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Walking Tour of Old Town FrankfurtExplore Top Sights in the Historical Downtown and River Area on Foot
The historical old town of Frankfurt am Main in Germany is compact making a walking tour the ideal way to explore the churches, shops, museums, squares, and river banks.
Most of Frankfurt’s historical core was destroyed in air raids in 1945. Although the city rebuilt mostly modern, some historic buildings were restored making Frankfurt’s old town a pleasant place to tour on foot. The Hauptwache (Main Guard), a former 18th-century police station, is nowadays mainly associated with public transportation as many lines cross here. Although not officially in the old town, this is a good point to start an old town walk as all S-Bahn trains from the Main Station (Hauptbahnhof) and Airport (Flughafen) stop here. There are many restaurants and coffee shops but almost no hotels in Frankfurt’s old town. Frankfurt is Goethe TownThe main pedestrian road leading from here is the Zeil. It has the usual mostly chain stores found in most German cities (and increasingly most European ones too). Note the yellowish Katerinenkirche (St Catherine’s Church) – it is not particularly interesting but go down the street to its right and turn right into Hirschgraben to see the Goethe Museum. Germany’s leading poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, was born here. If Goethe is of no interest, following the pedestrian street (Liebfrauengasse) to the left of the church down to the Main River. En route are the Gothic Liebfraukirche (Church of Our Dear Lady) and the round neo-Classical Paulskirche (St Paul’s Church) that were rebuilt after the war. Römerplatz - the Heart of Historic FrankfurtFor centuries, the large square Römerplatz has been the center of all festivities in Frankfurt. The Römer is the historical town hall with a neo-Gothic façade. The half-timbered buildings lining the square are true copies of the originals. Behind them is the ultra modern Schirn Kunsthalle (Art Space). It houses world-class exhibitions of mostly modern art. German emperors were traditionally elected and crowned in the Gothic Kaiserdom (Imperial Cathedral). At the south end of Römerplatz is the Nikolaikirche (St Nicolas’ Church). Its interior is miniscule despite the high roof. Behind it is the Historical Museum with eclectic material on Frankfurt’s rich history. Across the alley is Haus Wertheim, the only half-timbered building in the old town that survived the inferno of 1945. A block downstream is the Leonardikirche, a Romanesque-Gothic mixture and the oldest church in the center of Frankfurt. Nearby is the Karemeliterkloster (Carmelite Monastery) with the largest religious mural north of the Alps. Sights along the Main RiverThe best views of the Frankfurt skyline are from the pedestrian bridge crossing the Main River. Frankfurt is the only city in Germany with numerous tall buildings – the highest is the 260-m (850-ft) Commerzbank Building. On the opposite south side of the river is the suburb Sachsenhausen. It suffered little war damaged and has many mostly late-nineteenth-century villas. The bank of the Main is named Museumsufer (Museum Bank) after the huge number of museums located here. Particular noteworthy is the Städel Art Museum. Walking from the Hauptwache via the sights described (excluding Sachsenhausen) should take less than half an hour but allow much more time to explore, especially if museums are visited. The route is flat and fully accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. An ideal walk as introduction to the city or when on a stopover at Frankfurt Airport. This walking tour combines well with a walk of the Neustadt banking area of Frankfurt while the Museum Bank in Sachsenhausen is excellent for rainy days and more intellectual entertainment. Transportation to Frankfurt’s Old TownFrom Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) take any S-Bahn train in the direction of the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) and continue two stops further to Hauptwache. Alternatively, from the Hauptbahnhof to Römer use tram 11 or U-Bahn trains U4 or U5.
The copyright of the article Walking Tour of Old Town Frankfurt in Germany Travel is owned by Henk Bekker. Permission to republish Walking Tour of Old Town Frankfurt in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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