Top 10 Frankfurt Attractions

Discover a city of contrasts among the array of fantastic things to see and do in Frankfurt. On one hand, you’ve got the place dubbed ‘Mainhattan’ – a city of skyscrapers, gleaming new buildings, popular trade fairs and Germany’s busiest airport. On the other hand, you’ll find a heart that has retained its old German charm.

The ‘Altstadt’ – Old Town – has a bountiful supply of beautifully preserved and rebuilt architecture, the neighborhoods have a distinct village-like feel and the city abounds with museums and interesting places to see. Make your way around our hand-picked top 10 for an introduction to fantastic Frankfurt.

From Luther to Paul to JFK

St. Paul’s Church, known to the locals as Paulskirche, tops the list of must-see attractions. You’ll find this elegant building in Paulsplatz. Originally designed as a Lutheran church in 1789, it became a Protestant church in the 19th century.

The church served as the meeting place of the Frankfurt Parliament during the 1848 German revolution – its incredible design and acoustics amplifying the voice of every speaker – and it became synonymous with the nation’s democracy as a result.

Completely destroyed by Allied bombing in WWII, it was rebuilt in the following years, and now plays host to public events. It was once even the site of a speech from President John F. Kennedy on his Cold War visit to Germany in 1963.

Totally tropical

The restored and extended Palm House is the focal point of the Frankfurt Palmengarten, a tropical triumph and oasis in the heart of the city. First opened in 1871, it features around 50 acres of gardens, museums, rare plants and summer concerts.

Like much of Frankfurt, the garden was worse for wear after the war, but the Frankfurters took that as an opportunity to refine and improve it. Wander from rose garden to hothouse, or idle away some time by rowing on the placid pond during the summer months.

Faust among equals

Make your way to Innenstadt and the Goethe-Haus, once home to Johann Goethe, the city’s favorite son and most esteemed writer. A Frankfurt native, he wrote The Sorrows of Young Werther in this very building and later commenced work on Faust while also in the city. Only the cellar remained after the war – but it has since been furnished in period pieces and contains some of the great scribe’s own belongings.

The same building houses a museum and is a place of pilgrimage for literary fans the world over. Elsewhere in the city, look out for a statue of Goethe at the Old Opera House.

Climb the Cathedral

Feeling energetic? Challenge yourself to climb the 328 steps of the Gothic Frankfurt Cathedral – or the Kaiserdom as it’s known locally. You’ll wind your way up 95 meters in the resplendent red sandstone building, but it’s worth it for the breathtaking view from the top.

The Cathedral itself is one of Frankfurt’s key points of interest, with a history dating back to its 13th century construction. Holy Roman Emperors were elected and crowned here in the Middle Ages, and the spooky skull altar is still in place.

The Main Tower

One of the key symbols of Frankfurt’s economic power is the Main Tower, finished in 1999 and skyscraping its way up to 200 meters. It’s a sleek, shimmering affair, and one of the structures that has earned the city the nickname ‘Mainhattan’.

If your legs are tired from the Kaiserdom, good news – the lift here will speed you to the wonderful rooftop observation deck in less than a minute. Enjoy stunning city views from the restaurant on the 53rd floor, and savor Holsteiner deer with cowberry, veal fillet with chocolate and pork belly with parsley root for a taste of modern German gastronomy.

Stadel Museum

The Stadel Museum isn’t merely one of the great Frankfurt attractions, it’s one of the best museums in Germany, if not Europe. Opened in 1815, its unrivaled collection spans 700 years and boasts more than 3,000 paintings and 660 sculptures. Visitors can also marvel at over 100,000 prints, sculptures and books.

It has survived Nazi looting and war to establish a collection that remembers Rembrandt, Picasso, Bosch, Rubens, Botticelli, Vermeer, Degas, Matisse, Renoir and Francis Bacon. Grab one of the English language audio tours so you can explore this whistle-stop tour of great art at your own pace or, if in a group, get a guided tour for further insight.

Frankfurt Zoo

The Frankfurt Zoological Garden – or Frankfurt Zoo – is home to around 500 species of animal and, just like the Palmengarten, can provide respite from the thrusting metropolis of the city itself. Located in the Innenstadt area of the city, the zoo has been preserving, researching and displaying its animals since 1858.

Undoubted highlights include the spectacled bears, Sumatran tigers, Asiatic lions and majestic gorillas. Make time for the Grzimek House – named after the founder – which mimics night and day cycles so you can see bats and aardvarks as well as other small mammals.

Where dinosaurs roam

Beyond the graceful neo-Baroque front of the Naturmuseum Senckenberg, complete with a guard of life-size dinosaur replicas, you’ll find a world-class natural history museum with a renowned collection of fossils. It’s a firm family favorite, and kids will love the skeletons of birds, reptiles and dinosaurs.

From tiny pterosaurs to giant snakes, taking in huge Triceratops skulls and early horses from the famed Grube Messel site, it’s a cleverly arranged museum with some awe-inspiring exhibits.

Museum of Frankfurt

The Museum of History has had a checkered history of its own. It was originally built in an old 12th-century Romanesque palace, but the modern concrete building that eventually housed it in the early 1970s was not the most eye-catching.

A reconstruction from 2012-2018 has once more made this a must-visit, so you can learn about Frankfurt from the prehistoric to the modern era. There’s plenty of interactivity and multimedia hoopla, but the medieval artefacts such as the Schoner Globe and St. Anne Altarpiece are worth the visit alone.

Frankfurt at Christmas

For a seasonal treat, Frankfurt Christmas market is one of the most atmospheric in all of Germany, and they’ve had hundreds of years of practice to get it right. Spanning Romerberg and St. Paul’s Square, it boasts a towering, decorated fir tree and fairy lights numbering in their thousands. You’ll also enjoy that special scent that combines mulled wine, roast chestnuts, gingerbread and Yuletide treats all spiraling into the cold air.

Dip into the 300-year-old Honey House, snack on the local almond biscuits known as Bethmannchen and pick up unique souvenirs and gifts as the Christmas carols ring out around the old town.

Have we missed something fabulous in Frankfurt? Got an attraction we should be raving about? Let us know about it on Twitter.