Frankfurt
View the Carrentals.co.uk Mini Guide to Frankfurt
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The Football Widow's Guide to Frankfurt
If you're heading to Frankfurt for the World Cup, whether willingly or not, we've put together a non–football guide with our hints and tips for seeing the best of the city.
Frankfurt is often seen only as a transit hub or a business centre and, at the moment, the venue for England's first World Cup match against Paraguay – but it also has much more to offer. The city boasts Germany's most spectacular skyline, Europe's tallest office building and is also home to the region's famous Apfelwein. Most visitors to Frankfurt tend to head to the Romerberg area, located between Braubach Street and Main River where you'll find shopping, cafes, taverns, galleries, museums and fantastic architecture.
Shopping – Frankfurt is a perfect destination for those in the market for high–quality electronics or sports equipment. The same goes for big–name European fashion. Germany is also well known for its fine cheeses, sausage and breads, all of which are easily found in Frankfurt.
The most popular shopping area in Frankfurt is the Fussgängerzone, a pedestrianised area in the Zeil district. Here you will find the city's main department stores (Kaufhof and Karstadt) along with many smaller shops and boutiques selling clothes, shoes and leather goods. For designer goods try Goethestraße, home to some of the most famous designers in the world, including Versace, Gucci, Prada and Cartier.
Eating and Drinking – Frankfurt is remarkably stylish in the gastronomy stakes and dining out is a favoured pastime. Restaurants are mostly very good value for money and there is also a wide selection of cuisines to choose from. If you fancy splashing out, try Gargantua in Frankfurt's Westend or for meals on a budget, Mutter Ernst in Altstadt is a great alternative for traditional, German no–nonsense home cooking.
Traditional specialities in Frankfurt include:
- Apfelwein (Apple wine) – made from fermented apples and best sampled at one of the many Ebbelwoi taverns dotted across Frankfurt.
- Binding and Henninger – Frankfurt's locally produced beers.
- Handkäse mit Musik – curdled quark cheese rolled by hand with vinegar, onions, and caraway seeds usually eaten with bread.
- Grüne Sosse (Green sauce) – containing mixed green herbs and usually mixed with sour cream or quark to be eaten with hard-boiled eggs or brisket of beef and boiled potatoes.
- Bethmännchen – biscuits with marzipan in the centre and almond slices on the outside.
Sightseeing – Most of Frankfurt's main attractions are located in and around the city centre. Invest in a 'Museumsufer' ticket and spend a couple of days browsing Frankfurt's numerous galleries and museums at a fraction of their individual prices. Naturmuseum Senckenberg is Frankfurt's busiest museum and a particular favourite with younger visitors to the city with exhibits ranging from dinosaurs to Egyptian mummies and the solar system. The Historische Museum on the other hand gives visitors to the city an insight into Frankfurt's past – from medieval times right the way through to the present day.
For the best views of Frankfurt, head to the Main Tower Observation Deck located on Neue Mainzer Street. The skyscraper is used predominantly for banking but visitors are still welcomed to get a birds eye view of the city or have something to eat in the tower's restaurant.
If you fancy escaping all the hustle and bustle for a few hours, PalmenGarten is one of the largest gardens in Frankfurt with a fantastic collection of orchids, palms, ferns and other tropical plants. During the summer months, concerts, festivals and exhibitions are also held here.
For those wanting to fit a lot into a short space of time, take a city sightseeing tour on board the Ebbelwei–Express (Apple Wine Express). This historic tram passes many of Frankfurt's most popular attractions and during your one–hour trip there's time to enjoy a glass of original Frankfurt apple wine, accompanied by music and commentary.
Where to stay – Frankfurt has a wide range of places to stay with hotels to fit all budgets. The Intercity Hotel Frankfurt is right next to the train station and very convenient for all the city's main attractions with guests to the hotel also benefiting from receiving a free pass to use on the city's public transport. For a something a little more luxurious, Turm Hotel offers five different categories of rooms from an Oriental to an Italian influence. Here you can also enjoy cocktails in the bar and take advantage of a central location.
Getting there – Frankfurt has an international airport with daily connecting flights to most major European destinations. The airport itself has a nightclub, art gallery and X–rated cinema so there is plenty to keep you entertained right up until your flight leaves.
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