Tourist Destination in Frankfurt
This ancient imperial city on the Main River, and thus its full name Frankfurt am Main, was an important commercial and economic hub for a long time. The magnificent skyline of Frankfurt highlighted by the large cluster of the banking neighborhood high-rise buildings, has a northern American character which gained the town the nicknames “Mainhattan” and “Chicago on the Main.”
As a worldwide metropolis, which often ranks within the top ten finest places to live and conduct business, Frankfurt has long been a major cultural and tourist hub as well. Its large fair complex, Messe Frankfurt, holds the most significant publishing event worldwide, such as the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Frankfurt’s unusual quantity of excellent museums spanning art, science and history is very widely recognised. It is also a beautiful town to explore on foot. A highlight of a walking tour is the crossing over the main through the Eiserner Steg, a pedestrian footbridge constructed (and renovated subsequently) in 1911, which connects the area of Sachsenhausen to the city centre. In the heart of the old town of Frankfurt, the Römerberg is an uneven plaza with the Justice Fountain in the centre. It is not just Frankfurt’s most beautiful public plaza, but also the busiest football area in town, with many sights and entertainment, including Christmas markets and other events.The interesting features include its numerous open-air stores formerly prevalent in the Old Town and the Römer, a cluster of 11 buildings which form the ancient Old Town Hall (Old Town Hall), which was really rebuilt from the original 15th to 18th century floorplans in 1954. The magnificent Imperial Hall (Kaisersaal), formerly a site of spectacular feasts, is particularly noteworthy.
The other important structures in the Römerberg region are the new city hall (the New Town Hall) from 1908; the Gothic church of St. Leonardo, from the 14th century; and the Church of St. Nicholas with its carillon.
The Historical Museum is also of interest here (Historisches Museum Frankfurt). Its remarkable collections were founded in 1878 and connect to the rich cultural history of Frankfurt between the mediaeval and contemporary periods as well as to the six historic structures on the east coast.
Also the historical Wertheim House (Haus Wertheym) is still visible and currently houses a restaurant, the only structure to have survived the air attacks in 1944 that devastated most of ancient Frankfurt.
With its outstanding collection of 14th Century paintings, the Städel Museum (Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie) is among the world’s most significant institutions which form the Museum District (see #3 below for the specifics of these other highly regarded tourist sites).
Among its numerous collections, paintings by ancient artists such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Goya and works by Monet, Degas, Beckman, and Picasso in the following decades are particularly significant. The more recent pieces by Bacon and Baselitz are included. The collection also contains prints and drawings by Pollock and Ernst from Durer and Cezanne.
Guided tours in English and audio guides are offered for those who prefer alone. Workshops and lectures with a research library are also offered for anyone with extra time. There is also a café and a bookstore on site.