Sights of Frankfurt – Top 11

Frankfurt is often underrated for a holiday in Germany. However, the city has so many attractions that one day is not enough. Frankfurt is the most urban Hesse you’ve ever seen. And yet this metropolis, with Germany’s most famous skyline, hides so many bizarrely beautiful things that it makes your head spin. But what are the best attractions in Frankfurt?

Our advice: when you come to Frankfurt, we are recommended to order Frankfurt airport transfers. This way you can get to the hotel faster and start exploring this beautiful city faster. 

We have analyzed and selected for you the Frankfurt attractions that you cannot miss during your holiday. Whether you have just one day in Frankfurt or spend several days or even a weekend in Frankfurt, the city captivates.

Here are our favorite Frankfurt attractions. Let our Frankfurt travel tips inspire you.

Don’t worry, we will visit not only historically valuable corners, churches and the like… but also the party scene of Sachensenhausen and the market pavilion.

Frankfurt Römer

Römer is Frankfurt’s town hall, surrounded by a group of three gable buildings from 1405. And they are so picturesquely juxtaposed that you quickly imagine yourself in another century.

Unless, of course, the football team showers itself with glitter, glory and beer on the balcony of Rome’s town hall. After all, it is here that the victories of the German national teams are traditionally celebrated. This was the case in 2014 when Yogi Löw and his boys returned from Brazil with the World Cup trophy.

Römerberg, Sights of Frankfurt

Frankfurt’s most picturesque square is a real postcard motif and is one of Frankfurt’s most important attractions. Römerberg has photogenic medieval houses, a church and several historical administrative buildings.

Just as beautiful as Römer is the nearby Golden Swan building and, of course, the pretty Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen (also Justitsiabrunnen), dating from 1543. Just on the opposite side of the square is the old 15th-century St. Nicholas Church, which miraculously survived the war without much damage.

Our advice:

Many of the beautiful half-timbered houses have bar and restaurant terraces on the ground floor where you can enjoy cider, pretzels and beer. It may be a touristy place, but it’s worth a shortstop.

Iron pedestrian bridge

At first glance, the Iron Pedestrian Bridge in Frankfurt may seem like just an iron pedestrian bridge across the Main River from the city center to the Sachsenhausen district. But once you get there, you realize what a magnificent view the bridge offers.

The iron footbridge was completed in 1869 after an incredible 150 years of construction. Why? It was rebuilt twice. The first time was in 1912, when the Main became navigable for larger ships. And the second time after the Nazis themselves bombed it during World War II.

When is the best time to visit the Iron Bridge?

The best time to cross the bridge is late evening, when the low sun illuminates the skyline of Frankfurt’s banking district.

Kleinmarkthalle Frankfurt

Next to the famous Zeil shopping street is a hangar-like indoor market and we were captivated by it. No, the Kleinmarkthalle Frankfurt is no longer an insider tip. And yet everyone succumbs to his charm.

The combination of a traditional fresh food market and lively wine bars is just perfect for wandering around and enjoying.

156 kiosks await visitors, open daily (except Sundays). Here you will find the best cheeses, the best meats, as well as fresh fruit, vegetables, sweets, breads and pastries from all over Hesse (and a fine selection of delicacies from Spain, Italy, the Middle East and North Africa).

Main Tower (Maintower), Sights of Frankfurt

Frankfurt is often called Mainhattan, referring to Manhattan in New York. However, in Frankfurt’s ever-growing forest of skyscrapers, there is unfortunately only one skyscraper with a public observation deck. But that’s something.

The 200 meter high main tower was designed by Schweger and Meyer and opened in 2000. It is the fourth tallest building in the city – and, incidentally, currently the fourth tallest in all of Germany.

From the top there are breathtaking views of Germany’s most famous skyline, the banking district, Frankfurt’s old town and the Main River.

Advice regarding opening hours:

So if you want to see Frankfurt at night, come on the weekend. The observation deck is open longer every Friday and Saturday. It then closes at 21:00 in winter and at 23:00 in summer.

Another tip:

The Main Tower lobby contains two works of art: a video installation by Bill Viola and a wall mosaic by Stefan Huber.

Old Opera House Frankfurt

The Alte Oper on Opernplatz in Frankfurt am Main was built in 1873-1880 as the Stedtische Bühnen opera house and was completely destroyed during an air raid in 1944 during the Second World War.

Although the Frankfurt Opera moved to new premises on Theaterplatz in 1951, the once magnificent opera house remained in ruins for a long time.

Today the Alte Opera shines in its former glory and is a magnificent spectacle.

Goethehaus (Goethe House Museum), Frankfurt Attractions

In the center of Frankfurt there is a building with a very unusual history. The Goethehaus is so called because in 1749 none other than Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born here at 23 Großer Hirschgraben. The medieval-looking apartment received a rococo façade and interior shortly before Goethe’s birth and is therefore still particularly impressive today.

Goethe lived here until he was 16, and also returned to his hometown several times while studying in Strasbourg and Leipzig. It was here that he wrote such seminal works as The Sorrows of Young Werther. 

By the way, when your holiday in Frankfurt comes to an end, you can use transfer services with Kiwitaxi.com. This will save your time and money from annoying taxi drivers.

Today, a museum of romantic art is attached to the Goethe House, reflecting the Sturm und Drang period of Goethe’s youth.

Museum embankment (Museumsufer)

A total of twelve museums line both sides of Main Street. That’s why this area is called the Museum Embankment (Museumsufer). Most of Frankfurt’s museums are located on the left bank, in the southern part of the city. Here you will find museums of cinema, art, architecture, communications, ethnography and others.

By the way, the idea of ​​the Museum Embankment (Museumsufer) was born in the 1980s and 1990s. At that time, some museums moved into patrician houses, and others were redesigned by famous architects such as Richard Meier or O.M. Ungers.

The highlight of each year is the Museumsuferfest. The last weekend of August is dedicated to Frankfurt museums. Visitors can not only expect longer opening hours, but also other events, live music and more.

Alt-Sachsenhausen, Sights of Frankfurt

The district of Sachsenhausen is the most party district of Frankfurt and is ideal for walking. Near the Museumsufer you’ll find the cobbled streets of the old town full of lively cider bars open until late at night. You can also find bars, clubs and good pubs here. In short, Sachsenhausen is a place worth visiting.

But the history of the area is also interesting. For centuries, Alt-Sachsenhausen was little more than a village and was very different from the rest of Frankfurt. Since the 18th century, ebbelwew (apple wine) has been served in bars in the quarter. The iconic Hessian drink is a must-have for every visitor to Frankfurt. And here in Sachsenhausen the best you can drink.

Imperial Cathedral of St. Bartholomew

Even if you are not a fan of religious buildings, you should take a look at the Kaiserdom of St. Bartholomew in Frankfurt. It has a very special meaning.

This former collegiate church was built in the 13th and 14th centuries in the Gothic style and received the title of “cathedral” in 1562. Unfortunately, it later had to be rebuilt twice to match the original: once after a devastating fire in 1867, and again in the 1950s after World War II.

Our advice for Frankfurt:

It’s also worth taking a look inside. Note the old 14th-century choir stalls, the majestic Baroque altar of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the 15th-century fresco.

Senckenberg Nature Museum

What can you do with a child in Frankfurt? The answer is simple: go to the Senckenberg Museum. This is especially true for those whose children are going through a dinosaur phase (hey, who hasn’t?).

The second largest natural history museum in Germany features life-size dinosaur models that greet you at the entrance. You will find fossils of Triceratops, Iguanodon, Diplodocus, Parasaurolophus and even a real T-Rex.

Another attraction is a 3.2 million year old skeleton. A particularly remarkable ancestor of Homo Sapiens is the about-meter-tall Australophithecus afarensis, better known as “Lucy.” This is considered early evidence of upright walking.

His remains were found in 1974 in the northeast African Afar Triangle of Ethiopia. That is why the skeleton in Frankfurt is only a copy. The original Lucy is in the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.