Largest city in Hesse, Germany
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 de via Wikimedia Commons
Frankfurt (German, and sometimes in English: 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. It is 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.
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Fachwerkhäuser Bornheim
Unlike the city center, Bornheim largely survived the war intact, preserving its charming medieval and baroque half-timbered houses. Strolling along the Berger Straße offers an authentic glimpse into the former village structure of Bornheim.
Goethe Tower
An old 43-metre wooden tower with viewing platform offering nice views of the skyline. It burned down in 2017, but has since been rebuilt.
Zoologischer Garten Frankfurt
Established in 1858, this is one of the oldest zoos in the world. It gained international fame under the direction of Bernhard Grzimek, who pioneered animal conservation. The zoo focuses on modern enclosure design and houses a wide array of species in the heart of the city.
Höchster Altstadt
A remarkably preserved medieval area with half-timbered houses and narrow streets. Key highlights include the 9th-century St. Justin's Church (Frankfurt's oldest building), the castle, and the baroque Bolongaro Palace with its gardens. Porcelain enthusiasts should visit the Porcelain Museum in the Kronberger House and the nearby manufacturing center.
Flughafenführungen
As one of Europe's busiest hubs, the airport offers behind-the-scenes insights. Guided tours provide access to the airfield and specialized areas, such as the impressive fire department facilities. Advance booking online is mandatory.
Modern ballet in Frankfurt playing at the Bockenheimer Depot.
There are two companies offering river cruises along the Main River, and both of them depart from Mainkai near the Eiserner Steg bridge in the Old Town. There are short sightseeing cruises as well as longer tours heading towards the Rhein river and its scenic spots.
The official German language institute with a vast range of courses to learn German in Goethe's hometown.
Founded in 1914, this urban university offers a wide range of faculties. Today, the university has 38,000 students on 4 major campuses: Campus Bockenheim, Campus Riedberg, Campus Westend, Campus Niederrad.
Public education centre
Vast range of language courses, cooking classes and other educational courses.
Place where you can try "Curry-Wurst", which is a sliced beef sausage served with ketchup and curry spices, and considered one of the most popular German fast food products. The Best Worscht in Town chain is special in that it also serves extremely spicy variants, using some of the hottest spices available from different parts of the world. There have even been televised hot sausage eating competitions with on-site medical staff to take care of the participants. Stores can be found on Berger Straße, in the Nordwestzentrum, and other locations. These are just stands without any seating.
Small chain of shops selling unique locally produced or locally themed goods. Locations in Bockenheim (Leipziger Straße 49), Sachsenhausen (Diesterwegstraße 22), and downtown in Kleinmarkthalle (Hasengasse 5).
By plane
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is among the busiest in Europe: Sixth in passenger traffic after London Heathrow, Istanbul Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol and Barajas Airport.
By train
Frankfurt has three major train stations: Hauptbahnhof (main station), Südbahnhof (south station) and the above-mentioned one at the airport (Flughafen Fernbahnhof).
By car
Frankfurt is connected to several autobahns and can be easily reached by car. Try to avoid rush-hour and snowy days, as car traffic can easily break down.
By bus
By e-hailing
By taxi
Frankfurt has plenty of taxi drivers to service the many business travellers. The city is not too big, although fares tend to be expensive.
By car
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.
By bicycle
Frankfurt is bike-friendly, featuring an expansive network of bike lanes.
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Frankfurt am Main · International · FRA
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