Frankfurt: 35 must-do in an incredibly diverse city

The city is located on the river Main in the west of Germany, which is why its full name is Frankfurt am Main.

Frankfurt is Germany’s financial center. It is also the financial center of Europe, home to the European Central Bank and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Thanks to that and its central location in Germany, it has one of the busiest and largest airports in Europe, with 60 million passengers each year.

Frankfurt is the 5th largest city in Germany. It is a very diverse city in terms of population and architecture. Frankfurt is a historical and modern city. The central business district has all ten of the tallest skyscrapers in Germany. It is also one of Germany’s most international cities. More than half of its inhabitants have non-German backgrounds, and more than 100 different languages coexist. Here, you can find 180 different nationalities.

For all these reasons, Frankfurt is an attractive and wealthy city. It has many things to do from several different museums to beautiful parks, shopping, and international gastronomy.

Neighborhoods & Architecture in Frankfurt

Frankfurt is a diverse city, with neighborhoods very different from each other in terms of architecture and vibe. In Frankfurt, you can see medieval half-timbered houses as well as modern structures.

1. Romerberg: Frankfurt’s Old Town Center

Römerberg is Frankfurt’s historical square in the old town and the city’s busiest pedestrian zone. Here, you can observe beautiful half-timbered medieval houses. Also, you can enjoy many cafés, shops, craftsmen’s workshops and museums. This district is spread across 7,000 square meters between Cathedral Square and the medieval Römer building that has served as the town hall for over 600 years. Römer comprises nine houses in total, surrounding six courtyards. You can only look around it as part of a guided tour.

From the 1500s onward, a “Justice Fountain” is in the center of the plaza. Nearby is a plaque in the paving stones that commemorates a 1933 book burning by Nazis. Other famous buildings in this district are the Wertheim House (Haus Wertheym) (built in 1479, it is the only building to have survived the 1944 air raids, and is today a popular restaurant), the Ostzeile (six half-timbered houses) and St Nikolai church.

2. Main Tower: the top of Frankfurt’s skyline

Main Tower is located in the heart of Frankfurt’s financial district. Built in 1999, it is nearly 656 feet (200 meters) tall and is the fourth-tallest building in Germany. The tower is a financial center and also houses Europe’s highest fitness club. It’s the first high-rise building in Europe with a façade made entirely of glass.

Here, you can admire a breathtaking view from its two observation decks. Main Tower is the only building in the city with a viewing platform. You can access the observation deck thanks to a high-speed elevator. There, you will find informative panels.

Main Tower is home to a collection of contemporary art. In the building’s lobby area, you can observe art installations and an enormous mosaic called Frankfurt Steps. There is also a restaurant on the 53rd floor.

3. Cathedral of St Bartholomew: largest religious building in Frankfurt

Frankfurt Cathedral, also known as Frankfurter Dom or “Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus”, is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to St. Bartholomew. That cathedral was built of red sandstone in the 14th, 15th centuries. It is the largest religious building in Frankfurt, with a 95-meter tall tower. Its tower is famous for being the home to the Gloriosa, the second-heaviest bell in Germany.

You can climb the Cathedral Tower via 328 steps. From the viewing platform at a height of 66 meters, you can enjoy an amazing view of the city.

Inside this Imperial Cathedral, you will find art treasures, as well as the tombs of famous Frankfurt personalities and the skull reliquary of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. If you are interested in the life of Bartholomew or the history of the cathedral, you can go to the neighboring Cathedral Museum.

4. Iron Bridge or “Eiserner Steg”: iconic bridge of Frankfurt

The Iron Bridge is a pedestrian bridge that spans the Main River. Built in 1868, it connects the district of Sachsenhausen with the city center.

It offers stunning views of the river, the Frankfurt skyline, and the surrounding areas including the beautiful riverside museums. Popularly referred to as the “Love Lock Bridge,” it features hundreds of padlocks fixed by couples.

5. St. Pauls Church or “Paulskirche”

St. Paul’s Church is a former protestant church constructed in the early 19th century. Today, the site hosts award presentations as well as political and cultural events such as the Goethe Prize. This church is located in Paulsplatz or St Paul’s Square. This is the largest square in the old town of Frankfurt.

6. Eschenheimer Tor: oldest unchanged landmark in Frankfurt

It is a medieval tower from the 15th century that stands around 47 meters tall and was part of the fortifications protecting the city. The rest of the fortifications were pulled down at the start of the 1800s when the defenses were modernized. The only way for you to go inside is by eating in the restaurant based there.

7. Old opera house

The Old Opera House (Alte Oper) was constructed in 1880 in the style of the Italian High Renaissance. Destroyed during World War II, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1981. English-language guided tours are available. Don’t forget to see its beautiful neoclassical architecture.

8. Höchst neighborhood

Annexed to the city in 1928 but dating back to the 8th century, this neighborhood is filled with timber-framed houses and twisted medieval streets. Every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday morning, you can wander in the local market. Also, you can see the former residence of the archbishop of Mainz, Hochst Castle, and stroll through the royal park at the Baroque Bolongaro Palace. Finally, you can visit the Schwanheimer Dünen, a nature reserve with fauna and flora unique to anywhere else in Germany.

9. The Bockenheimer Warte subway station

It is an interchange station to the west of Frankfurt’s city center. You can’t miss it because the entrance looks like a tram car half buried in the sidewalk.

Museumsufer: culture in Frankfurt

Museumsufer or Museum Embankment is a group of museums along both banks of the river Main. There are 39 museums in the area. Museumsufer hosts some of the most important museums in Germany. Every final weekend of August, the area hosts Museumsuferfest, a three-day social event where you can enjoy art, culture, outdoor music, dance shows, and street food.

10. Städel Museum

The Städel Museum is a prestigious art museum renowned for its extensive collection spanning over 700 years of European art history. Established in 1815, it is the oldest museum in Germany. The Städel Museum collection comprises around 3,100 paintings, 660 sculptures, over 5,000 photographs, and over 100,000 drawings and prints. The museum also offers a library with 115,000 books, audio guides in English, a café, and a bookshop.

11. Senckenberg Natural History Museum

Established in 1817, it is one of the largest natural history museums in Europe with more than 10,000 exhibits. It houses an extensive collection of fossils, minerals, taxidermy specimens, and interactive exhibits. You will find the greatest number of dinosaurs in Germany and the world’s largest collection of stuffed birds. Also, you can explore a huge catalog of animal specimens. Finally, you can experience two themed rooms “Deep Sea” and “Maritime Research” and a planetarium. I loved this impressive museum, and my son too!

English language tours are available, and you can rent audio guides.

12. Historisches Museum Frankfurt

Located in Frankfurt’s old town, it was founded in 1878. It has eight exhibitions spread across 6000 m². It focuses on the city’s past, present, and future.

13. German Film Museum: DFF

DFF is not only home to a museum but also a cinema, archives, collections, festivals, digital platforms, research, digitization projects, and educational programs. It focuses on the history and art of filmmaking, especially German cinema, and its impact on global film culture. Here, you can learn about production techniques, special effects, and cinematography. You can also engage in scriptwriting and editing. Finally, there are regular exhibitions on important figures from film history.

14. Goethe House and Museum

This house, built in the 18th century, was the birthplace and childhood home of Goethe, one of Germany’s most celebrated literary figures. The museum houses a collection of artifacts, manuscripts, and artwork related to him and his era.

15. Fotografie Forum Frankfurt

This independent center offers exhibitions of world-class photographers, artists, and photojournalists. It also organizes workshops, classes, and lectures. It focuses on the diverse aspects of photography and its evolution as a way of documentation and an artistic form of expression.

16. Geldmuseum or Money Museum

Here you can learn about different topics: cash production, book money, monetary policy, central bank… Exhibits and more than 80 media stations allow the visitor to explore the world of money from a current and historical perspective. There is also a 360° cinema; you can even touch a real bar of gold.

17. Museum Judengasse & Jewish Museum Frankfurt

The Museum Judengasse highlights the history of one of the most important Jewish centers in Europe, praised for its rich cultural life. It includes the ruins of 19 houses from the first Jewish ghetto in Europe. You can also visit one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe.

The Jewish Museum Frankfurt presents 800 years of Jewish history and culture in Frankfurt. It is located in the historic Rothschild Palais. Here, you can see an exhibit relating to Anne Frank in the Frank Family Center, as well as a research library.

18. Frankfurt Museum of Applied Art (Museum für angewandte Kunst)

This Museum was built in the 1980s. Here, you can admire European textiles, paintings, furniture, and porcelain from the 1100s to the 2000s. With more than 30,000 items of European and Asian applied art, including furniture, tapestries, glass, ceramics, and books, it’s a museum to don’t miss.

19. Museum of World Cultures (Museum der Weltkulturen)

Regarded as one of Europe’s top ethnological museums, it was founded in 1904. It features collections that include more than 65,000 artifacts from Asia, Africa, and North and South America.

20. German Architecture Museum (Deutsches Architekturmuseum)

It focuses on architectural design and offers more than 200,000 plans, drawings, and models. It hosts changing exhibitions on themes relating to national and international architecture and urban planning and design. With 25 panoramic models, the permanent exhibition “From Primitive Hut to Skyscraper” describes the evolution of architecture. Here, you will also find a house-inside-a-house.

21. Museum of Modern Arts: MMK

This museum opened in 1991. It is located near the city center and showcases a collection of modern and contemporary artworks from famous and emerging artists. Here, you can observe painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installations. On 3,500 square meters, you can find the permanent collection, which includes over 5,000 artworks, as well as temporary exhibitions from more than 450 leading artists. Spanning from the 1960s to the present.

22. Schirn Kunsthalle

Designed in the 1980s, this center has till now presented more than 240 exhibitions on art, contemporary, and historical themes. It is in an international network and collaborates with the Pompidou Centre, the Guggenheim Museum, New York’s MoMa, Moscow’s Hermitage and Britain’s Tate Gallery.

Nature in Frankfurt

Here, I won’t talk about the Frankfurt Zoo because I didn’t like it very much. This zoo is not impressive, and if you don’t plan your day around the feeding times, you will see very few animals. If you don’t have too much time to spend in Frankfurt, I will strongly suggest that you skip it. But I loved their shop, which has an incredible choice of beautiful stuffed animals for children!

23. Palmengarten: largest botanic garden in Germany

The Palmengarten is a breathtaking botanical garden which opened in 1871 and spans over 22 hectares. It houses an impressive collection of plant species and trees from around the world, curated in themed sections, according to their region. Here, you can see a glass pavilion containing a sub-Arctic landscape, a tropicarium for rainforest, and two separate structures for the desert environment. There is also a stunning Art-Deco-style Palm House, one of the largest in the world, and a butterfly house.

The Palmengarten hosts seasonal exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural events. There is also a playground for kids to play on with a sandpit, swing, climb, and paddle in the tiny water garden. In summer, you can rent a rowing boat or paddle boat on the little lake.

24. Frankfurt city forest (Stadtwald): largest inner-city forest in Germany

One of the last remaining vestiges of Germany’s vast Imperial Forest, Frankfurt City Forest spreads out over more than 5,000 hectares. Here, you can enjoy hiking, running, and cycling trails. Just 15 minutes outside the center, it is located near the Frankfurt Airport but is easily accessible with a street tram. There are also nine ponds and six playgrounds.

25. Waldspielpark Goetheturm playground

This large adventure playground sits in the lap of a pristine forest and children can enjoy slides, a splash pool, and a maze. There is also a beach volleyball. Don’t forget to climb to the top of Goetheturm, one of the highest wooden viewing towers in Germany.

26. Günthersburgpark  

This park was the private estate of the Rothschild family. It’s a park for family and dogs are prohibited here. In summer, children will enjoy the adventure playground, fountains and the waterslide. There is also a ten-metre-tall climbing tower.

27. Grüneburgpark

The 30-hectare English-style park was designed in 1877 on land that once belonged to the Rothschild family. Here, you can stroll around a Korean Garden with two pagodas.

Shopping & Food in Frankfurt

Frankfurt is a cosmopolitan city, thus, you can find a lot of restaurants and products in markets from different countries. Also, if you like shopping, there are a lot of places to shop, from very contemporary shopping centers to small boutiques on pedestrian streets.

28. Kleinmarkthalle: largest food market in Frankfurt

This indoor market has existed since 1954 and is located in the city center. It is located in a 1,200 square meter art-deco hall. Here, you can find traditional fresh produce and food from worldwide. The market has dozens of places to pick up Turkish, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Persian, and other countries’ specialties.

29. Schaumainkai flea market: largest flea market in Frankfurt

Every other Saturday, Flohmarkt Schaumainkai opens on the tree-lined southern bank of the Main River. Here, you’ll find a lot of different wares including second-hand toys, locally-made clothing, used bikes, crafts, antique furniture, and art.

30. Shopping district Zeil

Zeil Street is located in central Frankfurt and is the oldest and most popular shopping district. In this pedestrianized street, you have a lot of choices with countless chain stores and designer stores. This is probably the reason that it’s one of the highest-revenue shopping streets in Europe. If you want to find smaller independent designers and local artisan products, get lost in the adjacent streets.

Don’t miss the two major malls. Zeilgalerie is immediately recognizable for its unique architecture. Admire its spiral-shaped exterior, made of steel, glass, and concrete. Climb to the roof for stunning views across Frankfurt. There is also the MyZeil center within the Palais Quartier complex.

31. Hauptwache

It is a prominent square located in the heart of the city. The Baroque guardhouse which is in the center of the square dates to 1730 and was a barracks for the city’s militia. Then, it became a prison and a police station and now houses a café. In this area, you can see historic and modern buildings. The square itself is one of Frankfurt’s main shopping areas, and there is also a large underground mall.

32. Upper Berger Straße

This almost three-kilometer street is considered the best of Frankfurt café culture and has half-timbered buildings from the 1600s. When the sun sets, the street glows with candles and lanterns. In this area, you will find dozens of restaurants, a weekly farmers’ market, and even a Chinese garden at the south end of the street. Near Frankfurt’s center, you will find family-owned shops and unique boutiques.

33. Sachsenhausen

It is a historic district known for its vibrant atmosphere and restaurants. Here, you will find quaint cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, small shops, and boutiques.

34. Frankfurt am Main Haustbahnhof & Bahnhofsviertel

This is a very diverse neighborhood. Here, you can find Chinese, Afghan, Malaysian, Ethiopian, German, Thai, Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Turkish food, and more. You can also enjoy coffee and shops.

I went to Hani restaurant, an excellent Persian restaurant! All the food was perfect and succulent. The only issue is that there is not too much space to eat inside, but you can order take away.

35. Frankfurt Christmas market

If you visit in late November to late December, don’t miss the Christmas Market in the old town! Dating back to 1393, this is one of Germany’s oldest and largest Christmas markets. Stunning decorations, a giant Christmas tree, and an antique carousel make it one of the country’s most beautiful Christmas markets. The market attracts more than 3 million visitors per year. Here, you will find different objects including wooden toys, dolls, decorations; and tasty food.

In Römerberg, the very place where the Christmas market is held, you will find the Einstein Kaffee. This Café was very tasty, even if it was a little too sweet. I went there because it was freezing, and this café made us feel a lot better. I chose the Chai latte and two different cakes. It is a very good stop for tourists during winter.

If you want to travel around Germany and explore other locations, check one of my other posts, it will give you some ideas: https://sirine-nada.com/en/9-excellent-reasons-to-visit-germany-in-2024/