8 things to do in Germany’s financial capital: Frankfurt

When I tell people that I live in Germany, the first question they ask me ‘Is it Frankfurt?’. This shows how famous German financial capital is. The skyscrapers make Frankfurt distinct from the rest of Germany. When I first visited Frankfurt, I felt it was a whole new city. The main reason is Frankfurt is the only place where one can witness modern high rise buildings as well as architecture from the medieval period. Here a few facts about the modern-day giant

• Frankfurt is Europe’s largest financial centre. It is the home of the European central bank and Frankfurt Stock exchange.
• In terms of passenger traffic, Frankfurt International Airport is one of the busiest in the world
• Frankfurt skyline has a series of high rise buildings. Hence, often referred to as Mainhattan by the locals (combo of river Main and Manhattan).
• Though the city is densely populated, Frankfurt has the largest inner-city forest in Germany spanning about 3,866 hectares of Green belt.

Things to do in Frankfurt 

1. Euro sculpture

A 49-foot giant logo of Euro sculpture is located just outside the European Central Bank, a 40-story, 148m skyscraper. This is the most pictured place in Frankfurt. You can start your day from this place as it is located just 500m from the central train station. Click a picture at this iconic sculpture and you can say ‘Yes, I was in Frankfurt.’

2. Altstadt – The old town

The old town exists since the beginning of Frankfurt, dating back to 794. This place has access to many restaurants, shops and cafes. A short walking tour of the old town is similar to time travel. The old town includes the following attractions:-

3. Römerplatz

Römerplatz has been the largest square in Frankfurt. The half-timbered building surrounding this square shows the city’s originality.  A walk around this location will take you back to the medieval era. It hosts a variety of events such as book fair, farmers market, stage shows and events to name a few.

4. St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral

This sandstone cathedral has a 95m high Gothic tower. Climbing 328 steps lead to the observation deck. Visiting hours and ticket prices are available on the official website. Recent excavations in the 19th century reveal that this place has roots dating back to the 7th century.

5. Stroll along the river Main

Being the longest right tributary of river Rhine, the majestic Main river divides the whole Frankfurt city into two (Similar to the Danube in Ulm). Multiple small bridges connect both sides of the city and the city’s best views are from these bridges. Have a quiet walk along the river to enjoy its beauty or rejoice in a boat tour.

6. Lunch at Saravana Bhavan

Saravana Bhavan is the largest chain of South Indian vegetarian restaurant in the world. This is the best veg restaurant in entire South India. They are established across 87 countries and in Germany, the restaurant is located only in Frankfurt. So how come we can miss that? We headed there for lunch. As usual, it was crowded and the waiting time was over 20 mins. The restaurant offers a wide variety of mouth-watering Indian cuisines such as South and North Indian Thali, Vada, Dosas, Pongal, Bisibelebath and many more. Being a South Indian, I thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food and spent about 2 hours at this place.

7. Bahnhofsviertel

Developed between 1891 and 1915, this area is known for Frankfurt’s adult entertainment and red-light district. It is located just opposite to the Frankfurt main station. During the day, this place looks normal like any other city.  But at night, the whole area comes to life with illuminated houses and neon lights. Young and pretty girls are inviting you inside their building. This area is similar to Walking street in Pattaya, Thailand.

Tip: Before careful while entering any bars, club or pubs. Random girls approach you asking for a drink and later you will get a hefty bill of 1000€. This is one of the common tourist traps around the world. But the whole area is safe, professional and well organized. Since we were on a day trip to Frankfurt, we couldn’t cover all the attractions. If you decide to spend more than a day, you can consider visiting the below attractions

8. Museums

If you are a fan of Museums, Frankfurt wouldn’t disappoint you. Here is the list of the best ones

• Städel Museum – Best of European art
• Deutsches Filmmuseum  – offers a diverse medium of films
• Senckenberg natural history museum – Along with history, the museum also offers new scientific findings in the fields of biology and geology.

Other attractions

Here are a few notable attractions in Frankfurt

• Palmengarten – Huge Botanical garden
• 200m high Main tower for panoramic views
• Goethe house – A famous German writer and statesman
• Kleinmarkthalle – The Market hall where vendors selling groceries, flowers and various prepared food
• Old St Nicholas Church – Small brick church dating back to the middle ages.

How to reach Frankfurt

There are several ways to reach Frankfurt from anywhere in Germany.

• Train: High-speed trains like IC, ICE make the fastest means of transport in Germany. You can also take the Regional day train in Germany for a cheap price.
• Bus: This is the cheapest mode of travel in Germany. Bus service providers like Flixbus, Ouibus, Eurolines operate all over Germany and offer mobility at an affordable cost. The best thing about buses is that you can find the best deal even at the last minute.
• Carpooling: This is the most convenient and luxurious way where someone shares their journey and you hop on into it. Just look for a ride in the app BlaBlacar, book your ride, confirm the timings and pickup point with the car driver and yes, now you are good to go. Carpooling is famous and I always prefer this option first. The only risk involved in carpooling is the ride cancellation but it seldom happens.

Public transport

Frankfurt offers a well developed local transport network that includes buses, underground and Suburban railways. Day tickets are available for 5.35€ (adults) and 3€ (children). These tickets are valid from the time of purchase until 5.00 am the next day. Group day tickets for up to 5 people can come handy if you a large in numbers. Detailed info is available on the official website RMV. You can also opt for a Frankfurt card. This card offers free use of all public transportation plus reduced-price to tourist attractions (similar to HeidelbergCARD) We wish you a pleasant trip to Frankfurt. Overall experience: out of 5 Time of visit: September 2018

“Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind” – Marty Rubin