A Day Trip to Frankfurt
When people think about Frankfurt, they rarely think about tourism. The financial hub of Germany is a work destination for many and is often thought of as a city with offices, commercial complexes, etc. But there are many lovely places in Frankfurt that a tourist can visit- some historical and some modern.
Since I live in Darmstadt, a small city about 35 km south of Frankfurt, I have had many opportunities to visit Frankfurt. My today’s post is about spending a day in Frankfurt- the interesting places to visit and great experiences in this city that you can get in a day.
Before I get to the details about places to visit and the best experiences, let me start with transportation, i.e how to reach Frankfurt and travel within the city.
Travel to and within Frankfurt
Frankfurt is an important city and has an international Airport called Frankfurt Flughafen. It lies 10 km southwest of Frankfurt city centre.
If you have arrived in Frankfurt by flight and want to go towards the city centre, you can do so in many ways:
Using Public Transport: Look for the signs for Regional Bahnhof. Regional Bahnhof means regional train station. From there, you can take a train to the city centre. Your destination station would depend on the place you want to go to in the city. For the best connectivity to all the local places, you can also reach the central station, called Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, and from there, you can take a Strassenbahn (tram) OR S-bahn (Suburban Train) OR U-Bahn (metro) to reach different places.
If you are arriving from another city in Germany, you can take any regional train RB/RE/S Bahn or ICE to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. These regional Trains can be booked on the official website of Deutsche Bahn: www.bahn.de
For travelling within the city of Frankfurt using public transport, you can get tickets from the RMV kiosks at the stops and stations OR online. It is best to download the RMV Go App, which will help you find the connectivity between different locations. The link below gives you all the information about buying tickets for local transport: https://www.rmv.de/c/en/tickets
If you wish to combine visits ( like museum visits, river cruises etc.) with public transport, check this link: https://frankfurt.de/frankfurt-entdecken-und-erleben/cards-und-tickets
Here, you will find various options from which you can choose.
Using Taxi: Cabs are also available in Frankfurt. I use Freenow and find it reliable. But be aware that taxi costs are much higher than public transport costs. Download the FreeNow app to find taxis near you.
Rent a car: You can also rent a car and explore the city in your comfort. I find the services at SIXT quite good. The cars are of good quality and the paperwork is hassle-free. Alternatively, you can also check ENTERPRISE, which also has good reviews.
In addition to the above options, e-bikes and e-scooters are also available in Frankfurt.
Accommodation in Frankfurt:
Since Frankfurt is very well connected, you can book accommodation based on your budget and not worry too much about transportation. However, if you go too far, and plan to use public transport, be aware that the frequency may not be that high, which could lead to waiting and wasting your time. So, try and stay near to the places you want to visit.
You can book accommodation using Booking.com
If accommodation in Frankfurt is expensive, you can look for accommodation in nearby areas such as Darmstadt, Langen, Neu Isenburg, Waldorf etc. These are towns and cities well connected with Frankfurt and may have cheaper accommodation.
Places to visit in Frankfurt
- Römerberg
The most important landmark in Frankfurt is Römerberg. Characterized by a medieval building called the Römer ( now the town hall, called Rathaus in German), historical monuments and plenty of cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops, Römerberg is always bustling with activity. The fountain right in the middle and plenty of places of interest (including churches and museums) in the vicinity make Römerberg one of the most visited places in Frankfurt.
While in Römerberg, don’t miss checking out local shops and stopping by a cafe to enjoy the sites and sounds. Check out the memorial for Book Burning ( that happened during the Nazi era), The Fountain of Justice (Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen in German)-which played an important role at emperor coronations when a large public festival was held on the Römerberg. The fountain was then filled with wine instead of water, and the people of Frankfurt could enjoy the drink. - Nikolaikirche
On the Römerberg, you will find St. Nikolas Church (Nikolaikirche). This 12th-century protestant church is an important landmark and must not be missed. The church is open to the public. It is a nice, quiet place amidst the noisy city centre. - Historischesmuseum (History Museum)
The Historical Museum Frankfurt is the city’s oldest museum that collects, researches, preserves, and exhibits Frankfurt’s cultural heritage. They also have a Jungemuseum focused on children, youth and families. Plenty of workshops and events are organized, keeping this target group in focus. You can find more details on their official website: https://junges-museum-frankfurt.de/ - River Cruise on the Main
A short walk from Römerberg brings you to the Ticketing station of Primus Linie. They organize river cruises on the Main River during the summer months. You can choose the cruise based on the duration ( 50 minutes or 100 minutes. Enjoy the lovely sights of Frankfurt while you comfortably sit on one of the chairs on the terrace or the inside and enjoy a beverage and snacks. They also have an audio guide that informs the visitors about the various landmarks that you cross while on the cruise. - Stroll/bike along the Main
The next, not-to-miss experience is a walk along the Main River. Along both the banks, there are walking and cycling paths. There are plenty of green spaces too. As you walk, you are likely to witness a Food festival, a flea market or other events, as this place is the hub of many public activities in Frankfurt. Various bridges connect the two banks -some are pedestrian-only bridges, and others are for both cards and pedestrians. Stand on the bridge to witness boat races, river cruises, the hustle and bustle of the crowd and also the beauty of the Main River. - Visit the Euro Tower
The Euro Tower is a 40-storey, 148-metre skyscraper located in a small park near the tram station. This structure, made in steel-reinforced concrete, aluminium & glass, was built in the 1970s and is a prominent landmark in Frankfurt. You can visit the tower, spend time at the park and enjoy a meal at any of the many restaurants in the vicinity. - Visit Palmengarten
Palmengarten is a lovely garden in Frankfurt. Although it looks beautiful all through the year, its charm gets enhanced multifold in the spring season. During spring, the Rhododendrons bloom and fill the garden with their lovely colours. Palmengarten also has greenhouses for tropical plants, so, despite being in Germany, you can see rare species of cacti, palms and other succulent plants. Palmengarten also had an indoor butterfly park and a small lake where boating takes place. Find more details about Palmengarten on their website: https://www.palmengarten.de/de/index.html
Although there are many more places to visit in Frankfurt, covering all of them in a single day is not possible. Therefore, I have limited this article to some of the not-to-miss attractions in Frankfurt.
Now, let me take you through how you can plan your day trip to Frankfurt.
Planning your day trip to Frankfurt:
- Start with visiting Palmengarten. If you love spending time with nature, you can easily spend 2-3 hours in Palmengarten.
- After visiting Palmengarten, visit the Euro Tower and head towards Römerberg. Have lunch at Römerberg.
- Post lunch, explore the important landmarks in and around Römerberg, such as Nikolaikirche, Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, etc.
- Head to the History Museum and spend your afternoon at the museum.
- By evening, head towards the Main river. Enjoy a river cruise and/or a walk on the banks of the Main River and enjoy the sunset view on the Main.
- With this, you can call it a day.
For more holiday ideas in and around Germany, click here.
My article about 11 day trips from Frankfurt may also interest you.
Check out many more pictures of Frankfurt here.
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