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top down: City Breaks: Frankfurt>Sightseeing, Skyline, Museum Shore, Main River, Shopping, Cider Pubs, Districts, Nightlife, |
In Frankfurt you can go sightseeing, enjoy the skyline, relax on the Main shore, spend rainy days in museums, shop, dive into the village life, the restaurants, cafes, markets and the shopping of the districts, visit the traditional cider pubs, go to the theater or to the opera, listen to music, or watch a movie in the cinema, swim, recover in the park, take out your children, bargain at the fleamarket, inline skate, cycle through fields, meadowlands and woods, hike in the nearby Taunus mountains, or simply enjoy the night-life.
Since the 11th century, Frankfurt has organized international fairs, in the beginning, merchants had their stalls in the center of town, in front of the Roemer, today exhibitions take place on the fairgrounds near the station (Messe Frankfurt, S-Bahn-Haltestelle, S3,S4,S5,S6, Haltestelle Festhalle/Messe, U4 oder Straßenbahn 16,17 ab Hauptbahnhof). The "Struwwelpeter" - Slovenly Peter - originates in Frankfurt. Mayer Amschel Rothschild was born in Frankfurt, his sons, as well as a number of less known bankers. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born here, Ludwig Boerne and Theodor W. Adorno. Here the poet and private tutor Hoelderlin fell hopelessly in love with the banker's wife Susette Gontard. The wine merchant Gogel's children were taught by the philosopher and private tutor Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. The banker's wife Marianne von Willemer exchanged poems with Goethe in love. Frankfurt inhabitants arrested Voltaire. In Frankfurt young Heinrich Heine began his business training with the banker Rindskopf. Arthur Schopenhauer was also here. Martin Luther and Napoleon passed through. How about you? >> addresses & links >> city map, underground, trams, busses & local trains SightsYou can view or buy a Frankfurt city map online. If you want to see everything in a very short time: There are city bus tours, daily at 10:00 am and 2:00 p.m. from the Tourist Office at the Roemer (U-train from the central train station, U4, U5). If you wish to see the sights on Saturdays, Sundays or on a holiday afternoon, then the Ebbelwoi-Express is for you. The "Ebbelwoi" - Cider - Express is a tramway, which runs through the city center, Bornheim and Sachsenhausen, every 40 minutes on weekend and holiday afternoons. Convenient entry points are Konstablerwache (all S-trains, U4, U5, U6, U7) and the central train station Hauptbahnhof (all S-trains, U4, U5). You rent a bycicle at the central train station Hauptbahnhof. You can take your bike free of charge in all the S-, U-trains and trams in the Frankfurt area - with the exception of the rush hour: You should not take your bike in Frankfurt U-trains and trams between 6:00 to 8:30 or 16:00 to 18:30. In the city center around Opernplatz, Roemer, Konstablerwache and Main river velotaxis offer rides to the main sights. Much can be viewed on foot, in half a day. Just take any S- or U-train to Hauptwache (all S-trains, all U-trains except U4, U5). From here, you can reach the most important sights, comfortably, in two to three hours. With museum visits, you need to plan for more time. In Schiller Street around the corner from Hauptwache you pass the sculpture of bull and bear in front of the stock exchange. The Hauptwache was built in 1671, served as a kind of police station, and was used as a prison at times. Today it is a cafe and restaurant. Opposite to the Hauptwache you find the Protestant church Katharinen-Kirche, opened in 1681. Here, the family Goethe went to church. In 1945 just the foundation walls of the Katharinen-Kirche were left, so that the interior furnishing no longer corresponds to the Goethe period. Pass the Katharinen-Kirche through the small gateway Katharinenpforte, via Hirschgraben you will reach the Goethe-Haus. Here you can see, how the Goethe family lived at home. The interior furnishing of the Goethe-Haus is in its original condition, the house was reconstructed after 1945. Go to the right from Goethe-Haus, in the direction of the Main river, turn right again into Berliner Strasse and continue to the Seckbaechergasse. The Carmelite Cloister is here. The construction of the Carmelite Cloister goes back to the 13th century, on the cloister walls you can see frescos, painted by Joerg Rathgeb in 1520. From the Carmelite Cloister, follow Bethmann Street to the left and you arrive at the EZB - European Central Bank - at Kaiserstrasse. Turn right into Bethmann Street from the Carmelite Closter and you reach the Pauls-Kirche church. In 1848, the first German National Assembly met here. The Roemer at the back of Paulskirche is the historical city hall, the Roemer's houses date back to the 14th century. Between Roemer and Main river, at Saalhof, you find the Historical Museum. You can see here, from the model built by the Treuner brothers, how the old town used to look like before the air raids in 1944. The Treuner brothers started the model in 1926 and could save it during the war. Hermann Treuner completed the work in 1955. On the way to the cathedral - the Dom - between the Technische Rathaus and Schirn you pass the oldest part of the city, the Archaeological Garden. Here, you see the excavated parts of the Roman settlement and the foundations of the Carolingian king's palace from the 8th century. In the Dom, the coronation of ten German emperors took place. The building goes back to the 13th century. During excavations a Merowingian child grave was found from the time around 700. From the Dom, you turn left into Fahrgasse, then follow Battonstrasse to the right and cross Kurt-Schuhmacher-Strasse. At the Stadtwerke - the municipal electricity and gas company - you are in front of the former entrance to the medieval Jewish ghetto, the Judengasse. In the Stadtwerke building, you find a museum displaying the history of the Jewish quarter. Here you can see the foundations of the medieval Jewish quarter, which were dug out when the Stadtwerke were built. Today, only the old Jewish cemetery is left behind the Stadtwerke at Boerne-Platz. The grave stones go back to the 15th century. Two famous Frankfurt inhabitants were born in the Judengasse. The banker Amschel Mayer Rothschild and the writer Ludwig Boerne. Starting from the Stadtwerke, turn to the left to the Main river. Follow the quay Mainkai and pass the iron footbridge Eiserner Steg. Stay on this side of the river. At the end of Mainkai you see the St. Leonhard church. The main entrance of the church dates from the year 1220. Continue along this side of the river on Untermainkai. Here, at the bridge Untermainbruecke, the Rothschild Palais houses the Jewish Museum. Cross the Main river on the Untermainbruecke, you will reach the Museum Shore. The bridge leads directly into Schweizer Street. Take a break. Enjoy a glass of cider, in one of the cider pubs on the lefthand side of Schweitzer Strasse. Or go to one of the numerous cafes or restaurants. From Schweitzer Platz underground station in the middle of Schweitzer Strasse you get connections back to Hauptwache (U1, U2, U3). top of page << Frankfurt from Above, Skyline
You get the best view from the platform of the "Hessische Landesbank Maintower". Go to Alte Oper by underground (U6, U7) and turn into Neue Mainzer Strasse, or take a S-train to Taunusanlage (all S-trains) and follow Junghofstrasse to the Neue Mainzer Strasse. The Maintower's viewing platform is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Zeilgalerie on Zeil near Hauptwache is not quite so high, the roof nevertheless offers a good view. You have a very good view of the skyline from the Museum Shore.
top of page << Main, Museum ShoreStart from the Roemerberg (station Roemer, U4, U5), walk past the Historical Museum to the Main river. At the iron footbridge Eiserner Steg are the passenger ship docks. You can take one-hour journeys or longer tours up-stream to Seligenstadt and Aschaffenburg or Main down-ward to the Rhine. The river Main has always been the city's place of leisure and pleasure, the Easter Walk in Goethe's Faust describes this. On Tuesday evenings in summer, the river is the meeting point for hundreds of inline-skaters setting out to skate through the city center in a long procession. A large flea market takes place every Saturday morning on the Museum Shore. To reach the Museum Shore, you cross the Main river on the iron footbridge Eiserner Steg. On the Schaumainkai you find next to each other House Nr. 83 the Museum of Regional Art, House Nr. 71 the Liebieghaus - Museum of Historical Sculpture, House Nr. 63 the Staedelsche Art Institute, House Nr. 53 the Museum for Communication, House Nr. 43 the German Architecture Museum, House Nr. 41 the German Film Museum, House Nr. 29 the Museum of World Cultures, House Nr. 17 the Museum for Applied Art. On the island at the Alte Bruecke you find - in medieval customs house style, built in 2006 - the "Portikus" - here young artists from the Staedel School show exhibitions. The new building replaces the exhibition hall in the Portikus of the old city library, the restored and reconstructed building on the opposite Main bank now being used by the Literaturhaus (Schoene Aussicht 2, Ignatz-Bubis-Bruecke / Obermainbruecke, S 1-6, 8,9 station Ostendstrasse, U 6,7 station Zoo continue with tram 14, station Hospital zum Heiligen Geist, Bus 30, 36, station Schoene Aussicht). The last weekend in August, the three-day huge Museum Shore Festival takes place. Live bands and artists appear, stands sell arts and crafts, international cuisine is offered wherever you go, the museums show special presentations. On the last evening of the festival very elaborate and artful fireworks are let off on the river. top of page << Museums off the Museum ShoreAcross the river, opposite to the Museum Shore, the Rothschild Palais on Untermainkai houses the Jewish Museum. The next underground-station is Willy-Brandt-Platz (U1, U2, U3, U4, U5). Follow Untermainkai in the direction of the Roemer, up to Seckbaechergasse, in the Carmelite cloister you find the Museum for Pre- and Early History. Cross the Bethmann Street from the Carmelite Cloister, go along Berliner Street, you will reach the Goethe-Haus on Grosser Hirschgraben. Attached to the Goethe-Haus there is a museum: The exhibition explores Goethe's love for visual arts and displays the art collection of his father. On the Roemerberg (Station Roemer, U1, U2, U3, U4) you find the Historical Museum including the Cider Museum and the Child Museum. You can see a model of the old town made by the Treuner brothers. On the way to the cathedral, you pass the Schirn art exhibition hall, with the Struwwelpeter Museum. The Struwwelpeter Museum shows German and foreign editions of letters, subscriptions, and sketchbooks of Heinrich Hoffmann, the author of the Slovenly Peter children's book. In front of the art exhibition hall Schirn, between the Roemerberg and the cathedral you find the Archaeological Garden with the excavated Roman and Carolingian foundations. Passing the cathedral, do not miss the Museum of Modern Art in Domstrasse 10. Following the Domstrasse to the Battonstrasse and crossing the Kurt-Schuhmacher-Strasse you now reach the Museum Judengasse in the Stadtwerke building - the municipal electricity and gas company. In the Westend, in the Schubertstrasse No. 20, you find the Heinrich-Hoffmann-Museum in the Struwwelpeter-Haus (station Westend, U6, U7). Children can dress up, as figures from the Struwwelpeter - Slovenly Peter children's book, watch a puppet theater and celebrate their birthday parties. To the dinosaurs of the Natural History Museum Senckenberg you ride a little further to the Bockenheimer Warte and walk along the Senckenberg Anlage. The museum is located on the right-hand side of Senckenberg Anlage house no. 25. You can also reach the Senckenberg Museum from the other side (station Festhalle/Messe, U4). top of page << ShoppingOn the "Fressgass", the Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse between Alte Oper and Hauptwache (all S-trains, all U-trains except U4, U5) you find delicatessen shops and street cafes. Well-known designers have branch stores in the streets to the right and left of the Fressgass. You find the large department stores on the other side of the Hauptwache, on Zeil. In the lanes and arcades to the right and the left of Zeil, small businesses meet individual shopping needs. Individual shopping needs are also catered for in Oeder Weg (station Eschersheimer Tor, U1, U2, U3), in Leipziger Strasse (station Bockenheimer Warte, U4, U6, U7 und Leipziger Strasse, U6, U7) in Bockenheim, in Berger Strasse in Bornheim (station Merianplatz, Hoehenstrasse or Bornheim Mitte, U4), or in Schweizer Strasse in Sachsenhausen (U1, U2, U3). Next to Zeil, near Konstablerwache, there is a small covered market, the Kleinmarkthalle. Here you can buy fresh vegetables, wine, meat, sausage, cheese, and international delicatessen (all S-trains, U4, U5, U6, U7). The entrance to the market is at Hasengasse. Or you go to the weekly food markets: on Fridays in Schillerstrasse next to Hauptwache (all S-trains, all U-trains except U4, U5), on Saturdays on Konstablerwache (all S-trains, U4, U5, U6, U7), on Wednesdays and Saturdays on Berger Strasse (station Bornheim Mitte, U4), on Thursdays on Bockenheimer Warte (U4, U6, U7). In December, a huge Christmas Fair takes place on the Roemerberg (station Roemer, U4, U5): with the traditional warm spicy wine Gluehwein, wooden toys, Christmas decorations and much more. top of page << Cider PubsYou find pubs with the traditional special brew of cider all over Frankfurt. The most famous cider district is Sachsenhausen (Haltestelle Lokalbahnhof S3, S4, S5, S6) including the Grosse Rittergasse, the Klappergasse, the Textorstrasse and the Schweizer Strasse (U1, U2, U3). You can find many comfortable cider pubs in Bornheim, e.g. on the upper end of Berger Strasse (station Bornheim Mitte, U4).
top of page << DistrictsFrankfurt is a small metropolis or a large village. It is a village of several districts. Don't miss to go strolling: in Bornheim along Berger Strasse or Sandweg (station Merianplatz, U4) in Bockenheim along Leipziger Strasse (station Bockenheimer Warte, U4, U6, U7 and Leipziger Strasse, U6, U7), in Sachsenhausen along Schweizer Strasse (station, U1, U2, U3)
Or, further from the center, visit Roedelheim (S3, S4, S5). The old town and the castle of Hoechst (S1, S2) are worth seeing. The Justinuskirche is the oldest church of Frankfurt. On the castle square in summer you can leisurely eat and drink with a view of the castle. The old town of Bergen-Enkheim (U7 station Enkheim, Bus to Marktstrasse) is also remarkable. top of page << Theater, Opera, Concert, CinemaFrankfurt stages - ballett, theater und opera - are situated on Willy-Brandt-Platz (U1, U2, U3, U4, U5). In the Alte Oper (U6, U7) primarily concert events take place. In addition, there are larger performance places at the Bockenheimer Depot on the Bockenheimer Warte ( U6, U7, U4) and in the Mousonturm, a former soap factory (station Merianplatz, U4). There are many little theaters and cabarets. You can obtain a summary in the event notes of the daily papers or on the internet. The English Theatre in Kaiserstrasse offers performances in English. A special place is the Tigerpalast: It presents variety acts with comperes, international artists and - tigers - whilst you wine and dine. There are large cinema centers in the city center at Hauptwache and at Eschersheimer Tor. You can find what is playing in the daily papers, on the movie posters in the city, or on the internet. The Turmpalast Cinema at Eschersheimer Tor shows English-speaking and Turkish Films, in the original language. top of page << NightlifeFrankfurt has a number of well-known clubs, with an up to 50 year tradition and the appropriately mixed audience of all ages, amongst them the Jazzkeller near Fressgass (station Alte Oper, U6, U7), and, not far from there, the Club Voltaire and the Cookys. Next to Zeil you find the Sinkkasten, and at Konstablerwache the slightly newer Nachtleben. You can reach the Batschkapp by U-train (station Weisser Stein, U1, U2, U3) , or the Brotfabrik in Hausen (station Industriehof, U6, U7). For some time now factories and warehouses on Hanauer Landstrasse (tramway no. 11 from Roemer, U4, U5) have developed into a center of nightlife. And there is a number of other locations in all districts. You find a summary of the clubs in the daily papers and on the internet. top of page << Parks, Botanic & Zoological GardensThe Palmengarten (U6, U7) is more than just a botanic garden. Concerts, literature readings, lectures, expositions take place here, you find restaurants and cafes of all types, there is a boat hire service on the little lake, and if you are tired the Palmen-Express drives you through the park. Right next to the Palmengarten, the Grueneburg Park is a meeting place for joggers and soccer players. In summer, a cafe is open in the pavillon. Between Palmengarten and Grueneburg Park, you find the Old Botanic Garden. The Poelzig building next to the park was constructed at the end of the 1920s. Today the university is here; originally, this was the administrative building of the IG-Farben chemical conglomerate, later it became the headquarters of the U.S.Army. On the Nidda river, between the districts of Bockenheim and Roedelheim (S3, S4, S5, Bus 34) you can relax in the Brentano Park and the adjoining Brentano swimming pool (station Fischstein, U6, U7). The park originally surrounded the country house of the merchant Georg Brentano. Bettina and Achim von Arnim, Clemens Brentano, Marianne von Willemer met here in the Petri-Haus, next to the Nidda river. You can rent the Petri-Haus for events. The sponsoring association for the conservation of the Petri-Haus is planning for a museum in the future. You can cycle along the Nidda river through parks, meadowlands and fields until you reach Hoechst. The Bethmann Park (station Merianplatz, U 4) is a peaceful site within a lively shopping area with lots of street cafes and restaurants. Its specialty is the Chinese garden. In summer, the large chess-game is surrounded by players and spectators. The quite romantic Holzhausen-Park grows around a moated castle (station Holzhausenstrasse, U1, U2, U3). During cold winters you can ice skate here. If it is a cold winter, you may also ice-skate on the pond of the Ostpark. The indoor skating hall Eissporthalle is open throughout the year (station Eissporthalle, tramway 12, U7). For longer walks go to the city forest, the Stadtwald. The Goetheturm (all S-trains, U4,U5, U6, U7 to Konstablerwache, then Bus 30, 36 to Hainer Weg) is a good starting point. You have an excellent view from the tower (140 feet). You find the zoological garden in the city center, behind Konstablerwache at the end of Zeil (U6, U7). It is the largest zoo in Germany. top of page << Swimming poolsYou can reach two open-air swimming pools comfortably by underground line U6 (station Fischstein): The smaller Hausener Freibad heated open air swimming pool is open from the end of April to the beginning of October. You can book appointments for massages. The Brentanobad nearby is laid out generously within a park. Here you find a children's playground, sports area, beer garden, an ice cafe, and an open air cinema that plays on weekend evenings from end of June onwards. The most central indoor swimming pool is the former Stadtbad Mitte in Eschersheimer Anlage. Nowadays, it is called Wave and is part of the Hilton Hotel. During the week, it is open to all visitors until 3:30 p.m. (station Eschersheimer Tor, U1, U2, U3). In addition, the Panoramabad indoor swimming pool in Bornheim can be quickly reached by underground train or tramway (station Eissporthalle, tramway 12, U7). Here you can swim, go to the sauna and let yourself be massaged. top of page << For Children & ParentsNearly all parks have playgrounds, particularly beautiful are the playgrounds in Grueneburgpark (station Palmengarten, U6, U7) , in Stadtwald at Goetheturm (all S-trains, U4, U5 to Konstablerwache, then bus 30, 36 to Hainer Weg) and in the Brentanobad open air swimming pool (station Fischstein, U6, U7). The botancial garden Palmengarten (U6, U7) offers rides on the Palmen-Express - a miniature railway. On the little lake of the Palmengarten you can rent a boat. In an area of the zoo children can touch and stroke animals and there is a night area with artificial moonlight, where you can watch nocturnal animals. The Children Museum in the Historical Museum offers special expositions (station Roemer, U4, U5). Many museums offer guided tours for children's groups e.g. the Staedel, the Liebieg-House, the Film Museum (Museum Shore, station Schweitzer Platz, U1, U2, U3), and the Natural History Museum Senckenberg (station Bockenheimer Warte, U6, U7). Staedel and Liebieg Haus offer classes and workshops. The Museum for Applied Art on the Museum Shore offers a special Sunday program for parents and children. Children's guided tours take place every 1st and 3rd Sunday. Every 2nd Sunday of the month is a costume workshop for children from six years onwards. Children and parents can borrow a suitcase with objects to grasp, smell and hear, seek-games and puzzles. Children can build and program robots with LEGO mindstorms or relax in the child lounge. The museums organize children's birthday parties and celebrations. Children paint in the Staedel Art Institute, in the Liebieg-Haus and the Museum for Applied Art. You can book dinosaur and stone age birthday parties in the Natural History Museum Senckenberg. Next to the Natural History Museum Senckenberg you watch the evening sky from the viewing platform of the planetarium. In the Heinrich-Hoffmann-Museum in the Struwwelpeter House (station Westend, U6, U7) children can dress up as figures from Struwwelpeter - the Slovenly Peter children's book, watch the puppet theater and celebrate birthday parties. Children go to the theater in the Theaterhaus in Schuetzenstrasse (Konstablerwache, all S-trains, U6, U7), in the Kindertheater am Zoo (Zoo station, U6/U7 or Konstablerwache, all S-trains), or in the off-theater in Brotfabrik (Industriehof station, U6, U7). Children participate in mathematical activities in the Mathematikum near Giessen main station. The museum offers lectures, puzzles, bridge construction, dice competitions, ball races and more. It takes 40-60 minutes to go to Giessen by train. top of page << Hiking & Cycling Tours, Green BeltSince 1991 the City protects 20 000 acres of meadow lands, fields, park grounds and woods. A 100 mile Round Trip Hiking Trail leads you through the city's green belt: The Green Belt Project offers guided tours and the Municipal Environmental Office posts a free Cycling and Hiking Map. A very popular cycling tour leads you from the north of the city along the Nidda river past the former garden show exhibition grounds through 200 years old Brentano Park at Roedelheim up to Hoechst's old town on the Main river. The tour offers many opportunities to eat and drink in one of the traditional cider pubs or allotment garden clubs. You can rent a bicycle at the central main station Hauptbahnhof. You can take your bike free of charge in all the S-, U-trains and trams in the Frankfurt area - with the exception of the rush hour: You should not take your bike in Frankfurt U-trains and trams between 6:00 to 8:30 or 16:00 to 18:30. Nearby, the Taunus mountains at Friedrichsdorf (S-train from Hauptwache or Main Station, S5), Koenigstein or Kronberg (S-train from Hauptwache or Main Station, S4,) the 2617 foot Altkoenig (Oberursel-Hohemark, U-train from Hauptwache, U3) and the 2884 foot Feldberg, are very popular with hikers and mountain bikers.
You find Frankfurt's only existing vineyard in Lohrpark on Lohrberg hill. Many Frankfurt citizens come here to watch the city's fireworks on New Year's Eve: You enjoy a suberb view of the skyline and Frankfurt's surroundings from the hill. You relax in a very popular cider garden restaurant (by car: follow Friedberger Landstrasse to Bad Vilbel, by bus: take bus number 30 from Konstablerwache, all S-trains, U6, U7, get out at Heiligenstock, you have to walk 10-20 minutes - remember there is a cider pub on top). You need 8 to 10 days cycling along the Main River Cycling Trail to Nuernberg and Bayreuth. top of page << ... add this link to your website |
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