before. The last two days (Sa Su) are open to the general public, with book sales allowed on Sunday only. The public days of the Book Fair have also drawn a vast contingent of manga/anime fans, many of whom dress up as their favourite characters! Photography is allowed, but only after asking permission.
Day ticket €12
.
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Sports
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- Football: Eintracht Frankfurt play soccer in Bundesliga, Germany’s top tier. Their home ground Deutsche Bank Park (capacity 51,500) is 4 km south of city centre.
- Swimming at Titus-Thermen or Rebstockbad, which both also have whirlpools and sauna facilities. Or visit any of the other public indoor or outdoor pools in Frankfurt. The biggest outdoor pool is next to the Nidda in Rödelheim part of Frankfurt: Bretano bath. Some of the bigger complexes outside the city limits include Taunus-Therme in Bad Homburg and Rhein-Main-Therme in Hofheim.
Walks
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- In the summer, a walk along the river Main is a nice thing to do. A lot of people will spend a sunny afternoon walking or sitting there on a lawn or playing frisbee or football. It’s a relatively quiet area, considering it’s in the heart of the city. Nearby cafes and restaurants allow you to have a drink in between. The only disadvantage is that it can be quite crowded when the weather is nice; try going during business hours on a weekday unless you’re looking for a crowd.
- Go for a walk in the City Forest (Stadtwald) in the south of Frankfurt. With about 48 km², it is regarded as the largest inner-city forest in Germany. Six playgrounds and nine ponds make the forest a popular tourist attraction. The forest can be reached via tram line 17 direction Neu-Isenburg/Stadtgrenze from Frankfurt Main Station (
Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9
U4
U5
). Trams 12, 19, 20 and 21 also connect the Stadtwald with downtown Frankfurt.
- Go on top of the Feldberg mountain, the highest mountain of the Taunus. Take a train from Frankfurt central to Königsstein and then go to the main bus place (Parkstraße). Buses via Feldberg depart every 2 hours. Get on top of the observation tower at the Feldberg. If it’s cold, have a hot chocolate with cream (Heiße Schokolade mit Sahne) at the tower’s kiosk.
Events
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- (
Long Night of Museums
): .
One night a year in mid-May most Frankfurt museums are open to the public until the early morning of the next day. Special bus lines will take visitors from one to the next. Various special events are organized; for example dances, music performances, special exhibits, games, and so on. It is very crowded but also highly recommended; be prepared for very long lines. Buy a ticket in advance so you do not have to waste time during the night of the event on this, and do not forget to pick up a schedule of the events and map of the bus routes. Similar events are organized in other German cities as well.
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- : ,
Römerberg, Paulsplatz und Mainkai
(
Dom/Römer
U4
U5
).
M–Sa 10:00–21:00, Su 11:00–21:00
.
Get a glühwein mug and start enjoying the evening. It is one of the biggest German Christmas Markets featuring a big tree and popular particiaption. Late November to 22 December
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- (
CSD Frankfurt
): (
Konstablerwache
U4
U5
U6
U7
).
LGBT parade and festival in mid-July.
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- (
Museumsufer Festival
): .
Massive 3-day outdoor festival held every year in late August along both sides of the downtown waterfront. Numerous stages with live music, DJs, food, shops, and museum events. Beware that it can get very crowded in certain spots and there are often queues to cross the Eiserner Steg bridge. Fireworks on the last day.
Free
.
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- There are various fireworks displays throughout the year. Many major events – like the Museumsufer festival are ended with very well done fireworks. Check your local event schedule; if you are in the city these are always worth your time. The exception are the New Year fireworks, which are unorganized and less than spectacular. Good vantage points are the Main bridges, or the river banks.
Other activities
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- The RMV offers a tour of the city in the so-called Ebbelwei Express, a special tram that offers music, apple wine, and pretzels. Probably very stereotypical and more suited for people who do not mind “tacky” tourist traps.
- About once a month, an old steam engine train rides along tracks on the northern riverbank of the Main. Prices vary, starting at €4 for an adult.
Learn
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Work
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Frankfurt is one of the better locations in Germany to start looking if you want to find a job. It is the centre of national and international banking/finance and there are also many high tech, chemical and pharmaceutical companies in the Rhine-Main area. All of these are more willing to accept people with no or less than adequate German skills if you can offer any other special skills.
Last but not least the airport and companies working for trade fairs, as well as several companies in the so called “Industriepark Hoechst” always need people who speak English and other (seldom spoken) languages. Especially low skilled and very high skilled jobs are available. Make sure you have the proper permits and papers; working illegally can get you into a lot of trouble.
Buy
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Frankfurt is a great place for shopping, as it caters both to tourists and to the local population, so you can find anything from haute couture to ridiculously cheap, and most of the shopping possibilities are located in the centre. The majority of shops are open until 20:00, though some of the larger stores downtown may close at 21:00 or 22:00. In general, shops are closed on Sundays.
Shopping mall MyZeil
Shopping streets
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- The Zeil is the main shopping street in Frankfurt and in fact one of the most frequented shopping streets in Europe. This area caters to all sorts of shopping needs. There are big department stores such as Galeria Kaufhof and Karstadt as well as numerous other larger shops along the Zeil. Head to the top floor of Galeria Kaufhof for a restaurant with amazing views of the city. The lower levels of both department stores sell food products from all of the world. There are also shopping complexes like the Zeilgalerie and MyZeil, which is notable for its remarkable architecture, including the longest shopping mall escalator in Europe. Some of the surrounding streets, e.g. Liebfrauenstraße, Schillerstraße, and Kaiserstraße, have a lot of interesting smaller shops. Head to the Goethestraße for upscale shopping.
- Schweizer Straße: small, traditional shops with local specialties, take subway to
Schweizer Platz
U1
U2
U3
U8
.
- Berger Straße: smaller trendy shops and cafés, take subway to
Merianplatz
U4
or
Höhenstraße
U4
.
- Leipziger Straße: smaller shops, take subway to
Leipziger Straße
U6
U7
station.
Markets
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Shops
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Shopping centres
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Eat
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There are of course restaurants all over Frankfurt. One notable area for dining may be what is locally known as the Fressgass (a literal translation would be “munching alley”). The correct name of this street is Große Bockenheimer Straße. As the nickname implies, the Fressgass features many cafés, restaurants, and deli food stores. It is a popular area to dine after going shopping. Take the subway to station Hauptwache U1 U2 U3 U6 U7 U8 or Alte Oper U6 U7 . In late May to early June (exact dates vary each year), the Fressgass Fest takes place with food stands, cheap beer and live music. The area also has a few notable historic buildings, such as the beautiful rococo style house at Große Bockenheimer Straße 31 built in 1760 and the two 18th century half-timbered houses at Kleine Bockenheimer Strasse 10 and 12.
If you are looking for an in-depth paper-based restaurant guide, a popular publication is Frankfurt Geht Aus (Frankfurt is going out), a magazine style dining guide of the city. It can be bought for €4.80 at many kiosks and book stores, or at the Tourism Information at the central station.
Traditional Hessian dishes
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Typical specialities from the Hessian region are:
- Handkäs mit Musik – A cheese from curdled milk.
- Frankfurter Grüne Sauce (also known as Grie Soß) – A thick sauce made from eggs and 7-9 fresh herbs. Typically served with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, or occasionally with a Schnitzel in a dish known as a Frankfurter Schnitzel.
- Frankfurter sausages (Frankfurter Würstchen) are well-known internationally, but it is here that you can try the original kind, consisting of pork.
- Frankfurter Rindswurst – another kind of sausage, quite different from Frankfurter Würstchen, that is very popular in this region. These consist of beef only, and were created in part to appeal to Frankfurt’s large Jewish community. The ones from Metzgerei Gref-Völsings (at Hanauer Landstrasse 132) are the most well-known.
- Sachsenhäuser Schneegestöber (also known as “Frankfurter Schneegestöber”) – A dish consisting of Camembert cheese, cream cheese, onions and bell pepper powder. Available only in select restaurants.
- Frankfurter Rippchen – Cured pork, slowly heated in sauerkraut or meat broth.
- Bethmännchen – A pastry made mainly from marzipan and almonds. Popular during Christmas time.
Many of the above dishes are typically eaten while drinking Apfelwein (see Drink). Most restaurants in Frankfurt feature international food, so you have to specifically search for restaurants serving traditional ones. For popular restaurants in Frankfurt, it is highly recommended to reserve in advance as the restaurant might otherwise not have any free tables left.
Budget
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In various locations
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Around the Old Town
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Around the main train station
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East Frankfurt
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West Frankfurt
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Splurge
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Drink
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Frankfurt is a young city where socialising and parties are always high on the agenda. Sachsenhausen, Bockenheim, Bornheim, Nordend and the city centre are the main areas of action.
Due to Frankfurt’s large financial industry and business travellers, parts of its nightlife cater to a more upscale audience. At some such venues, sneakers may not be acceptable. However, there are also plenty of bars and clubs for other kinds of audiences, including for students, hipsters, fans of R&B and Hip Hop, or of alternative rock music.
For a quick beverage on the go, there are also small shops all over the town called Trinkhalle, which are usually open well into the night. Most of the times one orders and buys directly from the street. Drinking alcohol on the street is legal in Germany.
Near the central train station there is a rather seedy red light district – heavily patrolled by police/Ordnungsamt – with large brothels, porn cinemas and bars. Strip clubs like the Golden Gate Frankfurt are popular for bachelor/bachelorette parties at the weekend and similar joints are in walking distance. Check pricing upfront to avoid problems with bouncers afterwards.
Bars
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While mostly associated with Sachsenhausen, you will find good bars all over the city.
Cafes
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There are few cafés on Großer Hirschgraben. Café Karin and Walden are very popular with the locals. During the summer, you can enjoy one of the open air rooftop bars.
Clubs
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There are many clubs in Frankfurt that cater to business people and organise corporate events. The German favour for electronic music results in a wide variation of clubs that offer this music. Alternative music is a niche market that cater the roots of the migrants in Frankfurt.
Ebbelwoi
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The “regional speciality” Ebbelwoi (literally “apple wine”, sometimes spelled Ebbelwei, or listed as Apfelwein or Äppler in standard German) is an apple cider that tastes very different from other kinds of ciders. Most locals drink their ebbelwoi with a dash of sparkling water. Just order a glass by asking for a “Sauergespritzte” or simply a “Sauer”. People who are not used to the taste may also prefer to order a sweeter version, a “Süßgespritzte”, which is ebbelwoi with a dash of lemonade, though this might earn you some disapproving looks from locals. If you are in a group you can also order a Bembel. This is a traditional clay jug that comes in different sizes and keeps the apple wine cool (this is also a good souvenir that you can buy in some stores). Possmann is a well-known brand of ebbelwoi, while the “Frau Rauscher” edition has a pleasant natural taste with some yeast left into it.
Mispelchen are another more recent local specialty and tend to be available in the same kinds of traditional restaurants and taverns that serve ebbelwoi. A Mispelchen is served in a small glass and consists of apple brandy and a whole loquat fruit on a tooth pick as well as optionally some loquat syrup.
Alt-Sachsenhausen, a part of the suburb Sachsenhausen south of the Main river, is particularly famous for its bars and Kneipen (a German type of pub) serving ebbelwoi. However, these days, some parts of Sachsenhausen are mostly for tourists. Good options in Alt-Sachsenhausen are Dauth-Schneider, Struwwelpeter and Lorsbacher Thal. Another option in Sachsenhausen is along Textorstraße, a two minute walk south, where you can still find a row of authentic places catering to locals (Germania, Kanonensteppel, Feuerrādchen).
Not as famous as Alt-Sachsenhause, but also well known, is Bornheim (located in the north) which also some biergarden-like ebbelwoi establishments on ‘Berger Straße’ and the surrounding area. Some of the popular traditional ebbelwoi places in Bornheim are Solzer, Zur Sonne and Zur Schoenen Müllerin.
Sleep
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Frankfurt has plenty of accommodation but during major trade fairs, prices at even the cheapest hotels will suddenly skyrocket with charges of over €300/night quite common. Plan well ahead and alternatively, consider staying in nearby cities like Darmstadt, Neu-Isenburg, Bad Homburg, Mainz or Wiesbaden which are under an hour away by S-Bahn. If none of these works then Mannheim might be a last resort as it is 30mins by ICE high-speed train (but the train ticket is rather expensive unless bought in advance).
Frankfurt is the banking capital of Germany so most people are business travellers with an expense account. If you intend to stay for longer periods, ask for discounts or corporate rates. If you need to depart early or arrive very late then hotels around main station are a valid alternative to expensive airports hotels as it is just a 10 minutes ride from Terminal 1 by local train. See the Frankfurt Airport article for accommodation options in the vicinity of the airport.
Many of the hotels in Frankfurt are located around the Hauptbahnhof, but this is also the red light district in Frankfurt and is also known for the many beggars and druggies who hang around. Although the area is well policed and quite safe, many tourists are often left with a somewhat negative impression of Frankfurt after staying in this area.
Budget
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The mid-range segment is the main battle ground between privately owned/run hotels and the major chain hotels (Mercure, Courtyard, Meininger etc.). During the weekends and at non trade fair dates substantial discounts are possible but vice-versa during trade fairs prices at least triple!
Frankfurter Hof
Niederrad
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Many hotels billed as “Frankfurt Airport” are in the district of Frankfurt-Niederrad between the airport and city proper. The Frankfurt-Niederrad S7 S8 S9 S-Bahn is just one station away from the airport station. The hotels are within walking distance of the train station, but most at a distance you would not want to drag a suitcase.
Splurge
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Stay safe
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Frankfurt has one of Germany’s highest crime rates, though, in part, only for statistical reasons: smuggling and similar offences at the airport as well as anything concerning credit card fraud anywhere in Germany is registered in Frankfurt, since the main credit card clearing company is based in Frankfurt. Furthermore if you count crime per person, you don’t include a good chunk of people working but not living in Frankfurt.
Physical crime is in general concentrated in the red-light district around the central train station, which also is the hangout of many drug dealers/junkies, although even there you are usually safe during the day and moderate evening hours. Frankfurt is safe and it is highly unlikely that you will face armed robbery or other violent crimes. Use your common sense and avoid drunken or aggressive people at night. In general, firearms are an uncommon sight in Germany and the police have a very no-nonsense approach to people wielding guns or even knives. If shots are fired, the police are never far away, as this very rarely happens.
If you have a problem or are being harassed, ask the police for help. The German police and the Frankfurt Ordnungsamt (City Enforcement Officers) are clean, competent and willing to help. Germany is very bureaucratic but structured; as long as you behave respectfully toward the police, you should have no problem. Don’t consider buying and smuggling drugs, these are major offences with dire consequences. Lately, bogus police officers have been an issue. All real officers have a green card with photograph and number, and no officer will check cash. Ring 110 if you get any trouble.
Drugs and beggars
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The central station area (Hauptbahnhof) is known for being a centre for homeless people and drug users. The situation has improved, but you will still occasionally be bothered by beggars. The drug addicts generally don’t bother people, and the beggars will ask for Kleingeld (small change), which by their definition is anything between €0.20 and two euro. One way to fend off beggars is just to say you do not speak German (and this might just be true for you anyway!). They will often switch to English then, so just pretend you can not speak that either (just shake your head, or say “No English”).
Connect
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Internet
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There are a number of Internet cafés in Frankfurt of varying prices and quality. Free Wi-Fi at coffee shops is getting more and more common but most businesses require some purchases of food or the likes to get the code. La maison du pain[dead link] offers Wi-Fi. Various other hotels offer Internet access but usually at a charge.
Burger King (corner Liebfrauenstraße / Holzgraben) near Hauptwache U1 U2 U3 U6 U7 U8 offers free Wi-Fi in its restaurant, as does Starbucks near Hauptwache (Börsenplatz).
Phone
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Besides public pay phones and mobile phone services, a large number of stores sell prepaid telephone cards. This is especially useful for international calls. The PTT multi-media store – 65 Baseler Straße, offers competitive rates for international calls (10 cents per min to the UK) Some other stores also offer in house phone services. Another easy to reach store that seems reliable is in the Hauptwache U1 U2 U3 U6 U7 U8 subway station.
You may also visit one of the plenty Internet cafés, since they almost all offer cheap phone calls via Internet.
Post offices
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The postal service in Germany is Deutsche Post. The four easiest-to-reach full-service postal offices are easy to locate:
- Inside Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (central station) by the long-distance ICE/IC trains; near McDonalds.
- In the Karstadt department store (ground floor) on the Zeil shopping street.
- On Goetheplatz
- At
Frankfurt Süd
U1
U2
U3
U8
S5
S6
(i.e., Südbahnhof, Southern Station), take exit Diesterwegplatz and cross the square; the post office is to the left.
Cope
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Consulates
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Go next
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Saalburg Main Gate near Bad Homburg
- Mainz — Gutenberg’s home on the Rhine, with a well-preserved old city, 45 min by S-Bahn
S8
- Wiesbaden — wealthy historic spa city and state capital, 45 minutes by S-Bahn
S1
,
S8
,
S9
or 35 min. by SE10 from Hauptbahnhof
- Rüdesheim am Rhein — at the southern end of the Rhine Valley and the Rheingau, 73 min by SE10.
- Darmstadt — former residence of the duchy of Hesse, picturesque old town, art nouveau architecture
- Bad Homburg — spa town with close by old Roman fort Saalburg that is on the UNESCO heritage list
- Oberursel — Small city with a picturesque medieval Altstadt (old town area).
- Bad Nauheim — art nouveau buildings and place where Elvis Presley stayed while in the Army (1958-1960)
- Heidelberg — with famous castle and charming old town, 55 min by IC.
- Cologne — home to the Cologne Carnival and a famous cathedral, 1 hour by ICE
- Middle Rhine Valley — famous section of the Rhine, 1 hr 50 min ICE via Mainz
- Germersheim — a quiet town inside an impressive fort by the river Rhein, 130 km south of Frankfurt
- Büdingen — medieval city centre
- Taunus mountains — If you’re keen on hiking, head out to the nearby Taunus mountains, which are laced with walking trails and guesthouses, the Vogelsberg (an extinct volcano), or the Odenwald
Routes through Frankfurt
Cologne ←
Essen 
Munich
→ Aschaffenburg → Nuremberg
Berlin ← Fulda ←
Berlin Munich
→ Mannheim → Stuttgart
Hanover ← Kassel ←
Hamburg Zurich
→ Mannheim → Basel
END ←
Frankfurt Vienna
→ Würzburg → Nuremberg
END ←
Frankfurt Amsterdam/Bruxelles
→ Cologne
END ←
Frankfurt 
Paris
→ Mannheim → Saarbrücken
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