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Sightseeing Overview
Skyscrapers housing major financial institutions dominate the scene in the central business district. The Westend is both a residential and business district. Nearby, the Marktplatz (former Market Square), Römer (City Hall), the Kaiserdom (Emperor Cathedral), Paulskirche (Church of St Paul) and the Nikolaikirche (Nicholas Church) are among the attractions of the Altstadt (Old Town). The Bahnhofsviertel (around the main railway station), especially Kaiserstrasse, is the city's red light district, although the ubiquitous seediness has developed into a popular and lively entertainment scene. 

Fourteen museums make up the longest mile of museums in Europe - the Museumsufer (Museum Embankment) on the southern bank of the Main, reached on foot via Eiserner Steg. Most of Frankfurt's museums are closed on Monday and open until 2000 on Wednesday.

Sachsenhausen, the oldest district in Frankfurt, lies on the south side of the river, and is one of the traditional entertainment areas with bars, clubs and restaurants housed in traditional buildings. The best views of the city can be gained from the observation platform of the Main Tower. Students and artists contribute to the bohemian atmosphere of the Nordend around Eschenheimer Tor.

Tourist Information
Tourismus+Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main
Hauptbahnhof
Tel: (069) 2123 8800.
Website: www.frankfurt-tourismus.de
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-2100, Sat and Sun 0900-1800.

A second tourist information center is located at Römerberg 27.

Passes
The Frankfurt Card, available as a one- or two-day ticket, group or individual, offers free travel on all RMV transport within the city and to the airport, as well as a 25% reduction on guided city tours, 50% reduction on admission to major attractions and 21 museums, and a 20% reduction on the Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt Rhine and Mosel river tours and a free city map.

The card is available from tourist information offices (tel: (069) 2123 8703), the DB Reisezentrum at the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station), and at the Frankfurt airport hotel reservations desk in terminal one. It can also be booked online via the tourist information website (see above).

Key Attractions:

Römerberg
In 1240, this low hill (the main square and heart of the Old Town) was the site of the city's first official trade fair. The Römerberg is bordered by half-timbered houses (Fachwerkhäuser), reconstructed after total destruction in 1945, and the former court chapel - the Nikolaikirche (Church of St Nicholas). The main attraction, however, is the Rathaus Römer (Frankfurt's city hall since 1405) with its gothic stepped gables made of Frankfurt's trademark red sandstone. The coronation of German emperors was celebrated by banquets in the Kaisersaal (Emperor's Hall) on the upper floors. Portraits of 52 emperors, from Charlemagne to Franz II, now hang on the walls. It is a working town hall, however, and there are currently no tours. The Christmas market that takes place on Römerberg every December is one of the best in Germany, and has taken place here since the late 14th century.

Römerberg, Römer

Sankt Bartholomäusdom (Cathedral of St Bartholomew)
Between 1562 and 1792, German emperors were crowned in the Cathedral of St Bartholomew, hence its other name - the Kaiserdom (Emperor Cathedral). In the 1950s, this was Frankfurt's tallest building, at 96m (315ft), which illustrates just how much the city has developed since then. The cathedral has a red sandstone facade and interior and is one of Frankfurt's most recognizable landmarks. The present structure was rebuilt after WWII but contains a number of original carvings. There are also great views of the city from the tower. A museum, the Dommuseum, is attached to the cathedral and is packed full of ancient archaeological findings.

Domplatz 14
Tel: (069) 297 0320.
Website: www.dom-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs and Sat 0900-1200 and 1430-1800, Fri and Sun 1430-1800, until 1700 in winter (cathedral); Tues-Fri 1000-1700, Sat-Sun 1100-1700 (museum).
Free admission to the cathedral; charge for the museum.

Städelsche Kunstinstitute und Städtische Galerie (Städel Art Institute and Municipal Gallery)
An exemplary and comprehensive collection of European painting from the 14th to the 20th centuries is housed in this museum (commonly known as just Städel) on Frankfurt's legendary Museumsufer (Museum Embankment). German masters, such as Cranach, Holbein and Beckmann, are displayed alongside the likes of Botticelli, Rembrandt and Rubens. Around 500 sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries are also on show, including works from artists such as Rodin, Kirchner and Picasso. There is also a cafe, and an excellent bookshop. Ambitious plans are currently afoot to extend the gallery with 3,000sq m of extra exhibition space, whose focus will be on post-1945 art.

Schaumainkai 63
Tel: (069) 605 0980.
Website: www.staedelmuseum.de
Opening hours: Tues, Fri-Sun 1000-1800, Wed and Thurs 1000-2100.
Admission charge.

Museum für Moderne Kunst (Museum of Modern Art)
The outside of the Museum of Modern Art alone would count as one of the city's major attractions. It is therefore a bonus that this museum, designed by Viennese architect Hans Hollein, is filled with a superb collection of post-war art, predominantly by German and American artists, including Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol and Joseph Beuys. There is also a cafe-restaurant.

Domstrasse 10
Tel: (069) 2123 0447.
Website: www.mmk-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Tues, Thurs-Sun 1000-1800, Wed 1000-2000.
Admission charge.

Frankfurt Zoo
Frankfurt's zoo is one of the most attractive in Europe and is very popular with both locals and visitors. It celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008 and is Germany's second oldest after Berlin. There are 13 different areas in these 14 hectares (35 acres) of land, where thousands of animals from all over the world, including eight endangered species, can be observed. The obvious highlight is the Grzimek Haus, where artificial darkness is created in order to observe nocturnal animals going about their business.

Alfred-Brehm-Platz 16
Tel: (069) 2123 3735.
Website: www.zoo-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900 (summer); daily 0900-1700 (winter).
Admission charge.

Palmengarten (Palm Garden)
The Palm Garden is a wonderland of tropical plants and exotic birds. Hidden away from the bustle of the city center, the attractions of this botanical garden include glasshouses, some 300 different palms and a boating lake. There are concerts staged here in summer, as well as a number of exhibitions and events. Free guided tours (in German) are available on Sundays.

Siesmayerstrasse 63
Tel: (069) 2123 3939.
Website: www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1600 (Nov-Jan); daily 0900-1800 (Feb-Oct).
Admission charge.

Goethe-Museum and Goethe-Haus
Completely destroyed by Allied bombers in 1944, the house where Goethe (1749-1832) was born and spent most of his youth was rebuilt after the war, in 1951, and restored to its former 18th-century glory. Visitors can see the family music room, library, living room and Goethe's own puppet show and study. Next door, the Goethe-Museum displays German paintings and sculpture from the late baroque period up to early Romanticism. There are daily guided tours (in German) of the house at 1400 and 1600, and audio-visual guides are available to hire in several languages. Tours of the museum can also be arranged on request.

Grosser Hirschgraben 23-25
Tel: (069) 138 800.
Website: www.goethehaus-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1000-1730.
Admission charge.

Further Distractions:

Jüdisches-Museum (Jewish Museum)
Until the Holocaust, Frankfurt was home to Germany's second largest Jewish population, many of whom played a key role in the city's financial and cultural success. The story of this important community from the 12th to the 20th century, is told in the Jewish Museum, housed in the Rothschild Palais (a mansion that was the former home of the Rothschilds). The remains of Mikvah (women's ceremonial baths) in the former Jewish ghetto and special exhibitions are displayed in the supplementary Judengasse Museum (Jewish Alley Museum).

Untermainkai 14-15
Tel: (069) 2123 5000.
Website: www.juedischesmuseum.de

Judengasse Museum
Kurt-Schzumacher-Strasse 10
Tel: (069) 297 7419.
Website: www.juedischesmuseum.de
Opening hours (both museums): Tues, Thurs-Sun 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2000.
Admission charge.

Historisches Museum (Historical Museum)
The Historical Museum is housed in a complex of imperial buildings on Römerberg, overlooking the Main, which also includes the 12th-century palace chapel. The museum traces the story of Frankfurt (including its destruction in WWII) and visitors can learn about the traditions of ebbelwei (apple wine) in the museum cafe. There are guided tours on the last Saturday of each month.

Saalgasse 19
Tel: (069) 2123 5599.
Website: www.historisches-museum.frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800, Wed 1000-2100.
Admission charge.

Geldmuseum der Deutschen Bundesbank (Money Museum of the German Federal Bank)
Reflecting Frankfurt's central financial role both in Germany and Europe, the museum features collections of historic coinage and notes, together with explanations of the roles of money through the ages. The museum also explains the complex nature of monetary policy (especially the new European system) using films, challenging computer games and interactive teaching programs. Guided tours available.

Wilhelm Epsteinstrasse 14
Tel: (069) 9566 3073.
Website: www.geldmuseum.de
Opening hours: Thurs-Tues 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2100.
Free admission.

Museum Giersch Regionaler Kunst (Haus Giersch Museum of Regional Art)
This relative newcomer on the Frankfurt museum scene is devoted to work from artists from the Rhine-Main region and is a wonderful way for culture-keen visitors to get a taste of the regional artistic fare. Taking its place alongside Frankfurt's finest institutions on Museumsufer, the bright, airy and thoroughly contemporary gallery hosts two changing exhibitions on art and art-historical themes. The one constant exhibit is the building itself, the neoclassical Villa Holzmann.

Schaumainkai 83, Museumsufer
Tel: (069) 6330 4128.
Website: www.museum-giersch.de
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1200-1900, Sat-Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge.

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