Frankfurt Airport, with its four runways, is one of the largest airports in Europe. Chances are that at one point or other on your long distance journey you will stop here. The town in the German state of Hesse has 700.000 inhabitants and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born here. Frankfurt, the financial centre of Germany and home of the European Central Bank doesn’t enjoy the best reputation; it is often even described as boring and shallow. It is not as trendy as Berlin, as beautiful as Munich or as fun as Cologne, but, and that is something the other towns don't have, at least not to this extent, the town on the River Main offers killer views. Why not use the time of a stop-over to your advantage? Here is a list with five of the best views over this small metropolis.
Roemerberg – Made with Love
In medieval times the old town of Frankfurt was the largest in Germany. It was the home of bakers, confectioners, shoemakers, butchers, spice traders, writers, their families and several inns. The historical town centre of Frankfurt, with its beautiful half-timbered houses, was heavily damaged in WW2. Mindlessly following megalomaniacs... After long discussions, in 1978, the city decided to reconstruct the eastern side of the Roemerberg historically, as in exactly the way it looked before the destruction of the old town. Works began in 1981. The result is a romanticised replica, but (surely) done with the best intentions and love of the planners. On one side of the square there is a Patrician Villa, with a three-gabled roof, that has been Frankfurt's town hall ever since 1405. If you turn around standing in front of the town hall, you see Frankfurt’s first bank on the very right of the houses that are lined-up along the square.
The rest of the old town is still a work in progress, and the new old town is soon to be finished and is waiting to be discovered and lived in by locals and tourists.
Emperor’s Cathedral
The Frankfurt Cathedral was consecrated in 1239 and officially chosen to serve as the electoral site for kings of the Holy Roman Empire in 1356. When in 1867 a fire destroyed much of the cathedral, it was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style. During WW2 the cathedral was heavily damaged, people were quick with rebuilding the structure, works took only three years. Climb up the 328 steps to have a glorious view of the old town and the futuristic skyline from a height of 66 meters, from up here you can see perfectly where the two areas meet. In the 1950s the tower was the tallest building in Frankfurt still.
Info: Emperor’s Cathedral. Domplatz 1. Tower: Domplatz 14, 60311 Frankfurt Main. Hours: 9am to 6pm. Tickets: EUR 3.
MAIN TOWER
The Main Tower is the first skyscraper in Europe to be built with a fully glazed façade. To realise this, the structure is carried by the core structure and gets exterior support. 2.000 employees use one of the 29 lifts or 1090 steps to get to their offices on one of the 56 floors. The building with a height of 200 metres has 2550 windows. Visitors are welcomed to visit the observation platform all year round. The view over Mainhattan and the Rhine-Main region from up there is a magical one.
Info: MAIN TOWER. Neue Mainzer Straße 52-58. 60311 Frankfurt am Main.Observation deck hours: Summer Sunday to Thursday 10am to 9pm. Friday and Saturday 10am to 11pm. Winter: Summer Sunday to Thursday 10am to 7pm. Friday and Saturday 10am to 9pm. Last entry 30 minutes before closing time. Tickets: Adults: EUR 7.50. Concessions: EUR 5,00*. Family ticket: EUR 19 (2 adults, up to 3 children aged 6 to 12). EUR 2 (for each additional child). Group ticket: EUR 5 per person (with groups of 30). School pupils: EUR 4.50 per person (with groups of 30). Children under the age of six can enter free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Children and school pupils up to the age of 16 need to be accompanied by an adult. Access for people who present a disabled card "B", as well as for one companion is free.
South Bank and Eiserner Steg
The wrought iron neo-Gothic-style footbridge was built in 1869 and connects the city centre with the borough of Sachsenhausen. Starting in the old town, walk over the bridge to the south bank of the Main River, sit down for a drink on a boat and enjoy the view of Frankfurt's skyline.
Galeria Kaufhof at the Main Guard
Get up to the cafeteria on the seventh floor of the department store for a view over the Main Guard, the central square of Frankfurt’s shopping district and the modern skyline in the background.
Info: Galeria Kaufhof, Zeil 116-126, 60313 Frankfurt am Main. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9.30am to 8pm. Thursday/Friday 9.30am to 9pm. Saturday 9.30am to 8pm. Sunday and all Bank Holidays Closed.
Best time to travel to Frankfurt
Frankfurt is a year round destination. In case you’d like to stay for a night or two, it is best to you check which trade fair is on, hotel prices can triple during that time.
How to get to Frankfurt
The airport is roughly 15 kilometres from the centre of town, the trip costs about EUR 30. Public transport runs every few minutes to the centre of town from where you can reach all of the above mentioned on foot. Ticket Zone 4, about EUR 4.70 one way for adults.
What to Eat in Frankfurt
If it is only one thing: Frankfurter Green Sauce. If you visit Frankfurt you will have to eat this local specialty. The recipe of the green sauce was originally adapted from the Orient by the Romans. Rumours have it that the Huguenots later brought the sauce verte from France with them. What we know for sure it, that it was Goethe’s favourite dish.
Recipe Green Sauce:
Parsley
Chives
Sorrel
Borage
Cress
Chervil
Lemon balm
Note, rule of thumb: Make sure that each herb should be a maximum of 30% of the total amount of herbs.
500 g sour cream and creme fraiche
1 tablespoon spoon vinegar and olive oil
Salt, pepper.
2 hard-boiled eggs
Boiled potatoes
Procedure: Blend the herbs with crème fraiche and sour cream until you get a nice green colour. Season with salt and pepper. Set to cool for two hours. Pour sauce on plate and eat together with the boiled eggs and potatoes. Enjoy.
From Berlin with love