Updated 9/6/19

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Why visit Frankfurt, Germany? Well, Frankfurt is known as the German Manhattan because it is a diverse city full of skyscrapers, a large financial center and a transportation hub. If you are like me and love NYC, then you will want to check out Frankfurt for yourself. Just like NYC, there is more to Frankfurt than the financial center. If you are looking for things to do in Frankfurt, the different Frankfurt neighborhoods are fun to explore.

How to Get Around the Frankfurt Neighborhoods 

There are so many ways to see all the Frankfurt neighborhoods. Here are some of the best ways to get around the city. There is sure to be a method that works for you!

Walking

If you enjoy walking you can get around the city mostly on foot, especially if you stay somewhere central like I did at the Hotel Spenerhaus. The hotel is located on a quiet street on the outskirts of the Alstadt (Old Town). From the Alstadt you can walk to all the neighborhoods included in this post in less than 30 minutes.

Walking Tours

With guided tours you learn so much more about the history and culture of the place you are visiting. I thought the Frankfurt free walking tour was both informative and entertaining. It begins near the central train station and typically ends near the Eiserner Steg (iron bridge). I would have never known about the hidden Spidermen around the city if it wasn’t for the walking tour.

If you are a foodie you may want to take a a food tour. The Frankfurt Food Hopping Taste & Tales tour combines the best of a walking tour and trying the local cuisine! I haven’t done this particular food tour, but I have done some in other cities and was always glad I did.

Hop-on-Hop-Off Tour

If the weather is bad or you don’t want to do too much walking, the hop-on-hop-off bus tour might be a good option for you. You can get on and off at any of the stops as much as you want within 24 hours. That way you can still see all the sights and learn about the city, while saving yourself some walking.

River Cruise

The Main River runs right through Frankfurt. I found that a Frankfurt river cruise was a relaxing way to get an overview of the history of the city and explore a little further than I could have on foot. Read more about taking river cruises in my full post.

Unique Ways

Have you done a lot of walking tours and don’t like sitting on a boat or a bus? If you are looking for a unique way to get around Frankfurt you might be interested in taking a Hotrod sightseeing tour! You get to have a great time visiting many of the neighborhoods by driving yourself in a fast hotrod!

Taking a Frankfurt Segway Tour is another fun way to get to know the city. This tour takes you outside of the main neighborhoods in Frankfurt that I list below. It is great if you want to explore some areas a little further afield.

For those of you that like to stay active the bike tour will be right up your alley! You will bike through the neighborhood of Sachsenhausen and the Alstadt.

Frankfurt Neighborhoods 

However you choose to get around Frankfurt, here are some central Frankfurt neighborhoods and areas of the city that are easy to visit during your first time in the city.

Bahnofsviertel

Bahnofsviertel, named after the city’s train station (Hauptbahnhof), is the neighborhood directly around the station. It is a bustling area known for its international restaurants and entertainment. While it is a lively place to go at night, be aware……

Red Light District

……that within the Bahnhofsviertel neighborhood is the Red Light District! It is definitely the more seedy side of the city. On my walking tour I learned about the prostitution and drugs situation in Frankfurt. There are about five buildings in the city that drug addicts can register to legally consume drugs. It was interesting to visit the area during the day, but I personally didn’t have any interest in visiting at night.

Bankenviertel

Bankenviertel is the financial district of Frankfurt. Banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions are located in this neighborhood. It is where I noticed the most similarities to NYC. The population here grows substantially during the work day, just like in Manhattan.

Innenstadt

Located within the Central district of Frankfurt, Innenstadt is the place to go for shopping. You will find large international brands lining the streets. Many of the shops are located on Zeil, Germany’s longest pedestrian shopping street. The neighborhood runs all the way from the Konstablerwache train station to the opera house.

Alstadt

A much quainter and family friendly area of the city is the Old Town with its city hall (Römer) and historical market square (Römerberg). This part of the city becomes festive during the holiday season. The area is turned into a magical German Christmas Market in December!

River Main

There are many bridges that connect Frankfurt on both sides of the River Main. The Iron footbridge originally in the early 20th century had a toll of one penny for pedestrians to walk across. Now people put locks on the bridge to lock in their love. The city tries to take the locks off about every three years to make sure they don’t weigh down the bridge too much.

The Holbeinsteg is another pedestrian and cyclist bridge. As this bridge was completed in 1990, it is much newer than the Eiserner Steg.

Flößerbrücke isn’t a pedestrian bridge, but you can easily walk to it from the Alstadt. It is also one of the many bridges you will go under if you take a river cruise.  If you are a fan of architecture, especially bridges, you will enjoy seeing the variety that the River Main has.

Sachsenhausen

I walked across the Iron Bridge to get to Sachsenhausen, which is located on the opposite side of the river as the Old Town. The cobbled streets and small squares give it an old feel. Unlike the Old Town it is more residential and quieter. Overall it has a small village appearance. 

Sachsenhausen is known for its rustic apple wine bars. It’s the trendy place to go out at night. There is a night pub crawl through Sachsenhausen if you want to try some of the apple wine with company! 

There are also many museums to visit in Sachsenhausen near the river. The Städel Museum is an art gallery with a European art collection. Liebieghaus has an ancient Egypt to neoclassic sculptor collection. The Museum Giersch has a collection of 19th & 20th century art from the Rhine-Main region. The German Film Museum is a great stop for any cinema lover. Through unique objects and artifacts the Museum of World Cultures highlights the diversity of cultures around, you guessed it, the world! To learn about the development and changes of different types of communication over time go to the Museum for Communication. The Museum Angewandte Kunst is your place to go for European design and art.

Those museums are all located within about a one mile stretch! Can you believe there are even more museums in that area than I listed? If you plan to visit several museums save yourself some money and get the Frankfurt Card. With the card you receive discounts on museums, restaurants, shopping and more. You also get free transportation!

Visiting Information

Frankfurt Tours

• Frankfurt Free Walking Tour
• Frankfurt Food Hopping Taste & Tales tour
• Hop-on-Hop-Off Bus Tour
• Frankfurt River Cruise
• Hotrod Sightseeing Tour
• Frankfurt Segway Tour
• Bike Tour

How to Get to Frankfurt

The Frankfurt am Main Airport is a large international airport. Depending on where you coming from it is fairly easy to get a direct flight to Frankfurt. From the airport you can take a train, bus or taxi into the city. With the Frankfurt Card in addition to discounts you receive free transportation from the airport. I paid about $45 USD for my taxi ride so I would avoid taking a taxi if you can.

Where to Stay in Frankfurt

I stayed at Hotel Spenerhaus. It is handy to the Christmas markets and to explore the different areas of the city. Other than the church bells in the morning it is very quiet. A different treat on my pillow every night was a nice touch. It was an economical choice that was nice and clean. For some other options I would recommend the Alstadt and surrounding area. I wouldn’t stay directly around the train station or the Red light district. Click here to search for other great Frankfurt accommodations.

More About Frankfurt

• Frankfurt: River Cruises
• Frankfurt: Christmas Market
• Frankfurt:What to Eat at the Frankfurt Christmas Market
• Day Trip from Frankfurt: Rüdesheim

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