Frankfurt

Berger Strasse, or Berger Street, is Frankfurt’s longest road, a path that runs for 3 kilometers through several of the city’s neighborhoods, including Merianplatz and Bornheim. The street is a lively one covered in restaurants and boutique shops. Cafés and pubs line the pathway with outdoor seating in the spring and summer, and tourists and locals regularly enjoy strolls up and down the Strasse. The area in Merianplatz is trendy and upscale, while upper Berger Strasse has an Old World feel, as the road is peppered with original wooden buildings constructed in the 1600s. This part of the road runs through the Bornheim neighborhood, which is known for its cobblestone walkways and historic clock tower.

In a city of contemporary high rises with modern, clean lines, the Eschenheimer Turm certainly stands out as a piece of the distant past. This medieval tower, which was built in the early 15th century as part of a much larger fortification structure, sits unexpectedly in the middle of Frankfurt’s bustling downtown. In the 19th century, most of the fortress was demolished as it was no longer being used for military defense, but pleas from Count d'Hédouville, the French ambassador at the time, saved the Eschenheimer Turm from a similar fate. Today, the 47-meter-high tower is an important city landmark, and its ground floor even contains a bar and restaurant.

447 Grand Boulevard, Venice, California 90291, Phone: +49-69-29-22-44

Established in 1972, the Frankfurt Children's Museum is the oldest children’s museum in Germany and the only museum of its kind left in the city. This space is packed with interactive exhibits and activities that introduce children to the cultural and historical life of the city of Frankfurt. Most of the museum is targeted towards children ages 6 and up, but a mini-museum within the facility offers fun for younger children as well. Its spaces include workshop areas and hands-on displays that tap into children’s natural curiosity.

Junges Museum Frankfurt, Saalhof 1, 60311 Frankfurt, Phone: 0-69-21-23-51-54

Despite being located in a massive metropolis, the Frankfurt Zoo is a 27-acre territory of comfortable green space in the center of the inner part of Frankfurt. The Frankfurt Zoo is the second oldest in Germany after the Berlin Zoological Garden, and contains over 4,500 animals from approximately 450 different species. These species span the animal kingdom to feature fish and reptiles, creatures from African jungles, and even nocturnal animals who live in a special “nighttime” area. The Frankfurt Zoo is part of a larger conservation effort, so it presents visitors with a wealth of information about the animals in its quarters. The zoo has a playground for children and concession areas where food and drinks are sold.

Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1, 60316 Frankfur, Germany, Phone: +49-0-69-21-23-37-35

The Frankfurter Rome is the name of Frankfurt’s city hall, and the beautiful building in which it is housed has been inspiring awe throughout the city since its construction 600 years ago, in 1405. The Römer’s most famous façade is on its eastern side facing the Old St. Nicholas Church across a large pedestrian square in the city’s Altstadt, or Old Town. The grandeur of the structure comes from the fact that it was the property of a wealthy merchant family before becoming an administrative municipal building. The inside still fulfills this function, so unfortunately, the Römer’s beautiful interiors are not on display as a museum. Still, nearly all who come to the city rush to see this iconic piece of Frankfurt history.

Römerberg 27, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Phone: +49-6-92-12-01

The Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, or Fountain of Justice, is another Frankfurt landmark placed on the Römerberg, the square located near the Römer, the city’s beautiful municipal building. The fountain was originally built in 1543 as a tribute to the city, but the statue that sits here today was reconstructed later. The main focus of the statue is Justitia, the goddess of justice, who holds above her head a sword and scales. Around her on the four corners of the fountain’s pedestal are four nymphs from whose breasts water flows. The towering bronze statue is a recognizable symbol of Frankfurt and one of the city’s most common photo and meeting spots.

Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, Römerberg, 60311 Frankfurt am Main

The German Film Museum, or Deutsches Filmmuseum, presents all things movies in its permanent and temporary curated exhibits. The permanent exhibition halls deal with the art of film, presenting the cinematic tradition and how film has been used as an artistic medium. The museum focuses on both the technical side of moving images and the storytelling aspects of the craft. Several temporary exhibitions rotate through the facility, each developing on a more specific theme, perhaps one movie or a single director. The German Film Museum also has an in-house cinema with regular film screenings and educational and outreach programs for children and adults.

Schaumainkai 41, D- 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Phone: +49-6-99-61-22-02-20

The Museum Giersch is the perfect Frankfurt stop for art and culture buffs. The Giersch focuses specifically on local artistic works from the Rhine-Main region of Germany, limited in this way only. Its collection spans a number of genres but focuses heavily on the 19th- and 20th-century time periods. What makes this museum interesting is that of its four floors, only the ground level holds a permanent exhibition; all the other floors feature temporary displays. The Museum Giersch is housed in a beautiful neoclassical-style building, which was purchased from a family of wealthy entrepreneurs and can currently be rented out for events.

Schaumainkai (Museumsufer) 83, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The Goethe House honors the life and times of famous German writer Johann Wolfgang Goethe. The Frankfurt home was Goethe’s birthplace and childhood residence, where he lived out his early years with his sister Cornelia. The four floors of this beautiful historic house are restored to look as they did in Goethe’s time, and each of the rooms is decorated in a uniform style to represent the fashion of the day. Many original artifacts are still located here, and portraits give visitors a sense of what Goethe’s family looked like. The history of Goethe’s Frankfurt years can be explored in an exhibit on the third floor.

Großer Hirschgraben 23-25, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Phone: 0-69-13-88-00