Germany from A to Z: Frankfurt

Anyone visiting Frankfurt should go to the top of one of the skyscrapers to fully enjoy the incredible skyline - nowhere else in Germany are there so many high rises as here. The tallest building is the Commerzbank Tower (on center right of picture) at 259 meters. There are over 530 high rises in the city - and more are being built.

The center is also changing. It was almost completely destroyed at the end of World War II and then hastily reconstructed. In 2012, these buildings were demolished and rebuilt according to historical models. This "new old town" was opened in 2018. Frankfurt city hall was already reconstructed in the 1950s.

During the German Revolution in 1848/49 the National Assembly gathered in St. Paul's Church for the first time, where it also created the first democratic German constitution. The church was destroyed during World War II and reconstructed in 1948. Today this place, so symbolic of Germany's democratic movement, is no longer used as a church but serves as an event hall and exhibition space.

Frankfurt is home to some 60 museums and exhibitions. The best known is the Städel on the banks of the Main river. It houses over 100,000 works of art ranging from the middle ages to contemporary. In order to present modern art in the right setting an underground exhibition hall was opened in 2012. Some 195 round windows in the ceiling flood the hall with light.

It is here that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's best know poet, was born in 1749. This is where he wrote some of his greatest works, including "Götz von Berlichingen" and "The Sorrows of Young Werther". Goethe's original home did not stand the test of time, but it has been reconstructed and made into a museum. Here you can see how the Goethe family would have lived.

Not far from the hustle and bustle in the center of town you can find a quiet place to relax. The banks along the river Main are the local recreation area of the Frankfurt people. Here you can do most everything from taking a boat tour, to going for a stroll, jogging, cycling or just enjoying the clear view of the skyline from a picnic blanket.

Eight floors filled with designers shops, boutiques, restaurants and cafés - this is just the place for shop-aholics. But Myzeil Center on the Frankfurt shopping mile is worth a visit and not just because of the shops! Lights, transparence and clear lines define the architecture of this huge complex, built in 2009. It's like something from a science fiction movie.

The enticing aroma of freshly baked bread rolls fills the air while a few steps later you encounter the strong smell of mature cheese - in the Kleinmarkthalle you can buy foods, flowers and specialties from over 60 traders. Here you can buy the typical Frankfurt Handkäs local cheese specialty. The small market hall also offers visitors culinary guided tours.

In Frankfurt Handkäs cheese, usually served here with an onion Sauce known jokingly as "Musik" as it's thought to cause flatulence, is enjoyed with some local apple wine. This wine has many names: Ebbelwoi, Schoppe or Stöffche. As apple wine has a tart taste it's often mixed with lemonade. So why not test these specialties in the Alt-Sachsenhausen district with its many taverns.

The changes in Frankfurt are very apparent in the Bahnhofsviertel, the district around the main station, which was known for its high level of drug trade and prostitution. This image is changing as artists move in and lots of bars, cafés and shops open. This just proves that with its neighborhoods, banking district, art centers and apple wine taverns - Frankfurt has many faces.