Travel Guide FRANCOFORTE.
ThE CITy
Long before it became a city in 794 Frankfurt was a centre for trade. By the 12th century, traders throughout Europe were being drawn to the city’s substantial Frankfurt market.
king Frederick i was crowned in Frankfurt in 1152 and his legacy raised the city’s profile in Germany and the world. Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. During World War ii bombing in 1944 destroyed 80 percent of the city. Frankfurt was rebuilt in the following decades, but reconstruction of the römerberg Square was not finished until 1983. Frankfurt’s oldest area, Altstadt, has buildings ranging from medieval times to the 18th century. This is also the location of the historic römerberg square. neighbouring that is innenstadt, the city centre. its pedestrian street Zeil can be likened to Ströget in Copenhagen. This is also where the old opera, die Alte oper and the Goethehause house are located. South of the river is Sachsenhausen, a charming area with cobbled streets and many museums by Schaumainkai. north of central Frankfurt is Bornheim, nicknamed das Lustige Dorf – the funny village. it is the city’s most densely populated area and recently has seen an influx in bohemian-chic. Westend is comparable to London’s fashionable West End.
dO & sEE
goethehause
The name gives it away. This is the birthplace in 1749 of Germany’s great poet and author Johann Wolfgang Goethe. His most famous works are ”The Sorrows of Young Werther” and ”Faust”.

Address: Grosser Hirschgraben 23-25 Tel:+ 49 (0)69 138800, www.goethehaus-frankfurt.de
Alte Oper
This adorned renaissance opera house was destroyed during WW ii. Today, its facade is a replica and its interiors are entirely modern. on the third floor are a restaurant and bar, with a terrace, that stay open late.
Address: Opernplatz 1 Tel: +49 (0)69 134 0400, www.alteoper.de
Main Tower
This is Frankfurt’s most famous skyscraper, all 656 feet of it. The view from the top is fantastic. A visit here is a must when visiting the city.
Address: Neue Mainzer Strasse 52-58 Tel: +49 (0)69 3650 4740 www.maintower.de
städelsches kunstinstitut
one of many museums along Schaumankai. rembrandt, renoir, rubens, Van Eyck and Botticelli are a few of the masters on display.
Address: Schaumankai 63 Tel: +69 (0)60 5098 200 www.staedelmuseum.de
EvEnT hIghlIghTs
APriL
spring dippe
30 March – 22 April (tbc)Join half a million fellow revellers for Frankfurt’s Frühlings Dippemess fair.
www.dippemess.de
Fine Art Fair Frankfurt
13 – 15 April Fine Art Fair Frankfurt is one of the world’s premier art events showcasing the best up-and-coming artists.
www.fineartfairfrankfurt.info
MAY
Frankfurt Museums night
5 May The city’s museums are open late into the night and shuttle buses are offered.
www.nacht-der-museen.de
Opernplatz Festival
17-26 May This festival in the square in front of Frankfurt’s Alte oper and draws a diverse crowd.
www.frankfurt-tourismus.de
JunE
heinerfest
28 June - 2 July Heinerfest transforms the centre of the town of Darmstadt near Frankfurt.
www.heinerfest-darmstadt.de


Rhine in Flames
May - September Europe’s largest river fleet parades down the rhine and the river itself fills with the sights and sounds of colourful pyrotechnics.
www.rhein.feuerwerk-info.de

EATIng
A wide variety of restaurants and upscale eateries can be found all over Frankfurt. The most exciting ones are in bohemian Sachsenhausen and fashionable Westend. Most tourists walk down Fressgrass, the city’s culinary main street. Though cafés, restaurants, bistros and delis line both sides of the street, only a few offer something special.
Erno´s Bistro
Erno´s doesn’t look like much. it’s small, with only a few tables with chequered cloths, and is tucked away in a quiet part of Westend. Despite this, it is considered one of the premier restaurants in the whole of Germany. Choose any of the fish dishes from the French menu. Closed on weekends.
Address: Liebigstrasse 15 Tel: Tel: +49 (0)69 721 997
gargantua
klaus Trebe is a food columnist and also one of Frankfurt’s most famous chefs. His Gargantua restaurant serves classic German food with a modern twist. Try the risotto with artichoke hearts and foie gras or the doradon made with white bean puré and pesto.
Address: Liebigstrasse 47 Tel: +49 69 720 718 www.gargantua.com
Avocado
Another of the city’s top restaurants is Avocado with its inventive and surprising menu. rabbit with plums and bacon is just one good example. During the summer have a glass of champagne while relaxing in the garden.
Address: Hochstrasse 27 Tel: +49 (0)69 29 642 www.restaurant-avocado.de

steinernes haus
Sample German classics and giant pints of beer at long communal wooden tables. Try Zigeunerhackbraten, a spicy meatloaf and rippchen, a smoke-cured loin of pork with gravy and dumplings.
Address: Braubachstrasse 35 Tel: +49 (0)69 283 491 www.steinernes-haus.de
souper
rich, heartening soups and Germany go hand in hand. And this is possibly the best place for soups in Frankfurt. Situated close to römerberg square in Altstadt. Eight different soups are on the menu, available to eat in or take away.
Address: Weissadlergasse 3 Tel: +47 (0)69 2972 4545 www.souper.de
Tandure
Like other German cities, Frankfurt has a large Turkish population and therefore many good Turkish restaurants. one of the best is Tandure which serves up pastry pies with goat’s cheese and an array of other dishes cooked in the large clay oven called a tandure in Turkish.
Address: Wallstrasse 10 Tel: +49 (0)69 612 543 www.tandure-frankfurt.de
kleinmarkthalle
This fresh produce market also has German, italian and Greek food stalls.
Address: Hasengasse 5-7 www.kleinmarkthalle.de

CAFés
Altes Café schneider
Cosy café with sofas and large armchairs. Large selection of freshly baked cookies, pies, quiches and deserts.
Address: Kaiserstrasse 12
Café karin
Exciting café and restaurant with a healthy mix of guests. Students local old ladies and the odd banker who’s bravely ventured outside the financial district. Chevré salad, ratatouille crepes and large sandwiches made with freshly baked bread are all on the menu.
Address: Grosser Hirschgraben 28 www.cafekarin.de

BARs
Frankfurt has a very diverse and surprisingly un-German mix of bars. The reason for this is the large student population, the expats, businessmen, the city’s young banking elite and its very wealthy inhabitants. The truly unique places to go are the cider pubs in the Sachsenhausen district.
Adolf Wagner
Frankfurt’s most famous cider bar. Similar in style to a beer hall with its brown wall panelling, this is the place to sample cider served in large blue and white pitchers. Beer and wine are also available.
Address: Schweizer Strasse 71
Maincafé
A park, a few benches, some tables and beer. it sounds simple enough but in the summer people congregate here, filling the surrounding lawns and drinking Weiss bier. Maincafé is by the river Maine and comes in to its own when the summer sun sets behind the city’s skyscrapers.
Address: Schaumainkai
Jimmy’s Bar
Frankfurt’s wealthy have met at this classic bar since 1951. Watching them from one of the red armchairs is an interesting experience.
Address: Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 40, Hotel Hessischer Hof www.hessischer-hof.de
stereo Bar
red wallpaper, an aquarium and a small dance floor. Popular with students and young professionals.
Address: Abstgässchen 7 www.stereobar.de


nIghTlIFE
Frankfurt likes jazz, and there are many places to hear it around kleine Bockenheimer Strasse. The most prominent is the Jazzkeller, where Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and other greats have performed. When it comes to trendy nightclubs and discos, the best advice is to ask around for the latest and greatest places. At the time of writing, these two places were popular:
Cocoon Club
Techno guru Sven Väth is Germany’s premiere DJ and he really shines at his very own techno palace. The Cocoon Club occupies a former factory and within its modernist architecture is also a club, a lounge and a restaurant.
Address: Carl-Benz-Strasse 21, www.cocoonclub.net
king kamehameha
named after the favourite bar of Hawaiian private detective Magnum, played by actor Tom Selleck. Apart from the name, there are no similarities. This is a large, stylish and popular nightclub.

shOPPIng
There are fun shops in most areas of Frankfurt, but the most popular shopping area is in the centre of the city. The main pedestrian street Zeil offers two classic department stores, kaufhof and karstadt. This is also where you will find the Zeilgalerie mall with its seven floors and a roof terrace with great views of the city.
The westernmost part of Zeil eventually changes its name to Fressgass (see the restaurant section). if you are looking for Gucci, Escada and Versace your best bet is to head for Goethestrasse, a more exclusive version of Zeil. nearby Schillerstrasse has a nice market every Friday morning.
in the Sachsenhausen area, south of the Main river, is a more charming shopping area that caters to younger people. The main street, Schweizerstrasse, is full of delis, bookshops, trendy cafes and shops like Hype and Bailly Diehl. The general pace of things is also slower here than over on Zeil. on Saturdays between 8.00-14.00 a large flea market takes over the area around Museumsufer.
Those who are looking for funkier shopping should go to the Bornheim area. Bergerstrasse street has exciting design, fashion and vintage shops. Go there on a Saturday morning and experience the farmers market by the uhrtürmchen clock tower.
kontrast on Hanauer Landstrasse 297 in the ostend area has six floors of modern furniture design
EssEnTIAl InFORMATIOn
Airport
Flughafen Frankfurt Main is located twelve kilometres (seven miles) from the city centre. it is the second largest airport in Europe. Local trains conveniently connect the airport with the city’s main railway station. Tickets are €2.50 one-way. Taxicabs are also available, at €25 for the same journey. The Hahn Airport which also serves Frankfurt is located 110 kilometres (68 miles) to the west of the city. Buses depart from the main terminal for the 1 hour 45 minute journey. Tickets are €10 and available onboard. For more information visit:
www.frankfurt-airport.de www.hahn-airport.de

local transport
Frankfurt’s local transport consists of commuter trains, streetcars, buses and an underground system. Single fares are approximately €1.80. Tourists can purchase a visitors card with unlimited travel, discounts at museums and guided city tours. The card is available at visitor information centres, travel agencies, the main train station and the airport.
www.vgf-ffm.de/english.
Taxi
Taxis are usually beige Mercedes cars that can be hailed on the street. if you order via telephone the starting charge is approximately €2 and each mile €1.40. Tipping is accepted at 1015% of the final fare. The largest taxi companies in Frankfurt are:
Taxiruf: Tel. +49 (0)69 230 230 Taxi 33 GmbH: Tel. +49 (0)69 233 344 Taxi Union: Tel. +49 (0)69 342 860
Post
Look for signs with the post office name on them - ”Deutsche Post AG”.
Addresses: Moselstrasse 1-5, Goetheplatz 6, Hauptbahnhof (main train station)
Pharmacy
Address: Hauptbahnhof (main train station) Tel: +49 (0)69 23 30 47
Bahnhof-Apotheke Address: Münchenerstrasse 56 Tel: +49(0)69 23 29 05 Hermes-Apotheke Address: kaiserstrasse 56 Tel. +49 (0)60 244 0410
dentists
Zahnärztlicher notdienst universitätsklinikum Frankfurt Tel: +49 (0)69 630 16713
Telephone and Electricity
Country code: +49, Area code: 069 / 230v/50Hz