Frankfurt am Main, commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a population of 700,000, spread over 248 sq km at the centre of the larger Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. The River Main divides the city in halves and the southern part contains the Frankfurt City Forest (Frankfurter Stadtwald). Frankfurt, the financial and transportation centre of Germany is the largest financial centre in continental Europe. Frankfurt has been Germany's financial centre for eons.
How to Get There:
Frankfurt Airport is located 12 km from the city centre. The airport has three
runways and serves 260+ non-stop destinations. It ranks among the world's top ten airports. Frankfurt airport is accessible by road (bus/car/taxi) and its two train stations serve regional and long-distance traffic respectively. It takes 15 minutes to reach the airport from Frankfurt city centre. Frankfurt is a major base of the fully networked German Autobahn system. It has the busiest car interchange in Europe. Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is the largest train station in Germany by number of platforms and railway traffic. The two major stations in the city centre are Hauptwache and Konstablerwache, both on Frankfurt’s most famous shopping street, the Zeil.
What to See:
There is no dearth of tourist sites. Bartholomew's Cathedral (Dom Sankt Bartholomäus) is a Gothic building which was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundation of an earlier church from the Merovingian time. It is the main church of Frankfurt;
Roemer, or City Hall;Saint Paul's Church;Old Opera House;Frankfurt Opera House; Saint Katherine's Church; The Hauptwache (Main Watch) is a baroque building built in 1730, formerly used as a prison; The Zeil is Frankfurt's main shopping street and one of the most crowded in Germany.
The street is a pedestrian-only area and is host to the fifth largest Christmas Market in Germany. 20th-century architecture consists of Frauenfriedenskirche, consecrated 1929;
Grossmarkthalle, built 1926–1928, former wholesale market, future European Central Bank headquarters; IG Farben Building, built 1928–1930, now housing the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University; Goethe House, rebuilt in 1947 and the Museum für angewandte Kunst, among others.
Frankfurt is the only German city with a significant number of skyscrapers, 12 in all.
Where to Eat:
Once again, Frankfurt is full of restaurants of every kind. Germany's busiest city and Europe's financial hub has over 3000 restaurants with fare from over 70 countries. Frankfurt hosts leading exponents of Neue Küche, German nouvelle cuisine. The traditional "Frankfurter Würstchen" is available everywhere too, with a tangy dab of local mustard and a pint of lager, or a plate of Frankfurt brisket with its famous green herb sauce (grüne Sosse) made with 7 locally-grown herbs and ladled over piping hot potatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Zum Anker, Germania, Brückenkeller,Apfelwein Wagner,Sachsenhäuser Warte,Zum Schwarzen Stern, Speisekammer and Mosebach are recommended.
Events:
New Year's Concert,Fasching,Spring Dippe Fair,Frankfurt Museums Night,
Kunsthandwerk Heute; Waeldchestag, this annual event is presented in the Niederrad forest and offers a market, fairground, shows and competitive games; Museum Quay Festival, River Main Festival, Autumn Dippe Fair, Frankfurt Book Fair - late September / early October, the largest book fair on the whole planet, Euro Marathon Frankfurt, Frankfurt Christmas Fair (Weihnachtsmarkt) - late November / December, New Year's Eve - the city sees in the New Year with large scale fireworks; the annual Ambiente; biennial IAA, the world's largest automobile trade fair.
Hotels:
There are 558 hotels in Frankfurt, from 2-5 star categories. Prices range from € 40-200.
Overnighters are also available in plenty, starting at much lower prices. Bed and Breakfast agencies cost medium range prices, depending on location. The Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, The Westin Grand Frankfurt, Hilton, Innside by Meliã, Frankfurt Eurotheum, Steigenberger Hotel Metropolitan come well recommended. Always book your accommodation in advance as Frankfurt has a huge number of visitors.
