Frankfurt am Main, the metropolis at the heart of Europe, is defined by contrasts of tradition and modernity, trade and culture as well as business and tranquillity. A look at the city’s silhouette reveals what most people already know: Frankfurt am Main exudes cosmopolitan flair and style. The impressive skyline, characterised by the Messeturm and numerous banking skyscrapers, has become “Ma(i)nhattan’s” unofficial city symbol.
Frankfurt’s business character is designated by the presence of many national and international banks, the head office of the German Federal Bank and the European Central Bank as well as the seat of the German stock exchange. Frankfurt is also famous for it’s trade fair with 475,000 sq/m of exhibition space in ten large halls. The most popular fairs are the Frankfurt Book Fair and the International Automotive Exhibition (IAA). The accessible location contributes to Frankfurt’s metropolitan reputation. The Frankfurt airport is the 2nd largest in Europe and the main train station, Germany’s busiest station, conveys more than 350,000 travellers per day.
When Frankfurt was the first time mentioned in official documents (22nd of February 794) none of these developments were even hinted at. Located at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, Frankfurt’s history goes back to Roman times. Although never a bishop seat, Frankfurt’s cathedral, was the place where German kings were chosen from 1356 onwards; German Emperors were also crowned there some 200 years later. Today the cathedral and the Roemer, the city hall and the seat of the lord major, among the traditional Roemerberg, build the heart of the city. Not far from the Roemer is the St. Paul’s Church, where the first German National Assembly was held in 1848. Since then, the church has been known as the cradle of German democracy.
Due mainly to the 14 museums located on both sides of the Main, Frankfurt has developed a reputation as a significant cultural centre. The museum embankment represents a unique synthesis of renowned exhibition culture and far-sighted city planning. Examples for the variety of museums are the “Staedel”, one of the most famous art institutes in Germany and the “Schirn” Art Hall with changing exhibitions of famous artists as well as the “German Architecture Museum”, the “Museum of Modern Art” and the Goethe Museum, because Goethe is the most famous son of Frankfurt. He was born here in 1749 and his birthplace is one of the most famous attractions for tourists. Another symbol of Frankfurt’s commitment to culture is the Concert and Congress Centre Alte Oper Frankfurt, rebuilt after the Second World War to return it to its original Italian Renaissance style.
As well as Frankfurt’s reputation as a city of culture, Frankfurt is famous for sports, too. Sports like football, cycling, triathlon, rowing, ice hockey and basketball develop the image of the city of sports. Furthermore Frankfurt was chosen as a host city of the FIFA WM 2006TMand five matches will take place in Frankfurt in June and July 2006.
The culinary aspects of Frankfurt vary from traditional meals to delicacies from all over the world. Famous for Frankfurt are the “Green Sauce”, which gets it’s colour from different herbs, the “Handkaes’”, a kind of cheese pickled in spicy vinegar and the “Frankfurter Wuerstchen”, sausages mostly served with bread and mustard. The traditional beverage of Frankfurt is the Apple Wine or cider, which is served in a blue-grey crockery jug, the so-called “Bembel” and drunk from a slightly ribbed glass. Frankfurt’s district Sachsenhausen is famous for the consumption of Apple wine and here you can find countless apple wine pubs.
These are only a few aspects of Frankfurt. Come and discover the metropolitan city to get an idea of the city of contrasts in the heart of Europe!
And not only the city of Frankfurt but also the Rhine-Main region offers a great variety of touristic highlights. The Rhine-Main region is a unified touristic destination, offering its visitors superb infrastructures, short distances, local flavour and international diversity. Cities and townships nestled in picturesque landscapes, superb cultural offers, scenic riverside settings along the Rhine and the Main Rivers, vast forests, comprehensive congress and conference possibilities. Some examples for the historical accounts are the Castle Johannisburg at Aschaffenburg, the Eberbach Monastery and the Mainz Cathedral.
