Frankfurt Attractions: The 15 Top Highlights

Frankfurt has the reputation of being a pure banking city — sober, businesslike, without heart. As someone who lives here, I can tell you: that’s simply not true. Among the high-rises hide medieval lanes, one of Europe’s best museum miles, a botanical garden of world rank and apple-wine taverns where time has stood still. Frankfurt is small enough to walk much of it on foot, and big enough to keep surprising you. Here are my 15 most important attractions — with an honest assessment of what you shouldn’t miss and where the bustle sometimes outweighs the pleasure.

1. Römerberg and the Römer

The Römerberg is the city’s flagship and the logical starting point for any visit. The square with its half-timbered façades — largely reconstructed after the Second World War — is the classic postcard image. In the middle stands the “Römer”, the city hall since 1405. You can enter the courtyard and the staircase for free; in the magnificent Kaisersaal (Emperor’s Hall) hang the 52 portraits of the Holy Roman emperors.

My tip: come early in the morning or during the week. At midday and at the weekend the square is often packed.

2. Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus

Just a stone’s throw from the Römerberg stands the mighty cathedral of red sandstone. Here the emperors were elected and crowned for centuries. Entry to the church is free. If you’re fit, climb the roughly 328 steps up the cathedral tower — for around €3 to €4 (as of 2026) you get a magnificent view over the rooftops of the old town straight to the skyline.

3. The DomRömer quarter — the new old town

Between the Römer and the cathedral lies the youngest piece of Frankfurt history: the “new old town”, completed in 2018. Here, on the historic ground plan, half-timbered houses were partly reconstructed, partly interpreted in modern form. The narrow lanes around the Hühnermarkt are car-free, lined with small cafés and studios rather than big chains. Controversial at first, today a lively quarter — and a lovely contrast to the high-rise backdrop.

4. Main Tower — the view from above

If you choose only one viewpoint, make it this one. The Main Tower is one of the few Frankfurt high-rises with a publicly accessible viewing platform — and here you really stand out in the open, in the heart of the banking district.

The opening hours depend on the season (as of 2026): in the summer half-year Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m. In the winter half-year Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and until 9 p.m. at weekends. Admission for adults is around €9; with the Frankfurt Card you save 20 per cent. My advice: go up shortly before sunset, and you experience the city in daylight and as a sea of lights at once.

5. The skyline and the Eiserner Steg

Frankfurt is the only German city with a real skyscraper skyline — not for nothing do we affectionately call it “Mainhattan”. You get the best view of it not from above but from the water: from the Eiserner Steg, Germany’s oldest surviving iron lattice bridge (1868). Stand in the middle of the pedestrian bridge, look north — and you have the image everyone has of Frankfurt in their head.

6. Museumsufer and Städel Museum

The southern bank of the Main in Sachsenhausen is the famous museum mile. Along just a few hundred metres, around a dozen houses line up. The most important is the Städel Museum, one of Germany’s most significant art museums, with works from the Middle Ages to the present. Admission for adults is around €16 to €18 (as of 2026), usually cheaper during the week than at the weekend.

If you can, plan the visit for a weekday — at the weekend it can get busy, and booking a time slot online saves you the queue.

7. Palmengarten

The Palmengarten in the Westend is the largest botanical garden of its kind in Germany and has been delighting visitors since 1871. Across around 22 hectares, an impressive variety of plants from all over the world awaits you — from tropical glasshouses to sweeping open-air grounds. In summer, concerts take place here regularly. A perfect place to escape the big-city bustle for a few hours. Feel free to plan half a day.

8. Senckenberg Natural History Museum

One of Germany’s largest natural history museums and a dream for families: at the Senckenberg, huge dinosaur skeletons greet you in the entrance hall. It’s open Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday until 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday again until 5 p.m., and at the weekend and on public holidays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (as of 2026). The Wednesday-evening extension is an insider tip if you have no time during the day.

9. Frankfurt Zoo

In the heart of the city, in the Ostend, lies one of Germany’s oldest zoos (founded in 1858). It’s compact but scientifically renowned, especially the Grzimek House for nocturnal animals and the Exotarium. By U-Bahn (U6/U7, “Zoo” station) you’re right at the entrance. A good tip for rainy days or with children.

10. The Zeil — shopping and MyZeil

The Zeil is Frankfurt’s great shopping mile and one of the highest-turnover in Germany. The architectural highlight is the MyZeil shopping centre with its spectacular funnel-shaped glass façade. Even if you don’t want to shop, it’s worth a look inside. From the nearby car park or the Galeria roof terrace you also have a nice view over the city.

11. Alte Oper

On the Opernplatz stands the magnificent Alte Oper (Old Opera), opened in 1880, destroyed in the war and reopened in the 1980s. Today it’s a concert and events venue. The façade alone, with its inscription “Dem Wahren, Schönen, Guten” (to the true, the beautiful, the good), is worth the stop. The fountain and the square in front are a popular meeting spot in summer.

12. Goethe House

Frankfurt is the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In the reconstructed Goethe House on the Großer Hirschgraben you can see how the poet grew up in the 18th century — stylishly furnished over several floors, including the famous “poet’s room”. A must for literature lovers, and for everyone else an interesting glimpse into a well-to-do bourgeois family of the Goethe era.

13. Kleinmarkthalle

For me the city’s good parlour. In the market hall near Konstablerwache, Frankfurters buy their food for the weekend: fresh fish, meat, fruit, cheese — and upstairs there’s apple wine by the glass. Try the famous “green sauce” or a sausage right at one of the stalls. Lunch here costs you around €10 to €15. You won’t eat more authentically anywhere in the city centre.

14. Sachsenhausen and the apple-wine quarter

On the other side of the Main lies Alt-Sachsenhausen, the heart of Frankfurt’s apple-wine culture. In the traditional taverns, “Äppelwoi” is served in the Bembel (stoneware jug), along with Handkäs mit Musik or green sauce with egg and potatoes. It’s touristy, yes — but find the right tavern away from the noisiest lanes and you experience the genuine Frankfurt way of life.

15. Paulskirche

The Paulskirche on the Paulsplatz is the birthplace of German democracy: here, in 1848, the first freely elected German national assembly convened. The interior is plain and light, deliberately kept sober. As a symbol of freedom and parliamentarism, the short visit is part of the essential programme — and admission is free.

Practical tips for your visit

So that you see as much as possible without descending into a rush, here are my most important pointers:

• On foot and by rail: most highlights from the Römer to the Zeil lie close together and are reachable on foot. For further destinations (Palmengarten, zoo) use the U-Bahn and S-Bahn. Frankfurt’s network is dense and reliable.
• Frankfurt Card: if you visit several paid attractions, the Frankfurt Card often works out cheaper — it combines free travel on local transport with discounts on admissions.
• Museums at the weekend: popular houses like the Städel are fuller on Saturdays and Sundays. During the week it’s more relaxed, and a pre-booked online ticket saves waiting time.
• Check opening hours: house-specific times and prices change. Take a quick look at the respective official website before your visit — especially on public holidays.
• Plan for the weather: for rainy days, museums, the Senckenberg, the zoo houses and the market hall are suitable; for sunny days the skyline, the riverbank and the Palmengarten.

Conclusion

Frankfurt rewards anyone who looks more closely. The city unites medieval history, a skyline without equal in Germany, first-class museums and a down-to-earth culture of enjoyment in the tightest space. Plan a weekend and you can comfortably experience most of these 15 highlights. My advice: start at the Römer, let yourself drift, treat yourself to a view from the Main Tower and end with a Bembel of Äppelwoi in Sachsenhausen. Then you’ll have seen the real Frankfurt — beyond all the clichés.