Ideas for weekend #12 – Frankfurt am Main

The city of Frankfurt, or to be precise  – Frankfurt am Main is the 5th largest city in Germany with a population of 700 thousand citizens (2 mln. including urban area) and a big financial centre. Due to central location the city is also a major transport hub for the region. It is a place for over 63 national and 152 international banks (according to 2010 year’s data) and it also hosts European Central Bank – the main financial institution of European Union.
This city is really so different from the cities we have wrote before – a mixture of contemporary and old architecture, the city of skyscrapers and high towers, the jungle of concrete and a small NY in the heart of Europe. It once again confirms the statement that Germany is diverse and therefore should be explored more.

Short background of the city
The name of the city is probably derived from the nationality of its founder – one of the kings of Francs who wanted to associate the name with his ancestors is said to build the city circa 142 CE (according to Czech historian Dovid Solomon Ganz). The city was firstly mentioned in 784. The name should be distinguished from the Frankfurt (Oder) close to the Polish border, so Germans tend to pronounce the full name which was established from 14th century.

How to get to Frankfurt
If yours starting point is Berlin it will take about 6 hours to get there. You can use mitfahren  (car share) – bla-bla car or other services. Alternatively a bus could be taken – approximately 20 EUR for a ticket if you buy in advance. Flixbus and Myfernbus are operating on this destination.

Sightseeing in Frankfurt


Frankfurt Cathedral
The cathedral was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundation of an earlier church and is one of the most important landmarks of the city, serving from 1356 as the place of election of kings of Germany and emperors coronation. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew. During 19th century it was seen as symbol for national unity in Germany; however it never has been a bishop’s seat. The cathedral was badly damaged during the attack by the Royal Air Force on March 22, 1944 and reconstructed in 1950’s.

Hauptwache and Saint Catherine’s Church
The place is one of the most central squares in the city. The name Hauptwache is derived from the baroque building which was built here in 1730. It was the headquarters of the city’s Stadtwehr militia when Frankfurt was an independent city state. Now the renewed building serves as a cafe.
Saint Catherine’s Church is the largest Lutheran church and was built between 1678 and 1681. It replaced the St. Catherine’s and Barbara Chapel from the late 14th century.

Eschenheimer Turm 
Is the one of the oldest and most unaltered building of the city which was built in 15th century as a part of the city wall. In 1806-1812 the city walls were replaced by new fortifications and the tower was about to be demolished, but the ambassador of the French occupying forces, Count d’Hédouville insisted that the tower should remain as a monument. Eschenheimer Turm is 47 meters high, consisting of eight levels and two attics.

Shopping mall MyZeil
The Zeil is Frankfurt’s central shopping street and one of the most crowded in Germany and the second most expensive rental area after Munich’s Kaufingerstraße. On this street is located a shopping mall MyZeil which was opened in 2008. The construction of the building can fascinate with its unique architecture decisions. The roof is formed in a form of a glass “wormhole” which bends through the building. It also has a very long escalator. MyZeil Mall is one of the most popular places for shopping and entertainment in Frankfurt. During Christmas (Weihnachten) the pedestrian area hosts one of the largest Christmas markets.

Euro statue near ECB headqurters
The famous postament dedicated to euro is located in front of the European Central Bank headquarters, one of the largest banks in the world and the most important in Europe. The building that hosts ECB headquarters, so-called Eurotower is a 40-storey, 148 m high skyscraper, built between 1971 and 1977.

Main tower
This 52 storey skyscraper is a great observation spot in a good weather to see Frankfurt. Its public viewing platform is the only observation place in Frankfurt a person can get in. It was built between 1996 and 1999 and is a 4th tallest building in Frankfurt and Germany in general. A great panorama of the city is opened to a visitor at 200 metres height.

St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt am Main
This particular church is famous because it hosted Frankfurt’s Parliament and one of the main political symbols of Germany. It became the seat of parliament by 1849 – the first German freely elected legislative body. On 18 May 1848 the National Assembly firstly met in this church and therefore received a name of Paulskirchenparlament. This legislative body was developing the first constitution for a united Germany untill 1849, when their efforts were destroyed by Austrian Empire and Prussia.

The city is also a birthplace for one of the most prominent German writer- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The square which bears his name is a perfect demonstration for Frankfurt’s style clash – modern architecture and old landmarks.

More photos of the city follows.

The city is a great destination if you are looking to experience something new in terms of travelling across Germany. The city will not leave you unaffected and surely can offer something for anybody. Unfortunatelly due to tight schedule we were not able to explore it much – but would like to hear from readers their points of interest in Frankfurt, if they ever been there.