Best Things to See and Do in Frankfurt

Frankfurt is a cultural hub boasting of having Europe’s largest theatre, the English Theatre, the Alte Opera concert hall, etc. Frankfurt also has the world’s largest skyscrapers. It also has many green parks and botanical gardens. The City Forest, Central Wallanlagen, University Botanical Garden, Palmengarten, and the Frankfurt Zoo are some examples. There are many things to do in Frankfurt and a tourist, or a visitor has a diverse variety to choose from.

Given below are some important spots that one must visit while in Frankfurt, a list of things to do in Frankfurt will certainly help a traveler.

Germany has a rich but somewhat dark history of WWII events, which many tourists want to explore. Never the less, there are many things that you can explore related to Jewish history in Frankfurt. One of the first suggestions for you would be a visit to the Jewish Museum. The Jewish Museum at Frankfurt is one of the oldest and independent Jewish Museums in the world. It certainly finds itself on the list of the things to do in Frankfurt. It was opened by the Federal Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, on November 9, 1988. This Museum preserves 900 years of Jewish history and culture of the Jews from a European perspective. There is a permanent exhibition at two different venues which showcase two different aspects. The Museum Judengasse, which is located at Battonstraße, centers on the history and the cultural aspects of the Jews.

The other venue is at the Rothschildpalais, located at Untermainkai. This museum presents the Jewish history and culture from 1800. This museum has been closed since 2015 for refurbishing and expected to re-open shortly by April 2020. This museum also has extensive holdings of the Rothschild family as well as the Anne Frank family. This museum also has a very large document and photograph collection, which pertains to the German-Jewish culture and history. This museum will give you a view of the cultural heritage of the Jews from the 12th century to the 20th century. Some very rare collections are in this Museum that may be of interest to you. There is a beautiful Hanukkah lamp, which was made by Johann Valentin Schüler. There is a large number of art collections with paintings by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim le and the Ludwig Meidner Archive, including the artistic bequest of Ludwig Meidner.

In 1922, a museum that had Jewish antiquities was in existence but was destroyed in 1938 by the National Socialists. After the Second World War, the Jewish Museum opened in 2 locations in 2 villas in the year 1988. The residence of Simon Moritz von Bethmann and the Rothschild Palace became the present site of the Jewish Museum. This museum is very interesting for those of you who are interested in history and events, which lead to WWII and the lives of Jews in Germany. It is certainly a place worth spending time and a must-add in your list of things to do in Frankfurt.

It is located in Bertha-Pappenheim-Platz 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

Another place of interest for you in Frankfurt will be the MMK Museum of Morden Art. This place is a treasure trove for art lovers. The MMK Museum was founded in 1981, and the architect was Hans Hollein. Hans Hollein brings in his Vietnamese origin very effectively to this masterpiece. This structure is referred by the residents as “piece of cake” due to its triangular shape. It is truly one of the things to do in Frankfurt. It is one of the leading museums in Europe. It showcases a very important cultural aspect that is an integral part of Frankfurt. You will enjoy viewing more than 4500 works of art from the European and American art forms originating from the 1960s. There are collections from many international artists such as Katharina Fritsch, Roy Lichtenstein, Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, and Andy Warhol, to name a few.

You can take part in various activities in the Museum as MMK holds regular workshops, talks by eminent artists, guided tours, for people of all age groups, ranging from students to adults. The main museum, MMK 1, has grown in its expanse, and two more buildings are added to increase its potential. The MMK 2 is in the newly formed high-rise building, which is in the heart of the city, TaunusTurm. MMK 3 is just across the same street where MMK 1 is located. Architect Hans Hollein designed this three-sided building so that its space can be fully utilized. It has produced 4000 square meters by accommodating the large rooms in a wedge shape at the narrow end. This is the area of the exhibition space presently. It is certainly part of the things to do in Frankfurt.

Tue – Sun: 10.00 – 18.00

Wed: 10.00 – 20.00

Mon: Closed

Location:

MMK1 & MMK3:

Domstraße 10 (3)

60311 Frankfurt am Mai

MMK2

Taunustor 1

60310 Frankfurt am Main

Germany, like the rest of Europe, has a rich architectural history. You can visit the

The Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) is the German Architecture Museum. Situated on the Museumsufer, in Frankfurt. It has its interiors re-worked by Oswald Mathias Ungers in 1984. You will see here how architecture trends changed over the decades and centuries. “From Ancient Huts to Skyscrapers" is the permanent exhibition area showcasing architectural development in Germany. Though temporary, the Museum organizes many exhibitions annually. You can also attend the many lectures, conferences, and symposiums that it organizes. Many architectural drawings amounting to about 180,000 are housed in the museum. There are about 600 models of artwork by modern and classical artists such as Archigram, Erich Mendelsohn, Frank O. Gehry, and Mies van der Rohe. There is also a reference library with about 25,000 magazines and books. This is a marvel and a must-see among the things to do in Frankfurt.

Each floor of the museum has so much information and so much to show. The first floor or the ground floor exhibits mostly the development of Frankfurt. The second floor showcases the Western architecture throughout history as on date and a bit on the rebuilt Saalgasse. The third-floor showcases on the award-winning skyscrapers found across the world.

Tue – Sun: 11.00 – 18.00

Wed: 11.00 – 20.00

Mon: Closed

Location: Schaumainkai 43, 60596 Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

The Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie or the Staedel Museum is a famous art museum in Frankfurt and also is part of the list of the things to do in Frankfurt for most tourists who come to Frankfurt. You can have a good time in this museum which houses some of the most important collections of Germany. This museum was founded in the year 1817 and is one of the oldest museums in Frankfurt in the museum embankment. This museum was founded after the owner of the building, Johann Friedrich Städel, who was an art patron and a Frankfurt banker, left his house, fortune, and art collection and also a request to be made into a museum as per his will. In 1878, a new building was made in the Gründerzeit style on Schaumainkai Street, which is where the major museum is at present.

You can spend days here if you are an art lover as you get to see the 2700 paintings which are housed in this museum, of which about 600 are displayed. A huge collection of 100,000 drawings and prints and also about 600 sculptures. You should be willing to walk a lot as the museum is spread across 4000 meters of the display area, a library of about 100,000 books, and about 400 periodicals. The museum has very important German collections of artworks, which is a classic Pan-European style. The Staedel Museum has many visitors coming in to see its collection, and in the year 2012, it recorded about 447,395 visitors. It was also conferred an honor of “Museumout 600 of the Year 2012” by the German Art Critics Association, AICA. On the occasion of its 200th anniversary in 2015, the Museum underwent a major digital expansion, which was very significant. You will have free access to Wi-Fi throughout its entire expanse. A new Staedel app was also introduced in March, which enables the visitor to listen to audio guides. You must include this museum on your tour as a part of the things to do in Frankfurt.

Tue-Wedd: 10.00 – 18.00

Thu-Fri 10.00 – 21.00

Sat-Sun: 10.00 – 18.00

Mon: Closed

Location: Schaumainkai 63, 60596 Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

Tip- Wear good walking shoes as you will have to walk a lot in the museum.

Another interesting place while visiting Frankfurt for art-loving tourists is Museum Angewandte Kunst. A visit to the Museum Angewandte Kunst is among the best things to do in Frankfurt if you like handicrafts and other art items. It is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and is part of the Museumsufer or the Museum embankment. The collections are mostly European handicrafts and over 60, 000 objects are housed in this museum. The period of origin is between the 21st and the 21st centuries and has a design, art books, graphics, and East Asian and Islamic art, amongst others. This museum was architecturally designed by Richard Meier, who integrated this family villa of the Neoclassicist Metzler family built in the 19th century. The Museum has a surrounding park, the villa, and a new building. The L-shaped complex of the museum consists of three portions or cubes that surround the Villa Metzler. It joins to form a square. The villa forms the basis of the three cubes. At the center of all the four cubes is an inner courtyard room from where the museum can be entered through. Inside the building’s interiors is a pedestrian ramp, which in turn connects to the exhibition levels.

You can spend a full day here and enjoy the abundant arts and craft collection. There are coffee shops and bars around where you can relax in case you are tired and recuperate over a cup of coffee or German Lager.

Tue: 10.00 – 18.00

Wed: 10.00 – 20.00

Thu-Sun: 10.00 – 18.00

Mon: Closed

Location: Schaumainkai 17, 60594 Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

Want to see the historical architecture in Frankfurt? Head to the Römer City Hall.

The Römer is a City Hall from 1405 to present. This is a three-gabled roofed villa, which is of Patrician style. It has been the seat of the city’s Lord Mayor and continues to be. The Römer has served the city of Frankfurt for over 600 years and still has offices of the local government. It is a very important historical landmark and has retained its use as an administrative building and not been converted into a museum, unlike many of the other historical buildings. Two houses, Römer and the Goldener Schwan, are part of this Town Hall and continue until the present day. The Architecture of this city hall is a must-see and thus finds its place in the list of the things to do in Frankfurt. There are three medieval-style buildings with stepped gables in the old section. After the expansion and addition of buildings, the present city hall complex is a structure composed of several buildings that are well connected by streets. The Bridge of Sighs, a bridge connects the Römer to other offices that are across the street.

Kaisersaal is a major attraction that you can visit. You can see the hall where the coronation banquet of German Kings and Emperors belonging to the Holy Roman Empire took place. This hall has 52 portraits created by famed artists of portraits of German Kings and Emperors. The portraits are of Freidrich Barbarossa in the year 1152, to Franz II, who was forced by Napoleon in 1906, to abdicate the throne. There still exists an ornate balcony from were rulers, and important German politicians waved to the crowds who gathered in the square below. If you are in Frankfurt around Christmas, you can enjoy the fair, which is held every year at this square that attracts a large number of visitors from across the globe. You can enjoy the local food, music, and entertainment here.

Mon-Fri: 09.30 – 17.30

Sat & Public Holidays: 10.00-16.00

Christmas Eve: 10.00-13.00

December 31st: 10.00-13.00

Christmas, December 26th, New Year's Day: Closed

Location: Römerberg 27，60311 Frankfurt am Main

You would have seen other old cathedrals and marveled at them. Nothing compares to the Frankfurt Cathedral and the magnificence it exuberates. You will be awestruck, looking at its beautiful architecture. The Imperial Cathedral of Frankfurt Main is a referral to the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew. This is a must-do in the list of things to do in Frankfurt.It is an amazing piece of architecture and holds a special place in the history of Western and Central Europe. The Cathedral originated from a small Merovingian chapel, built before 680 AD, which buried a rich aristocratic girl. A sandstone slab at the west entrance of the dome marks this tomb. It traces its origins to the church of the Carolingian Imperial Palatinate. The Cathedral was never the Bishop’s seat as traditionally cathedrals are, but the seat of the Imperial Cathedral of the Roman Emperors. After 1200, a skull relic of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew was received, which is still present on Sundays, holidays, and the Feast of the Holy. You can see the Election Chapel, where previously German Kings were elected, which is now a room for silent prayers. After events such as the Dombrand of 1867, as well as the damage of the Second World War, and its restoration around 1550, the Cathedral achieved its present size and appearance. You will be able to see the Cathedral and its many valuable altars and tombs of the late Gothic period. The Maria-Schlaf-Altar (1434-1438) is one such example of a valuable altar in this Cathedral. There is a stone altar that shows the death of Mary surrounded by apostles who are mourning; this is under an ornate canopy.

The Günther XXI. Von Schwarzburg, who was buried in Frankfurt in 1349, is an important tomb of the Cathedral that you can visit. Other important tombs you will see here are of the 14th century in memory of Ludwig and Hert von Holzhausen, Johannes von Holzhausen and his wife Gudela Goldstein, and Rudolf von Sachsenhausen. You can see the “Lamentation of Christ" by Antonius van Dyck, 1627. The cathedral windows are a real marvel and are creations of the 1950s. You can visit the Cathedral on Sunday as the Cathedral resounds with the organ being played, hymns were sung, frankincense in the air, and a solemn Catholic service being conducted. The past unfolds to the present, and this continues to the future.

Main River is one of the longest rivers in Germany and passes through Frankfurt Main. Most of the tourist attractions and many city icons are located on its banks. You can visit the city’s largest flea market, which is hosted on the banks of the River Main. You can have a good time shopping here. There are many museums located on the banks of the Main River, thereby being called a Museum Embankment (or Museumsufer). You can spend the whole day visiting them and in the evening book a river cruise which will take you through the city and give an awesome view of its skyline. During the one-hour cruise, you will hear the commentary about the city icons that you pass through on a modern river cruiser. You should not miss this river cruise and certainly add it to your list of things to do in Frankfurt.

A beautiful destination to visit with many things to do in Frankfurt. You can be sure that you will leave this place with a lot of pleasant memories and a better appreciation and knowledge of German and European history. It is one of Germany’s leading tourist destinations with year-round traffic flow. It has a lot of cultural diversity and has many tourist locations, as well as a vibrant nightlife that complements each other. So, pack your bags and get ready for an amazing tour to Frankfurt.