Dunster's Guide to fantastic Frankfurt
- Dunster
- Jan 14, 2019
- 5 min read
Frankfurt, Bankfurt or Mainhatten? If you want to use the official title then Frankfurt am Main it is! Today I am taking you to the centre of Germany to visit this super city of skyscapers, shopping centres and seahorses (huh?). Read on to find out!
Frankfurt and I
During my year abroad living in Germany (2016 - 2017), Frankfurt was about a 2 and a half hour train journey away from my home town Bebra. Although the city wasn't particularly close by, there was luckily a direct train to Frankfurt on working days and it left at 5:22am... To the astoundment of my parents, this is actual documented proof that I used to wake up at 4am after just one ring of my clock. Not something that is easy to do now I'm back at home.
On my first trip to the city I did a big ole' exploration of the city starting with grabbing a snap in front of the Euro Sign, heading up the Main Tower to get a bird's eye view of the city and then I headed on to the Römer square. The one thing that I spent quite a proportion of my day doing was shopping. Frankfurt's shopping district is huge! (More below).
I'm not too sure of the amount of times I have visited Frankfurt there after but I did make quite a few (shopping) trips to the city during my time in Germany and additionally I have probably spent at least a few days of my life waiting inside the main station waiting for trains/coaches but I won't bore you with my rants about DeutscheBahn (unless you request it!).
Frankfurt Zoo is also one of my favourite places in the city and was the first place I had ever seen a Fossa in my life! I had a bit of a freak out about this since I thought they were made up animals that only appeared in the film 'Madagascar'....
Quick Facts:
• Frankfurt is located in the state of Hessen
• The city's airport is one of the busiest in Europe
• Frankfurt is home to the European Central Bank
• The Main river runs through the city
• The city is twinned with Birmingham, England
• Anne Frank and the writer Johann Wolfgang von 'Goethe' were born in the city
• A Frankfurt edition of Monolpoly exists(!)
Things to See and Do in Frankfurt
1. The Euro Monument
Possibly one of the most enormous currency monuments you will ever see is the giant Euro standing in front of the Euro Tower, home to a proportion of the operations of the European Central Bank. Free of charge to visit and a great spot to get snap in front of! The best time to see the monument is when it is lit up at night time.
2. The Main Tower
Looking for a bird's eye view of Frankfurt's banking district and beyond? Then head 650ft+ into the sky to visit the Main Tower observation deck. One cool thing to do is try to spot the various skyscrapers and banks although if you get stuck there is a diagram board to identify the buildings.
Opening times include mid-morning to late evening when you'll be able to see the city lit up below. Make sure to check the Main Tower Website for the exact opening hours for your trip.
3. Römerberg
The few traditional, half-timbered houses to have survived the bombings during the Second World War war can be found in the Römerberg square in the old town/Altstadt. Opposite the half timbered buildings is the city hall (Römer) and seat of the Lord Mayor of Frankfurt. The Römerberg is a great spot for taking in the contrast between the beautiful, traditional architecture and the towering skyscrapers looking down on the city
During the December the city's Christmas Market can be found in the square.
4. Shopping District/My Zeil Shopping Centre
When in Frankfurt, go forth and shop! That probably is not the original quote but it is pretty sound advice. The main street 'Zeil' stretches for about half a mile and is lined with large department stores (Galeria Kaufhof, Karstadt, etc) in addition to well known shops/brands. You can also get intentionally/unintentionally lost amongst the floors upon floors of stores in the 'My Zeil' shopping centre.
5. Frankfurt Zoo
One place the average visitor to the banking/shopping metropolis of Frankfurt may not think to visit is Frankfurt Zoo. Located in the Ostend area of the city, the zoo is a great spot to see some cool critters such as penguins, lions, and my personal favourites, goats! The zoo also features a small aquarium and a petting zoo.
Another aspect of the zoo that is cool for non-German speaking visitors is that you can learn some of the German names for your favourite animals. The best picks include:
Doktorfisch: Tang Fish (think of lovable Dory from Finding Nemo)
Flusspferd: Hippo (translated as "River horse")
Igel: Hedgehog (Pronounced as 'eagle')
The earlier mentioned seahorse, a chomping turtle and chillaxing goat
How to get to Frankfurt Zoo:
Frankfurt Zoo can be reached by the following modes of transport:
From Frankfurt Hauptwache (city centre):
Underground Train/U-Bahn: U6/U7 (towards Zoo)
From Frankfurt Main Station and Frankfurt Hauptwache (city centre):
S-Bahn Train: S1 - S6, S8 - S9 (towards Ostendstraße).
From the Ostendstraße S-Bahn station, the zoo is a short 5 minute walk away. Upon exiting the station, turn onto 'Grüne Straße'. At the end of this street turn right onto 'Pfingsteidstraße' and follow then street forward to the Zoo entrance. Follow the quick map below and you should be on your way.
When to visit Frankfurt
Personal Recommendation: All year around
As Frankfurt is a metropolitan city, most of the city's main attractions can be enjoyed in all seasons irrespective of the weather. If you're perhaps planning to complete a multi-city visit, Frankfurt is a great choice to add on as well.
How to get to Frankfurt
Frankfurt can be reached most easily in the following ways:
By Air:
Frankfurt Airport
By Train to Frankfurt Main Station/Hauptbahnhof:
Frankfurt Airport
Tickets can be purchased from kiosks in the Airport Train Station below Terminal One. S-Bahn trains reach Frankfurt Main Station in less than 15 minutes and run freuqently around four times per hour. S-Bahn trains are the cheapest option to reach the city by rail.
S-Bahn:
S8 and S9 Network- Towards or over Frankfurt Main Station/Hauptbahnof
By train from other cities:
Cologne/Köln:
ICE: 1 hour and 15 minutes (average, without transfers)
Munich/München:
ICE: 3 hours and 15 minutes - 3 hours, 45 minutes (direct/with transfers)
Hamburg:
ICE: 3 hours and 40 minutes - 4 hours and 15 minutes (direct/with transfers)
Berlin:
ICE: 4 hours and 15 minutes (average, without transfers)
To establish exact train timetables for your dates of travel, please make sure to check the Deutsche Bahn Website.
Final Thoughts...
If you fancy a quick break from castles and beer houses and want to head into Germany's urban centre, check out fabulous Frankfurt and most definitely don't forget to snap one of those mid-air jump photos in front of the giant Euro because... why not?!
See you soon/Bis Bald,
R. H. Dunster!
Additional Links
If you would like to find out more information about Frankfurt and some of the things discussed aboce, please click the links below:
Frankfurt Tourism Website
https://www.frankfurt-tourismus.de/en/
Frankfurt CARD
https://www.frankfurt-tourismus.de/en/Information-Planning/Frankfurt-Card
Frankfurt Main Tower
https://www.maintower.de/en/
Frankfurt Shopping Guide
https://www.frankfurt-tourismus.de/en/Discover-Experience/Shopping-in-Frankfurt
My Zeil Shopping Centre
https://www.myzeil.de/en/
Frankfurt Zoo
http://www.zoo-frankfurt.de/schnellzugriff/information-in-english.html
Deutsche Bahn Website
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
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