Frankfurt, Germany, city of festivals
Frankfurt is one of the business capitals of Europe with a range of hotels suited to commercial travellers but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a young and energetic city for everyone to enjoy. With a huge range of year-round festivals dedicated to food, culture and celebrations there is always something going on in these busy, bustling and beautiful streets.
Mark your conference calendar
Frankfurt is a city of events and throughout the year the Messe conference centre is host to a variety of trade shows including the famous Frankfurt Book Fair. Like most shows it opens to the public for the last few days giving you the chance to get some top deals on new releases. For car enthusiasts, The Motor Show takes place every two years and is the biggest event in the trade show calendar. If you’re in town for any major event though it’s always worth booking well in advance as hotel rooms sell out quickly and are much more expensive closer to the time. As with other cities across Germany, the Christmas market is a huge draw come December offering a great place to pick up traditional presents as well as warm up with some bratwurst and gluhwein .
So much more than business
There’s more to Frankfurt than business though as it has a great entertainment scene from theatres and opera to jazz cafes and busy nightclubs. Apfelwein is a specialty of the city and you’ll find no end of cosy taverns serving it, especially in charming Bornheim. For a more upbeat night why not check out some of the more contemporary bars serving their own unique selection of cocktails. Alt-Sachs is a lively part of the city that offers a fun night out while Freßgass, or munching alley, is the place to eat. Each year in May and June the street holds Freßgass’ Fest during which local restaurants and delis set up stalls so that visitors can enjoy their food along with live music and entertainment.
There are two airports in Hesse with access to Frankfurt. S-Bahn lines run directly from Frankfurt Airport into the city centre where there is a concentration of hotels suitable for business travel as well as shopping malls. For a hotel with more character it’s worth branching out into the lesser-known city districts. Hahn Airport is popular with budget airlines but visitors should take into account that it is around a two-hour drive away from Frankfurt’s centre.
Beauty from across the centuries
One of the great draws of Frankfurt is its beautiful architecture which dates back as far as the middle ages such as the Kaiserdom St Bartholomäus . Some of the most popular attractions in the city are the Gothic buildings of Römerberg, many of which were destroyed during World War II and later rebuilt. To get the best out of these inspiring buildings join one of the free walking tours and get to know the city from the perspective of the locals.
All of this historic architecture provides a stark contrast to the modern skyline of the city centre. For an incredible panoramic of Frankfurt head up to Main Tower’s viewing platform which is open to the public throughout the year.
Frankfurt is home to a number of galleries and museums covering a range of topics. The Naturmuseum Senckenberg is the city’s natural history museum with displays on geology and palaeontology including replicas of dinosaurs. The Städel Museum is world renowned for its collection of beautiful artworks that cover masters from Picasso to Bacon but if modern art is your taste then you should definitely head over to the Museum für Moderne Kunst with its excellent American and British collections. Of course, in true Frankfurt style the museums have their own festival in August, Museumsuferfest , which brings arts and crafts to the embankment as well as allowing visitors discounted entrance to the participating galleries.
Experience the mountain air
Should you feel the need to embrace the great outdoors then Frankfurt has some excellent offerings. In the summer months when temperatures can reach the mid-thirties, a walk along the banks of the river can be a refreshing way to see the city. Alternatively pack up your walking gear and take a day trip to the Taunus mountain range to enjoy the fresh area and breath-taking views of the valleys below. The highest point in the range is Feldberg which has a viewing platform and café at the peak. Another option is Stadtwald, a forest south of the city which is popular with tourists and locals for its playgrounds and picnic areas. Back in Frankfurt you’ll find several city parks as well as the Botanical Gardens which has exhibits for every season.