Frankfurt Travel Guide: Travel and tourist information, things to do and see in Frankfurt

Frankfurt is often seen only as a transit hub or a business centre, but it's so much more. It boasts Germany's most spectacular skyline, mirrored in the Main River, and Europe's tallest office building. It's also the country's most international town; more than a quarter of its citizens are foreign.

Visitors to Germany do not find much to make them linger in the sprawling city of Frankfurt on the River Main, unless their purpose is business rather than pleasure. For most visitors to the country, however, Frankfurt's huge showpiece airport is the point of arrival and departure. The city is a major transport hub and an industrial and financial metropolis that ensures it is the economic powerhouse not only of Germany, but central Europe. Frankfurt is home to Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank and Europe's most important stock exchange, which has been trading since 1585.

For tourists Frankfurt does offer some sights, some intriguing restaurants in the Nordend, a variety of artistic and cultural events, and excellent shopping opportunities. Sightseeing opportunities are mostly confined to the historical core of the city, known as the Romerberg, where Charlemagne erected his fort in medieval times. Most of the original buildings were destroyed during World War II, but some have been reconstructed, including the home of Goethe, Frankfurt's famous son who became Germany's greatest writer. For shopping it is hard to beat the Zeil, Germany's equivalent to New York's Fifth Avenue.

With its excellent rail connections and Autobahn system, Frankfurt is the natural hub for travellers wishing to explore the surrounding towns and countryside. It is also the venue for numerous trade fairs, exhibitions and congresses, drawing about 12-million visitors a year to these events. The largest and best known is the annual International Book Fair, which is attended by thousands of publishers.

Frankfurt throws more money at the arts than any other European city so you'll most likely catch a ground-breaking exhibition at one of its museums. And if you do happen to get stuck at the mega-airport there's a nightclub, art gallery and X-rated cinema to help while away those in-transit hours.

The city epitomises modern Frankfurt it's home to Germany's stock exchange and 400 banking institutions. The modern architecture and financial clout give the city a decidedly American tone - though the nickname 'Mainhattan' is perhaps overdoing it.

For many, Frankfurt is primarily "Manhattan", city of finance and skyscrapers, but a closer look reveals a city of many charms: The picturesque houses of the beautifully restored Römerberg in the city centre and the unique "Museum Mile" along the banks of the Main river. Traditional cider pubs in Sachsenhausen, shops galore in the elegant Goethestrasse and the "Fressgass" - and a truly world-class cultural and arts scene.

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Population: 82.431.400
Languages: German
Currency: euro
Currency code: EUR
Local Times:
Germany - Berlin - Berlin

Germany - Hesse - Frankfurt

Country Dialling Code: +49
Voltage: 230V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
'Schuko' type with two earth connectors on the sides

'Schuko' type with two earth connectors on the sides

Germany is a federation of 16 states, roughly corresponding to regions with their own distinct and unique cultures. Germany is one of the most influential nations in European culture, and one of the world's main economic powers. Known around the world for its precision engineering and high-tech products, it is equally admired by visitors for its old-world charm and "Gemütlichkeit" (coziness) or hospitality. If you have perceptions of Germany as simply homogeneous, it will surprise you with its many historical regions and much local diversity for its relatively small size. Cities of all sizes boast some of Europe’s best nightclubs, as you’d expect from the home of techno. Enjoying the outdoors, from skiing Alpine peaks to hiking carefully preserved forests, is also an experience worth having.

Germany wears its riches well: elegant big-city charm, small picture-postcard towns, pagan-inspired harvest festivals, a wealth of art and culture and the perennial pleasures of huge tracts of forest, delightful castles and fine wine and beer are all there for the savouring.

Germany is made up of the North German Plain, the Central German Uplands (Mittelgebirge), and the Southern German Highlands. The Bavarian plateau in the southwest averages 1,600 ft (488 m) above sea level, but it reaches 9,721 ft (2,962 m) in the Zugspitze Mountains, the highest point in the country. Germany's major rivers are the Danube, the Elbe, the Oder, the Weser, and the Rhine.

This is the land that spawned Beethoven and Bauhaus, Goethe and Glühwein, Lager and Lederhosen and Walt Disney's inspiration for Cinderella's Castle. Whatever your interest, there's a strong chance it'll be satisfied somewhere here.

Frankfurt Travel Guide

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