10 Top Places to Visit in Frankfurt for Amazing Experiences

The glistening skyline of Frankfurt’s central business district is often likened to Manhattan in New York. Beneath the skyscrapers, the dynamic city offers diverse culture, captivating history and world-class cuisine. Uncover more with these 10 places to visit in Frankfurt.

Among the many museums and monuments in the colourful Altstadt (Old Town) district, Römer stands out as one of the most impressive. The building has been Frankfurt’s city hall since 1405, and its ornate balcony remains a stage for major events like state visits. After admiring the charming facade of the city hall, turn and take a moment to view the other half-timbered buildings around cobbled Römerberg square, where the city’s medieval past is on full display.

Römer

• Römerberg 23, 60311 Frankfurt
• Transport: Dom/Römer U-Bahn station (lines U4 or U5), or tram lines 11 or 12 exiting at the Römer/Paulskirche stop

Frankfurt’s main shopping street, the Zeil, features a diverse blend of designer stores and international chains, as well as restaurants offering classic German fare, East Asian cuisine, and much more. Trees lining the street are reflected in the facades of glass-and-chrome buildings, and there are pavement cafes to take time out with a coffee and watch city life go by.

When you’re shopping in Frankfurt, visit Kleinmarkthalle just a few blocks south of the Zeil at Hasengasse 5-7. This indoor market has a large selection of stalls overflowing with colourful fruits and vegetables, cheeses, baked goods and international delicacies. It’s a good place to try Frankfurt’s own “green sauce” made with seven different herbs.

Frankfurt is a city that touches the clouds. Most skyscrapers in Germany are located in Frankfurt, and Main Tower is one of the most recognisable. This architectural marvel consists of two glass towers, one cylindrical and one square, making it a distinctive icon of the cityscape. 

Journey up 200 metres to the top of the round tower—the higher of the two. From the open-air observation deck, you can pick out more places to visit around Frankfurt. One floor below at Main Tower Restaurant & Lounge, sublime Michelin-starred cooking is made even more memorable by the spectacular views. To complete your visit, don’t miss the contemporary art pieces in the Main Tower foyer.

Main Tower

• Neue Mainzer Straße 52-58, 60311 Frankfurt
• Transport: 5-minute walk from Frankfurt (Main) Taunusanlage S-Bahn station
• Opening hours vary during winter and summer, with the last ascent of the day 45 minutes before the observation deck closes

The revered German writer Johann Wolfgang Goethe was born at this location in the mid-eighteenth century, and his childhood home has been faithfully reconstructed. When you enter the museum, you’ll discover exhibits about his life and work, as well as furnished rooms that provide a fascinating sense of domestic life during the 1700s.

Frankfurt Goethe House

• Grosser Hirschgraben 21, 60311 Frankfurt
• Open daily 10am-6pm, except Thursdays 10am-9pm. Opening hours vary during holidays
• Transport: 5-minute walk from Frankfurt (Main) Hauptwache S-Bahn station

Bahnhofsviertel is the beating heart of Frankfurt nightlife, set close to central hotels between the main railway station and the financial district. Once known mainly as a red-light district, the neighbourhood has emerged as more of a hotspot for trendy bars, eclectic restaurants and cultural venues like The English Theatre.

Along Münchener Street and Kaiserstrasse, you’ll find everything from Balkan and Persian cuisine to Vietnamese fare and sushi. After dinner, sip bespoke cocktails at Jambo Bar (Elbestrasse 20) or late-night coffee at Plank (Elbestrasse 15), which should give you enough of a boost to match the energy on the lively streets. 

To stay at a hotel with the same vibrant, progressive edge as Bahnhofsviertel, book a room at 25hours Hotel Frankfurt The Trip, just three minutes’ walk from the main station and close to many of the best places to visit in Frankfurt.

St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche) has a unique story as one of the most important locations in German political history. Germany’s first national parliament met here in 1848, an event commemorated by a huge circular mural inside the church, and U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave an important speech here in 1963.

Today, the church is not used for services and instead hosts events like the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. It’s free to enter, so you can step inside and feel the place’s history echoing off the walls of the oval central building. The church is built from striking red sandstone, just like nearby St. Bartholomew Cathedral — another one of the best places to visit in Frankfurt.

St. Paul’s Church

• Paulsplatz, 60311 Frankfurt
• Open daily 10am-5pm
• Transport: Dom/Römer U-Bahn station (lines U4 or U5), or tram lines 11 or 12 exiting at the Römer/Paulskirche stop

The sweet scents of nature welcome you at the Palm Gardens (Palmengarten), the city’s most famous botanical garden. Stroll among flora from different climate zones around the world, either in the open air or in large, historical display houses that are a photo-worthy attraction all of their own. The green space is set on more than 20 hectares and also features outdoor concert space, kids’ play areas and a sunbathing lawn.

Palm Gardens

• Siesmayerstraße 63, 60323 Frankfurt
• Open daily except December 24th and January 31st. November to February 9am-4pm; March to October 9am-7pm
• Transport: 4-minute walk from Bockenheimer Warte U-Bahn station (lines U4, U6 or U7)

Many shops in Frankfurt close on Sundays, but there’s still plenty going on in the city. Locals head down to Mainkai promenade along the Main river for a morning stroll or run, as well as leisurely Sunday lunches with views of the skyline. Bring a picnic, or take a seat at a restaurant with a riverside terrace. To get an even better view of Frankfurt’s diverse architecture, book a sightseeing boat trip departing close to the Iron Footbridge (Eiserner Steg).

Alternatively, cross the Iron Footbridge and walk west along the river for around 10 minutes until you reach the Städel Museum, one of the most important art museums in Germany, with works spanning 700 years. If the mood takes you, cap off your Sunday with a drink at a nearby spot like naïv (Fahrgasse 4), where the staff pour artisanal beers made by craft breweries around Germany and the world.

One of Germany’s most impressive buildings, the stately Old Opera (Alte Oper) is home to wonderfully varied events and performances. You could catch narrated fairy tales, contemporary jazz, or even Harry Potter movies accompanied by a full orchestra. Tours of the venue provide a chance to take a peek backstage. Why not drop in for a theatrical digestif by the fire at Lili’s Bar, set right across the street from the opera house at Sofitel Frankfurt Opera. To sleep in the lap of classic French luxury, book a room here for your stay in Frankfurt.

The Old Opera

• Konzert- und Kongresszentrum GmbH, Opernplatz, 60313 Frankfurt
• Transport: 3-minute walk from Alte Oper U-Bahn station (lines U6 and U7)
• Tours are usually in German, with tours in English available on certain dates

Only two kilometres from Altstadt, Zoo Frankfurt is one of the best things to do in Frankfurt with kids thanks to its mix of conservation, education, and amazing animals that are sure to raise a squeal of delight. From feeding time with penguins to encounters with nocturnal creatures, children have plenty of opportunities to pick out one of the 4,000+ animals as their new favourite. To explore more of nature around Frankfurt, head out on the zoo-to-zoo cycling trail that leads from Zoo Frankfurt to Opel Zoo in Kronberg.

Zoo Frankfurt

• Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1, 60316 Frankfurt
• Open daily 9am-7pm in summer; 9am-5pm in winter 
• Transport: Zoo U-Bahn station (lines U6 or U7), or tram line 14

Aside from its must-visit attractions, Frankfurt is famous for being one of the most prominent financial hubs in Europe. If you don’t have time to start a high-flying finance career during your stay, experience one of the city’s other famous features by sampling Frankfurter sausage with mustard and maybe a glass of local apple wine (apfelwein).

Subway, tram and bus lines are all run by the Rhine-Main Transport Association (RMV), making the city easy to get around. Pick up a Frankfurt Card from the RMV website to get unlimited travel on the network over either one or two days.

Yes! Now that you know about the incredible places to visit in Frankfurt, you’ll hopefully have pinned the city as an essential stop on your map. All that’s left to do is pack and go!