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Frankfurt am Main is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. The Frankfurt urban area, which extends beyond the city boundaries, had an estimated population of 1,468,140 in 2000. The city is at the center of the larger Frankfurt Rhine Main Area which has a population of 5 million and is Germany‘s second largest metropolitan area. Situated on the Main river, Frankfurt is the financial and transportation center of Germany. Frankfurt is the seat of the European Central Bank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is one of the two largest financial centers in continental Europe.

Frankfurt has played a central role in the political history of Germany and the German states for centuries. From 855 to 1792 Frankfurt was the electoral city for the Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. In the revolutions, it became a sort of revolutionary capital and was the seat of the first democratically elected German parliament, the Frankfurt Parliament, which met in the St. Paul‘s Church. The three pillars of Frankfurt‘s economy are finance, transport, and trade fairs. Frankfurt has been Germany‘s financial capital for centuries, and it is the home of a number of major banks and brokerages.

The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is by far Germany‘s largest, and one of the world‘s most important. Frankfurt is also the seat of the European Central Bank which sets monetary policy for the Eurozone economy, and of the German Bundesbank. A number of major German commercial banks, including Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank, and Commerzbank, have their seats in Frankfurt city.

Frankfurt has an excellent transportation infrastructure and a major international airport and European transportation hub, the Frankfurt International Airport. Frankfurt Airport ranks among the world‘s top ten airports and serves 304 flight destinations in 110 countries. Depending whether total passengers or flights are used to measure, it ranks as the second or third busiest in Europe alongside London Heathrow Airport and Paris‘ Charles de Gaulle. Its central location at Europe‘s heart and its excellent accessibility by air, rail and road make Frankfurt Airport City especially attractive. In addition, many large trade fairs take place in Frankfurt each year, notably the Internationale Automobil -Ausstellung (Frankfurt Motor Show) and the Frankfurt Book Fair, which have far over 100,000 visitors each, but also important special interest fairs like the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo or Musikmesse Frankfurt.

The city of Frankfurt contains the tallest skyscraper in the European Union, the Commerzbank Tower, which is also the second tallest on the continent (after the Triumph - Palace building in Moscow). Frankfurt is also home to many cultural and educational institutions, the Johann Wolfgang Goethe - Universität, many museums, most of them lined up along the Main river on the Museumsufer (museum embankment), and a large botanical garden, the Palmengarten. Frankfurt‘s second major university, Business School of Finance and Management, focuses on finance. The best-known museums are das Städelsche Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie, called Städel, and the Senckenberg Natural History Museum. Others include the Museum for Modern Art, the Schirn Art Gallery, museums for architecture, movies, communications and the Jewish Museum/ Museum Judengasse.

During World War II Frankfurt was heavily bombed and its medieval city centre was destroyed. The city recovered relatively quickly after the war, and its modern shape was formed. Part of the rebuilding process involved creating one of Europe‘s most efficient underground transportation systems in the 1970‘s. That system includes a subway train system (S-Bahn) capable of reaching outlying communities as well as the city center, and a deep subway with smaller coaches (U-Bahn) also capable of traveling above ground on street rails.

GO THERE FOR

The History: The Main metropolis was first mentioned on 22 February 794 in a document of Charlemagne for the Regensburg monastery, St. Emmeram. However, there is proof that the cathedral hill has been under continuous settlement since as early as 3000 BC. At the same place, a Roman military camp was established around 83 AD and in the Merovingian era, the court of a Franconian king. In 843, Frankfurt became at times the most important royal palatinate of the Eastern Franconians and the site of parliaments

Food: Gastronomy in Frankfurt is both diverse and of a high quality. The number of international visitors ensures that the food and service is of a high standard. Whether it's a full English breakfast or a gourmet French dinner you're after, you shouldn't have any problems finding and choosing something that will satisfy you. The selections are broad, sophisticated and good value compared to other top European destinations such as London.

The Museums: German Architecture Museum, Deutsches Filmmuseum (German Film Museum), Städel-Museum, Museum Giersch (Museum of Regional Historic Art and Culture), Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts), Liebighaus (Liebig House) Large collection of sculptures and statues from all over the world. Very nice cafe in the garden. Mon closed, Tue, Th-Su 10AM - 5PM, W 10AM - 8PM. Museum der Weltkulturen (Museum of World Cultures) Museum für Kommunikation (Museum of Communication), Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum), Ikonen Museum (Icon Museum), Founded in 1990 through a donation of 800 icons from the 16th-19th century this museum today has about 1'000 icons and today also has special exhibitions for modern icons.

The Nightlife: The nightlife of Frankfurt is based on a mixture of beer gardens, bars and discos. The recent boom in nightlife has been dominated by the mainstream bars and clubs, but there is also a thriving independent party scene; Frankfurt is the home of techno and there is no shortage of dance and trance clubs throughout the city. 

DON’T MISS

Römerberg: Römerberg is the old centre of Frankfurt. It features various buildings and a church from the 14th and 15th century. The Römer itself is the town hall of Frankfurt. Cafés and shops can be found at the square itself and in the vicinity. Next to the cathedral, at the Archäologische Garten, you can see the remains of the Roman settlements that gave this place its name.

Dom: The main cathedral, built in Gothic style in the 14th century. From 1562 to 1792, emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned in the cathedral.

Eiserner Steg (Iron bridge). Relatively well-known bridge for pedestrians, built in 1869. It is just a minute away from the Römer. Crossing the bridge leads you to Sachsenhausen and provides good views of the skyline. 

Hauptwache: A public area that is often considered the central hub of Frankfurt's modern downtown area due to its importance as a public transportation station and its central location, right between the main shopping street (Zeil), the Rossmarkt (another public square), and the Eschenheimer Tor. The place is named after a Baroque building ("Hauptwache") located more or less in its centre. The building was constructed in 1730 to house the local city militia, as Frankfurt was an independent city at the time. When Frankfurt became part of Prussia, the building gradually lost its original function. Since 1905, it has instead been serving as a café ("Café Hauptwache"). Other attractions include the Katharinenkirche, and the Palais Thurn-und-Taxis.

Alte Oper: (Old Opera), Opernplatz 1 (take U6 or U7 station Alte Oper, or any line to Hauptwache and walk a few minutes), ☎ Tickets: +49 (0)69 - 1340-400. Renaissance Opera Building in the center of the city. A busy square with fountains can be found in front of it. Originally opened in 1880, it is not used for operas any more since the rebuilding after the war, but for concerts, congresses, and similar "fancy" events.

Börse: (Frankfurt Stock Exchange). The Frankfurt stock exchange building, still in use, see the bull and bear statues just outside. You cannot enter the building unless you have registered for a guided tour in advance.

Paulskirche: (St. Paul's Church), (Located just north of the Römer place). This was the seat of the first democratically elected parliament in Germany in 1848. Like most historic buildings in the city centre, it was destroyed during World War II, but was also among the first buildings to be rebuilt after 1945 (with different interior). Today the building is used as a memorial site and an event centre, hosting i.e. the awarding of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.

Sachsenhausen: By crossing one of the bridges from the city centre you reach the Sachsenhausen part of the city south of the Main river. The old town part, Alt-Sachsenhausen, at Affentorplatz is famous for its old cider bars. You can also walk along the river bank or visit the Schweizer Straße. 

Other Museum: Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Museum Judengasse, Geldmuseum der Deutschen Bundesbank, Archäologisches Museum, Kunsthalle Schirn, Goethe Haus und Museum, & Historisches Museum.

Goethe Haus: The house where Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's world-famous poet and writer, was born in 1749 is now a shrine to his memory, preserved as an example of how the well-to-do lived in Frankfurt in the late Baroque era. 

WHEN TO GO

The best times for Frankfurt are late spring to early autumn. The summers tend to be sunny and warm around 25 °C (77° F). Be prepared, however, for very hot summer days around 35° C (95° F) as well as for light rain. The winters can be cold and rainy (usually not lower than -10 °C/14 °F). It rarely snows in Frankfurt itself.

If you intend to stay overnight, you may wish to avoid times when trade fairs are held, as this will make finding affordable accommodation a challenging task. The biggest are the Frankfurt Motor Show (Automobil-Ausstellung) every two years in mid-September (next in 2013) and the Book Fair (Buchmesse) yearly in mid-October; For those who’d rather avoid the summer crowds and don't mind the cold (highs of 10C and lows of -3), then a Christmas visit opens up a city famous for its winter culture, seasonal markets and festive spirit.

Plan your vacation around annual events and festivities such as Frankfurt Christmas Market, New Year Concert, Beautyworld, Visionale: Hessian Youth Media Festival. International Festhallen Riding Tournament, Fastnachtszug, Verzaubert International Queer Film Festival, Spring Dippemess Fair and the Rose and Light Festival. A must attend is the Parade of Cultures and the Rheingau Wine Festival. 

Public Holidays in Berlin:

BASICS

From the Airport

The airport is connected to downtown Frankfurt by taxi, bus (Line 61 to Frankfurt Südbahnhof (Frankfurt South Station), and most easily by S-Bahn (fast commuter trains). To get to the city, take lines S8 or S9 in the direction of Offenbach Ost or Hanau at the Regionalbahnhof (regional train station) in Terminal 1 (entrances in section A and B): interactive route planner. The lines S1-6/8/9 travel through the cornerstone of the system, an underground tunnel (the Citytunnel) through central Frankfurt. If you want to change to long-distance trains get off at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof(Frankfurt Central Station) or Frankfurt Südbahnhof (Frankfurt South Station).

If you want to go downtown, get off at Frankfurt Taunusanlage, Frankfurt Hauptwache or Frankfurt Konstablerwache, which are in the heart of the city. The ride from the airport to the central station takes 14 minutes. Be sure to purchase a ticket at the vending machines in the train station before boarding the train.