Question 1

Frankfurt on Your Own

Accepted Answer

On foot in central Frankfurt you can see the rebuilt old town, the cathedral and Goethe's birthplace, and the Iron Footbridge then takes you across to the museums and apple-wine taverns of Sachsenhausen. Choose one museum rather than trying to see several. Römerberg and the new old town: The Römer faces the square, and between it and the cathedral stand 15 reconstructions of houses lost in the war, part of the Dom-Römer Quarter that opened in 2018. The cathedral: St. Bartholomew's, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, is where the Holy Roman Empire's kings were elected from 1356 and crowned from 1562 to 1792. Despite its name, it has never been a bishop's seat. St. Paul's Church: Germany's first democratically elected parliament met here in 1848 and 1849. Goethe's birthplace: The house at Großer Hirschgraben 21, where Goethe grew up, opens every day from 10 a.m., with later hours on Thursdays, so check before you go. Across the river: The Städel museum, at Schaumainkai 63, is one of the museums along the Sachsenhausen bank. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Carry ID: You are not legally required to carry ID in Germany, but if police ask and you have none, they can escort you to collect your passport.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Frankfurt's subway (U-Bahn), suburban trains (S-Bahn), trams and buses form one network, and you buy a ticket from a machine before you board. The machines can be switched to English. Choose Einzelfahrt Frankfurt for a single trip within the city, or Tageskarte Frankfurt for a day ticket; for the airport, pick the Flughafen versions. Single tickets are valid as soon as you buy them, so buy one just before you travel. Tickets to stops marked Kurzstrecke, a short distance from where you board, cost less. Trams 11 and 12 also stop near the old town.

Question 3

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

Frankfurt's own drink is Apfelwein, or Ebbelwoi in the local dialect, a tart cider of around 6 percent alcohol, and Alt-Sachsenhausen is known for its apple-wine taverns. The traditional dishes eaten with it include green sauce, Handkäs mit Musik and Frankfurt sausages. Grüne Soße, Frankfurt green sauce, is a thick sauce of seven to nine fresh herbs and eggs, eaten with potatoes, boiled eggs or a schnitzel. Handkäs mit Musik is a cheese made from curdled milk. The original Frankfurter Würstchen is a pork sausage, while the Frankfurter Rindswurst is all beef, created partly for the city's large Jewish community. Many locals take their apple wine with a splash of sparkling water, ordered as a Sauergespritzter, and a group can order a stoneware jug of it called a Bembel. The Kleinmarkthalle, a market hall in the old town, sells fresh produce and ready-to-eat food. Bethmännchen, small marzipan and almond pastries, appear at Christmas.

Question 4

Tipping in Germany

Accepted Answer

Tipping in Germany is voluntary but usual for table service, bars and taxis, and the amount is modest: people round up or add up to about 10 percent. Rounding a bill of €13.80 up to €15 is a typical tip. Taxi drivers usually get 5 to 10 percent on top of the fare. Fast-food counters are the exception, where no tip is expected.

Question 5

Culture and Local Life

Accepted Answer

Frankfurt is a city of trade fairs, banks and museums: it hosts the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest, and the European Central Bank has its headquarters here. Its Christmas market runs from Roßmarkt along the Zeil shopping street down to Römerberg and the Mainkai. The Christmas market is held in the weeks before Christmas. The Museumsufer, the museum embankment along the Main, includes the Städel, the Liebieghaus sculpture collection, the German Film Museum and the Museum of Communication. Frankfurt's Jewish community, with more than 7,200 members, is the third largest in Germany. The European Central Bank's new seat, completed in 2014, combines a 185-meter tower with the city's former wholesale market hall.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

Frankfurt grew from a ford over the Main, first recorded in 794, into a free imperial city where the Holy Roman Empire elected and crowned its rulers. Bombing in the Second World War destroyed almost all of the medieval center, and the city rebuilt itself as a financial capital. A royal assembly, 794: Charlemagne held an imperial assembly and church synod here in 794, the first written mention of the town. A royal palace: In 852 King Louis the German founded a church on the site of today's cathedral, beside a royal palace whose foundations can still be seen next to it. Fairs: In 1240 Emperor Frederick II placed visitors to Frankfurt's fair under imperial protection. Elections and coronations: Kings were elected in St. Bartholomew's from 1356, and from 1562 to 1792 the emperors were crowned there too; the last, Francis II, was crowned on July 14, 1792. A free city: Frankfurt became an imperial city in 1372 and, apart from a break after 1806, governed itself until Prussia annexed it in 1866. Goethe: Johann Wolfgang Goethe was born on Großer Hirschgraben in 1749 and lived there until he left for Weimar in 1775. The first parliament: The Frankfurt Parliament, Germany's first democratically elected parliament, opened in St. Paul's Church on May 18, 1848. War: About 5,500 residents died in Second World War air raids, and the old town, then one of the largest in Germany, was almost completely destroyed. The city's synagogues were destroyed under Nazi rule. Rebuilding: The Römer was rebuilt behind its surviving facade after the war, the European Central Bank was founded in Frankfurt in 1998, and the Dom-Römer Quarter was rebuilt between 2012 and 2018. To learn more ashore: The Historisches Museum Frankfurt, between Römerberg and the river, tells the city's story from its beginnings to today. In 2026 it opened Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the permanent exhibition cost €8, so check before you go.

Question 7

Frankfurt with Children

Accepted Answer

Frankfurt has a natural history museum full of dinosaurs, a skyscraper with a public viewing platform and riverside walks, so a family day can mix indoor and outdoor time. The old town's squares and the footbridge are good places for a break between them. Younger children and school age: The Senckenberg Naturmuseum, at Senckenberganlage 25, has reconstructed dinosaurs, among them a Diplodocus skeleton 18 meters long, and a hands-on science lab where children can examine objects from nature. School age: The Historisches Museum has a Young Museum, a section with workshops for children. Teenagers: The Main Tower, 200 meters tall, is the only skyscraper in Frankfurt with a public viewing platform. Between sights: Walk across the Iron Footbridge for a view of the skyline from the river.

Frankfurt

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