Frankfurt Travel Guide for HotelsClick customers travelling to Frankfurt in Summer 2008. This is no easy task. A city of 6 million people known mostly for its business travel Frankfurt actually offers plenty to the leisure tourist. Located in West Central Germany, Frankfurt is one of Germany's most important cities, in fact, one of Europe's business hubs and has a unique and varied scene. There is something for everyone in Frankfurt, young or old, male or female, straight or gay, you are going to find something to tickle your fancy in Frankfurt.
Frankfurt - The QT
Parks, a central river, skyscrapers, wonderful museums and an eclectic and award winning culinary scene, Frankfurt could remind you of a couple of other world famous cities out there. So what makes Frankfurt worth a visit? It is actually surprisingly cheap, New York hotels are insanely priced and if you're a European, like me, the air fare and hotel combined is enough to put you off. In Frankfurt we have also what New York can not create, for Frankfurt is also European at heart and the fabulous Germanic cultural alleyways and boulevards, together with the beer (never forget the beer) come together to create one of Europe's hidden travel gems.
Back to price, would you believe it possible to stay 3 nights over a weekend in a 5 star Intercontinental hotel in the middle of the city for £170 including breakfast? I'm not kidding! 2 People inclusive, 3 Nights inclusive, Breakfast inclusive! Maybe in Riga right. but Frankfurt? Check it out below.
Back to price, would you believe it possible to stay 3 nights over a weekend in a 5 star Intercontinental hotel in the middle of the city for £170 including breakfast? I'm not kidding! 2 People inclusive, 3 Nights inclusive, Breakfast inclusive! Maybe in Riga right. but Frankfurt? Check it out below.
Who Flies to Frankfurt?
Depending on your carrier you'll fly into Frankfurt into the International Airport (Europe's second largest) or the low cost carrier airport Frankfurt Hahn. The low cost option is Bargainous with Ryanair coming in from the London airports. Everyone flies into Frankfurt, finding a flight will not be difficult.
RyanAir - 30 destinations including, Barcelona, Birmingham, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kerry, London Stansted, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Rome, Stockholm and Venice.
British Airways - Manchester, London, Birmingham
AirFrance - Lyon and Paris
Lufthansa - Seriously everywhere, Amsterdam, Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, London Heathrow and City, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Zurich.
What Hotel Deals can you offer?
Over the British Bank Holiday weekend (Fri 22nd August - 3 Nights - 1 Double) we have the following Hot Deals. We have 100 hotels to choose from, but here are the best of the best.
3 Star Hotel - Continental Hotel - Opposite the Train Station - £126,75
4 Star Hotel - Miramar Hotel - Located in the heart of Old Town - £186.75
5 Star Hotel - Intercontinental - Opposite the Train Station - £219.75
What is there to see and do in Frankfurt?
Frankfurt City Sights
Alte Opera - Inaugurated in 1880, the Renaissance-style Alte Oper was designed by Berlin architect Richard Lucae and stylistically influenced by Gottfried Semper, creator of the famous Semperoper in Dresden. After being destroyed in WWII, and then narrowly avoiding being razed and replaced with 1960s cubes, the Alte Oper was rebuilt and its façade reconstructed to resemble the original, graced with statues of Goethe and Mozart. The interior is modern.
Bornheim - Berger Strasse is the spinal cord of the district of Bornheim, the traditional working class part of town. These days, it prefers the label 'bohemian', an image it measures up to well with its mix of dusty bookstores, eccentric boutiques, health food shops and inexpensive cafes and restaurants. Towards the north, the feel gets more mainstream with chain stores and snack bars.
Explora - Immerse yourself and the kids in this family-oriented science and technology museum full of cool optical illusions and three-dimensional works. The photos of turn-of-the-century Frankfurt are a definite highlight.
Frankfurt Zoo - Germany's second-oldest zoo has been delighting fans since 1858. Today, you can encounter an international cast of furry, feathered and finned friends on a trip that might take you from the Amazonian jungle to Antarctica via the African Savannah and the Australian Outback. If you're lucky, the howls of wolves can be heard throughout the surrounding neighbourhood of Ostend. When doors close, the zoo's own beer garden opens to help you wind down. Frankfurter Dom - Dominated by the elegant 15th-century Gothic-style tower (95m; completed in the 1860s), the Frankfurter Dom was one of the few structures to survive the 1944 bombing. The Dommuseum (tel: 1337 6816) has a valuable collection of reliquaries and liturgical objects; it conducts tours of the Dom at 15:00 daily.
On the cathedral's southern side is the small Wahlkapelle (Voting Chapel), where seven electors of the Holy Roman Empire chose the emperor from 1356 onwards. Adjoining it is a choir with beautiful wooden stalls.
Goethe-Haus & Museum - Anyone with an interest in German literature should visit the Goethe Haus, the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1749. Although furnishings are often reproductions, some original pieces remain on show. Highlights are Goethe's original writing desk and the library. Guided tours are conducted in German at 14:00 and 16:00 ; English tours can be arranged, but staff can also help you along.
'He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.' Goethe's parents' house is a wonderful example of how Frankfurt's well-to-do lived in the 18th century. It was Goethe's birthplace, and he lived here until moving to Weimar in 1775, an act that many Frankfurters found hard to forgive. It was here that Goethe penned his ode to suicide, The Sorrows of Young Werther , and began work on Faust . The rooms are nicely decorated with a mix of reproduction and original furniture, offering a glimpse of 18th-century domestic life.
The museum next door illustrates the various stations of his long life with paintings from the late Baroque to the Biedermeier periods. The gorgeous little garden is perfect for getting away from all that Sturm und Drang.
Jüdisches Museum - The city has two notable museums on Jewish life in Frankfurt, reminding visitors that the Jewish community here, with 35,000 people, was once one of the largest in Europe. The main Jüdisches Museum, in the former Rothschildpalais, is a huge place with an exhibit of Jewish life in the city from the Middle Ages to present day, with good detail on well-known Frankfurt Jews persecuted, murdered or exiled by the Nazis. Religious items are also displayed.
Main Tower - A good place to start seeing the sights of Frankfurt is from the Main Tower, Frankfurt's highest public viewing platform. At 200m tall, the tower offers spectacular views of the city. Nearby is Europe's tallest office block, the 258m-high (298m including the antenna) Commerzbank Tower. Main Tower has a restaurant and cocktail bar on the 53rd floor, one below the viewing terrace.
From the viewing terrace to the southeast you can see the Römerberg, a remake of the original city centre; beyond it, across the river, is Sachsenhausen, an entertainment area with lots of pubs, bars and restaurants. To the north and northwest is the banking district with its ever-changing vista of towers, including the 256m-high peak of the elegant Messeturm, which locals call the Bleistift (pencil).
Frankfurt Nightlife
Balalaika - Beer Hall come Jazz Bar in Sachsenhausen
Former New York resident, Balalaika's owner, Anita, was singing long before many of her customers were born, as one of the pace-setters in the jazz and blues scene in the swinging 60s. These days she sings a more mellow song in her tiny, candlelit pub that has the usual cheer of the local taverns but with a more intimate vibe.
Harveys - Upmarket Lounge in Nordend
This odd-shaped, high-ceilinged corner bar looks like Dame Edna's living room. Always on the ball, it will no doubt adjust the style dial to suit Frankfurt's fickle club clientele. It's the perfect setting for flouncing around, and boy, do they flounce. It's a long established location on the gay map but attracts a mixed crowd.
Living XXL - Top Nightclub on the riverbank in Bahnhofsviertel
If the euro goes into free fall, it'll land here - Frankfurt's large, bustling and highly popular club has three bars and a gallery dining room at the foot of the European Central Bank.
Sandbar - Cocktail Lounge in Ostend
If the other bars get too cramped or their glam starts wearing thin, dive into the Sandbar as a chic alternative. The minimalist interior and soft bar stools invite a long evening or a short repose between clubs.
Frankfurt Shopping
Bogner Goethestr 21, Innenstadt
For sportswear that's almost too good to sweat in, Bogner is your brand, as many a stylish German jock will inform you. They also have a rather dapper range of women's and children's clothes with all sorts of accessories to complete the 'B' look.
Bornheimer Wochenmarkt - Am Uhrtürmchen, Bornheim
This farmer's market is a great place to stock up on fresh healthy rations for a hike in the woods, so good they do it twice a week! Met someone you need to impress? They have fresh flowers for next to nothing. As for cheese, don't buy it anywhere else. From an excellent range of markets, this fresh fruit and vegetable emporium is many people's favourite.
Galeria Kaufhof - Zeil 116 -126, Altstadt
You can find homewares, clothing, toys and electronics elsewhere in Frankfurt, but not under a roof as large as the one at Galeria Kaufhof. It also sells a great range of wines and spirits.
Saturn Hansa - Berger Str 125-129, Bornheim
This three-storey electrical good specialist stocks a heap of appliances, but on the top floor has the most comprehensive and one of the cheapest CD selections in Frankfurt. The jazz and blues corner and the classical music section are impressive and, best of all, there are plenty of play stations where you can pre-listen to any song.
Frankfurt Restaurants
Eckhaus - Bornheimer Landstrasse 45, Nordend
The smoke-stained walls, the iron fan above the door and those ancient floorboards all suggest an inelegant, long-toothed past. We love this place, others say the noise level snaps their nerves. The hallmark Rösti (shredded potato pancake), large servings of tasty salads and other main courses have been served in this restaurant-bar for over 100 years.
Grössenwahn - Lenaustrasse 97, Bornheim
The food in this upmarket pub-restaurant relies on pure flavours and the wine seduces your tongue into parts of your mouth you didn't know were there. The downside of this wonderful Frankfurt institution is that the air can be shocking at times, especially if someones tugging on a cigar or a pipe at the next table. Stylish modern German cuisine with plenty of international extras are the order of the day.
Metropol - Weckmarkt 13-15, Altstadt
In the long shadow of the Dom and with a lovely courtyard out the back where children can chill out away from the city heat, Metropol serves dishes from a changing menu that fluctuates between the inspired and the bistro staples. It's a great place for coffee or a drink too.
Tiger - Heiligkreuzgasse 16-20, Bornheim
Culinary guru Martin Göschel concocts delicious Italian and French-inspired cuisine in what many consider to be the best nosh address in town. Expect to pay for the kudos (menus over €100 ). It's part of the Tigerpalast cabaret venue.
We are recommending an August Bank Holiday break to Frankfurt to avoid the fairs and the crazy fair costs of the hotel rooms. That's all Folks.
