15 Top Tourist Attractions in Frankfurt

A picturesque old imperial city on the River Main, Frankfurt am Main has long been an important commercial and economic center. Frankfurt's impressive skyline is dominated by a great cluster of high-rise buildings in the banking quarter, giving it a distinct North American flavor, along with the nicknames "Mainhattan" and "Chicago on the Main."

Frequently ranked in the top 10 best cities in which to live and do business, this truly global city has also long been an important center for cultural and tourism activities. Its huge trade fair complex, Messe Frankfurt, hosts important events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse), the world's most important publishing event, along with internationally renowned music and cultural festivals.

Frankfurt is also well known for its exceptional number of fine museums covering art, science, and history. It's also a lovely city to explore on foot, with many of these museums and attractions being within easy walking distance of the downtown core. If you do walk, be sure to include a stroll across the Main via the Eiserner Steg, a pedestrian footbridge originally built in 1911 (and rebuilt since) that links the Sachsenhausen district to the downtown core.

To learn more about the best places to visit and things to do along the way, be sure to read our full list of the top tourist attractions in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Römerberg: Frankfurt's Old Town Center

Set in the heart of Frankfurt's Old Town (Altstadt), the Römerberg is an irregularly shaped square with the Justice Fountain (Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen) at its center. Not only is it Frankfurt's most picturesque public square, it's the city's busiest pedestrian zone and home to numerous tourist attractions and fun things to do, including Christmas markets and other events.

Points of interest here include its many open-fronted shops. Once common throughout the old town, and the Römer, this cluster of 11 historic buildings together made up the medieval-era Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus). This popular Frankfurt attraction was faithfully reconstructed in 1954 from original 15th- to 18th-century floorplans. Of special note is the elegant Imperial Hall (Kaisersaal), once the scene of splendid banquets.

Other notable buildings in the Römerberg include the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) dating from 1908; the 14th-century Gothic Church of St. Leonhard; and St. Nicholas Church, with its carillon.

Also of interest here is the Historical Museum (Historisches Museum Frankfurt). Founded in 1878, its interesting collections relate to Frankfurt's rich cultural history from medieval to modern times, and the six traditional-style buildings of the Ostzeile.

The historic Wertheim House (Haus Wertheym), the only building to have survived the 1944 air raids that destroyed much of old Frankfurt, can also still be seen and is now home to a popular restaurant. Built in 1479, it's an undeniably romantic setting for a memorable meal (reservations recommended).

Address: Römerberg 26, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

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Städel Museum

The Städel Museum (Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie), with its excellent collection of paintings from the 14th century, is the most important of the world-class museums that make up Frankfurt's Museum District (Museumsufer).

Of its many collections, the most important include works by Old Masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Goya, and into the later centuries with Monet, Degas, Beckman, and Picasso. The more contemporary works include those by Bacon and Baselitz. The collection also features prints and drawings from Durer and Cezanne to Pollock and Ernst.

English-language guided tours are available, along with audio guides for those who prefer to go it alone. For those with additional time, workshops and talks, along with a research library, are also available. A café and bookshop are also located on-site.

Address: Schaumainkai 63, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Museum District: Museumsufer

Frankfurt's Museum District (Museumsufer) on the south and north banks of the River Main is a first-rate collection of some 16 separate museums, many of them of international standing.

In addition to the centerpiece, the Städel Art Museum, a highlight is the excellent Museum of World Cultures (Museum der Weltkulturen). Regarded as one of Europe's top ethnological museums, it was founded in 1904 and features collections that include more than 65,000 artifacts from as far afield as Asia, Africa, and North and South America.

The Museum of Ancient Sculpture is another important museum here. Situated in the 19th-century Liebieghaus, the museum is home to a large collection of Asian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman sculptures, as well as pieces from the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.

Also worth visiting, the Icon Museum (Ikonen-Museum der Stadt Frankfurt am Main) is a rare institution housing a treasury of more than a thousand Christian Orthodox images from all over the Orthodox Diaspora.

Other museums of note are the German Architecture Museum (Deutsches Architekturmuseum), focusing on architectural design and offers more than 200,000 plans, drawings, and models; the Film Museum (Deutsches Filminstitut), with exhibits relating to the Lumière brothers and the history of cinema; and the Museum of Applied Art (Museum Angewandte Kunst), or MAK for short, with its displays of more than 30,000 objects representing European and Asian decorative art.

Try to squeeze in a visit to the Frankfurt Archaeological Museum (Archäologisches Museum Frankfurt), set in a former monastery and dealing with the city's history from its foundation to the present. Even a quick visit is time well spent.

Address: Schaumainkai, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

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Maintower

Located in the heart of Frankfurt's Inner City (Innenstadt) district, the 200-meter-tall Maintower (Aussichtspunkt Frankfurt) should rank highly on your list of fun things to do. Considered one of the top tourist attractions in Germany, it was completed in 1999, this impressive 56-story skyscraper is one of the largest in Germany and was built with a superb rooftop observatory that's open to the public.

Two public viewing platforms are on its top floors, and the views from here are simply breathtaking. In addition to enjoying panoramic vistas of the Old Town (Altstadt) and the many other Frankfurt attractions on your must-see list, the river views alone make the fast glass-fronted elevator journey to the top worth it.

If visiting on a Friday or Saturday, you may want to time your visit for after nightfall. The viewing platforms are open later on these days, offering a unique opportunity to view the city from on high at night.

You may also want to combine your visit with a meal at the popular Main Tower Restaurant & Lounge on the building's 53rd floor (reservations recommended). Be sure to also check out the art installations and mosaics in the building's lobby area, too.

Address: Neue Mainzer Str. 52-58, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The Palm Garden

Located on Bockenheimer Landstrasse, the beautiful 54-acre Palm Garden (Palmengarten) is the largest botanic garden in Germany. One of three such gardens in Frankfurt, it was an instant hit with the public upon its opening in 1871. In fact, the attraction lured some of the top performers of the time from around the world, including Buffalo Bill, who visited with his Wild West show in 1890.

Highlights of a visit today are the lovely outdoor botanical exhibits laid out according to their geographical location, along with a number of greenhouses containing subtropical and tropical plant species. The gardens also offer boating, a children's playground, and picnic spots, and guided tours are available.

The Europaturm, a 337-meter-tall telecommunications tower also known as the "Tower of Europe," is just a short walk away and worth visiting for its viewing platform and restaurant. Great views can also be enjoyed from the viewing platforms of the nearby Main Tower, one of its tallest skyscrapers.

Other Frankfurt parks of interest are the 72-acre Grüneburgpark and the even larger Nidda Valley People's Park (Volkspark Niddatal). Covering some 415 acres on the outskirts of the city, Nidda Valley is a pleasant place for a stroll or a fun family picnic.

Address: Siesmayerstraße 61, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Senckenberg Natural History Museum

Located in Frankfurt's Senckenberg Gardens, the Senckenberg Natural History Museum (Naturmuseum Senckenberg) is one of the most modern museums of natural history in Europe and the second largest of its kind in Germany.

Along with its numerous displays relating to our planet's biodiversity and the evolution of organisms, the museum houses Europe's biggest exhibition of large dinosaurs, making it a particularly pleasant spot to stop if you're traveling with kids. A number of life-size replica dinosaurs greet you in the museum's forecourt and make for an excellent backdrop for a family selfie.

The museum is also home to the world's largest collection of stuffed birds, along with an extensive exhibit outlining the development of mankind. English language tours are available, and you can rent audio guides if you want to tour on your own. Educational workshops and lectures are also held regularly. A bistro and a souvenir shop are also located on the premises.

Address: Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Frankfurt Cathedral

The Roman Catholic Frankfurt Cathedral (Frankfurter Dom) certainly stands out for its lovely color. Officially known as St. Bartholomew's Cathedral (Dom St. Bartholomäus), its dazzling exterior comes from the red sandstone it was built with between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Add to this its Gothic styling and 95-meter-tall tower, and this impressive cathedral still manages to stand out in this city of skyscrapers. One of only a handful of churches in Germany to be designated as an Imperial Cathedral, it was here in the Election Chapel from 1562 to 1792 that the coronation of Emperors took place.

Beneath the tower is the magnificent Crucifixion by Hans Backoffen, sculpted in 1509, while in the Marienkapelle is the Maria-Schlaf-Altar from 1434. Other highlights include the grave slab of King Günther von Schwarzburg, who died in Frankfurt in 1349, as well as numerous carved side altars dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.

The cathedral's most important relic is the skullcap of St. Bartholomew, kept in the Late Romanesque Bartholomew's Choir. Many of the cathedral's most important artifacts can be viewed in Frankfurt Cathedral Museum (Dommuseum Frankfurt).

Address: Domplatz 1, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Kleinmarkthalle

Markets are always a good place to get a feel for a city, and Frankfurt's Kleinmarkthalle, where many locals shop daily, is no exception. The present hall dates from 1954, and its 1,500 square meters house 150 market stalls selling some of the finest foods in Germany.

This is a good place to try out the famous Frankfurt "Green Sauce" (Frankfurter Grüne Soße), a traditional condiment made of seven herbs, sour cream, and egg. You can also savor local specialties like sausages, cheeses, and pastries.

Address: Hasengasse 5-7, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Goethe House and Museum

Frankfurt was the birthplace of Germany's greatest writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His family home, Goethe House (Goethe Haus), was where Goethe was born on August 28, 1749, and lived until 1765. Immaculately preserved, it shows how the well-to-do family and their staff would have lived at the time.

You can see everything from the sumptuously decorated dining room on the main floor to Goethe's writing room on the top floor. It was here he penned many of his early works and where he played as a child with his puppet theater.

Next door is the Goethe Museum, a 14-room gallery showcasing artworks from the writer's time, including masterpieces of the Late Baroque and Romantic periods. Family guided tours of both properties are available.

Goethestrasse, a high-end shopping area with many fine boutiques, art galleries, and cafés, is another Frankfurt attraction that testifies to the writer's fame and importance.

Address: Großer Hirschgraben 23-25, D-60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The Hauptwache

Situated in the middle of the city and one of Frankfurt's busiest pedestrian areas, the Hauptwache, which literally translates as the "Main Guard," is famous for its mix of fine historic buildings and modern structures. The most notable building here is the old Baroque Guard House after which the square is named. Built in 1730, it once housed the city's militia, a prison, and later, a police station, and now houses a café.

The square itself is one of Frankfurt's main shopping areas, complete with a large underground mall. It's also the point from which the city's main shopping and commercial streets radiate.

Pedestrian-friendly Zeil heads east, and Kaiserstrasse, with its many places of entertainment in its side streets, runs southwest past the Rossmarkt and Kaiserplatz to the Hauptbahnhof. This is the city's main train station, built in 1888 and one of the largest train terminals in Europe.

Address: An der Hauptwache 15, 60313 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Museum of Modern Art

The Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art (MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt) is widely regarded as one of Europe's most important galleries of contemporary art.

Opened in 1991 in a stunning postmodern building in the heart of the city, the museum includes in its vast collection some 5,000 fine examples from more than 450 leading artists. Spanning from the 1960s to the present, works are by artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Francis Bacon.

The museum also operates Zollamt MMK, a satellite exhibition space featuring works by younger and as yet unknown artists; the Frankfurt Museum of Applied Art (Museum für angewandte Kunst), with more than 30,000 items of European and Asian applied art, including furniture, tapestries, glass, ceramics, and books; and Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, showing both modern and contemporary art.

Also of interest is the Caricatura Museum (Caricatura Museum für Komische Kunst), which is notable for its exhibits and displays relating to comic art.

Address: Domstraße 10, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Frankfurt Zoo

Home to more than 4,000 animals representing at least 450 different species, Frankfurt Zoo covers 32 acres near the city's old Friedberger Tor.

Founded in 1858 as the Frankfurt Zoological Garden, it's Germany's second-oldest zoo and is noted for its excellent animal houses, including the unique Grzimek House with displays of Madagascar's diverse fauna.

Also of interest is the Exotarium, with animals from different climatic regions, including marine life, reptiles, and crocodiles. The Borgori Forest has a superb ape house in an authentic jungle setting.

Other highlights include the Nocturnal Animals House and the Bird Hall. A variety of events and programs are offered, including family festivals, exhibits, themed tours, and feeding experiences.

Address: Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1, 60316 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The Old Opera House

Situated in the heart of Frankfurt's Opera Square (Opernplatz), the Old Opera House (Alte Oper) was constructed in 1880 in the style of the Italian High Renaissance. Destroyed during World War II, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1981 as one of the city's most important concert venues. Fun English-language guided tours are available.

The city's new opera house, Oper Frankfurt, and the drama theater, Schauspiel Frankfurt, share a contemporary, state-of-the-art venue known as Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt.

Address: Opernplatz, 60313 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Eschenheim Tower

The Eschenheim Tower (Eschenheimer Turm) was built in the early 1400s and remains the finest relic from Frankfurt's old town walls. Standing 47 meters high, it still impresses with its dimensions and dominates the Eschenheimer Gate district.

Today, the tower houses a great café restaurant as well as meeting rooms used by local historical societies. Also of interest is the nearby Stock Exchange, built in 1879 and the largest in the country.

Address: Börsenplatz, 60313 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Jewish Museum Frankfurt

Opened in 1988 on the 50th anniversary of Kristallnacht, a pivotal point in the persecution of Germany's Jews in the 1930s, the Jewish Museum Frankfurt (Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt) is well worth a visit.

Spread across two venues, the displays in the main collection in the Rothschild Palace location focus on the more than 900-year history of Jewish life and culture in Frankfurt. Highlights include an exhibit relating to Anne Frank in the Frank Family Center, as well as a state-of-the-art research library.

The second location, Museum Judengasse, is also worth seeing. Of greatest interest here are the foundations of 19 houses dating back to the foundation of Europe's first Jewish ghetto in the 1400s. Artifacts and interesting exhibits relating to this period provide a fascinating glimpse into Jewish culture during this period of European history.

Address: Untermainkai 14-15, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

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Germany Vacation Ideas: In addition to the great tours mentioned above, there are so many other great things to do in Germany. Those interested in seeing more world-class attractions should visit the country's capital Berlin, where they can spend time exploring the wonderful galleries and museums of Museum Island. The historic city of Potsdam, just a short journey away from Berlin, is another must-see destination. Some of the best places to visit, including fine old palaces and art galleries, are located on the grounds of Sanssouci Park.