I have always had a love-hate relationship with Frankfurt am Main. Why might you ask?
Because I want more from Frankfurt, continental Europe’s biggest financial center. I want more of everything in one place.
One of my jet-setting friends thinks Frankfurt is borin, but I’m not sure. I just think sometimes you have to look a little harder. Frankfurt is like a large buffet, which means you may have to go to different neighborhoods or plow through a lot to get to the cool parts and have a sampling of all it has to offer.
Here is my take on how to enjoy Frankfurt for a day or two, or what to do if you are actually living there:
Fashion
Shopping on the Ziel Promenade
The most famous shopping zone is located on Ziel Street, a long, pedestrian-friendly promenade situated between two plazas, Hauptwache and Konstablerwache. The Zeil is easily reachable by ten U-Bahns, eight S-Bahns and two train stations. The Ziel is filled with designer label and brand stores galore drawing shoppers from around the world. If this kind of shopping is your thing, you may think you have died and gone to heaven.
Goethestrasse and high-end shops
For luxury shopping, check out the posh boutiques on Goethestrasse near the gorgeous opera house (Alte Oper Frankfurt.) You will find everything from Armani to Prada to Yves Saint Laurent. The glamorous area is relaxing to stroll around, but the
prices can be stressful.
Food and drink
Altstadt and Sachsenhausen
The Altstadt and Sachsenhausen have delicious places to eat. Sachsenhausen is also a party zone, its nightclubs frequented by U.S. military personnel posted to Germany who are looking for companionship and a big stein of cold beer.
Grosse Bockenheiner Strasse
Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse runs from the upscale area around the Opera House down to the expansive Zeil zone. Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse (aka Pigout Alley) is filled with a myriad of cafes, delis and restaurants where you can sample all kinds of
food and drink. When you need to refuel or rest your tired legs, this is one zone you won’t want to miss.
Klienmarkthalle (Little Market Hall)
For more traditional food shopping, check out Kleinmarkthalle (Little Market Hall), which is actually not that small. It is an indoor market where you can shop for both local and international food. Stalls are jam-packed with both basics and delicacies for a picnic or for your weekly shopping. Its down-home character is a nice counterpart to standard grocery shopping.
Things to do and see
Frankfurt offers a wide variety of activities and pursuits, everything from a professional soccer team (Eintracht Frankfurt) to theater, opera, and a multitude of museums, as well as walking and biking paths along the river.
Alstadt and Römerberg Square
I love the Altstadt (Old Town), which is just up from the river Main. I love looking at the old timbered buildings in the Historic Römerberg square. I love eating a meal outside and admiring what came before. I love writing postcards or people watching—you never know who or what.
In recent years, the Altstadt has gotten even better—more of the charming half-timbered houses and buildings that were destroyed during WWII have been reconstructed.
English Theater
If you are in the mood for an English-language production, check out this link for what is going on at the English Theatre. On my most recent stay, I saw many enticing posters for a play, but I happened to be there a week too early. That was a big disappointment!
Alter Oper
As mentioned above, the gorgeous old opera house with a magnificent fountain is worth strolling by for its stunning architecture or a photoshoot, even if you only enjoy it from the outside. Here are the details on the wide range of performances on offer as well as
their guided tours.
Goethe-Haus und Museum
I’ve been to the Frankfurter Goethe-Haus and Deutsches Romantik-Museum (Goethe House and German Romantic Museum) a couple of times. I enjoyed my afternoon there … and it was a hit with my visitors, too Who wouldn’t want to see where Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the most important German language writer lived? It was not only enlightening to discover more about him,
but to see how he and his family lived in their beautiful 18th-century house which has been restored.
Get moving!
Walking, biking along the Main River or taking a boat ride are pleasant ways to spend your time. Down by the water, there is a park with swings for kids. Or to get away from the skyscrapers, cross one of the bridges from the Altstadt side to the Sachsenhausen side of the river for more eateries and bars as well as many museums to explore.
Train stations, U-Bahns and S-Bahns
Frankfurt has three train stations – Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (the Main Station), Hauptwache and Konstablerwache. Typically, I would suggest getting off at Hauptwache station; or if coming into the Main Station, then hopping on an U-Bahn (or S-Bahn) train
that takes you near your starting point.
Big, but accessible
Frankfurt is a large, flat city, which makes it easy for walking. I once did a 4-hour walking tour there, which tells you how big it is. However, as you can see from the variety of choices above, Frankfurt is a kaleidoscope of possibilities.
I hope you find it as intriguing and distinctive as I do.
Prost!
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Read more about Frankfurt here in Dispatches’ archives.
See more from Mary here.
Mary Porcella is a Europhile who has lived in Germany, Norway, Italy, and the U.S. She is a writer, editor, and photographer who loves seeing new places, returning to old haunts, and meeting up with family and friends. Her travels have taken her to more than 20 European countries, and she hopes to visit the rest in the not-too-distant future.
