2 days in Frankfurt

Day by day

1. Day 1: Römerberg and the Römer and Frankfurt Cathedral

   Römerberg and the Römer, Frankfurt Cathedral, New Old Town (DomRömer quarter) and Schirn Kunsthalle, then Apple-wine taverns in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Römerberg and the Römer

      Upstairs in the Römer, the Kaisersaal is lined with portraits of the Holy Roman Emperors.

   2. Late morning

      Frankfurt Cathedral

      Bartholomew is where Holy Roman Emperors were elected and, from 1562, crowned. Its 95-metre tower can be climbed for one of the best views over the old town and skyline, and the cathedral museum holds coronation-era treasures.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Frankfurt green sauce

      Apple-wine taverns and traditional restaurants; best from spring to autumn when the herbs are local.

   4. Afternoon

      New Old Town (DomRömer quarter)

      The Hühnermarkt square at its centre has a fountain dedicated to the local dialect poet Friedrich Stoltze.

   5. Late afternoon

      Schirn Kunsthalle

      Between the cathedral and the Römerberg, the Schirn has no permanent collection but hosts major temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, from retrospectives to themed shows.

   6. Evening

      Apple-wine taverns

      Order a Bembel to share and ask for Handkäs or Grüne Soße; sit where there is space at a shared table.

2. Day 2: Städel Museum and Museumsufer and Eiserner Steg

   Städel Museum, Museumsufer and Eiserner Steg, Liebieghaus Sculpture Collection and Main Tower observation deck, then Alte Oper in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Städel Museum

      Founded in 1815, the Städel covers seven centuries of European art: Botticelli, Holbein, Rembrandt and Vermeer's Geographer, Tischbein's portrait of Goethe in the Roman countryside, French Impressionists and German Expressionists, with contemporary art in underground galleries lit by round skylights.

   2. Late morning

      Museumsufer and Eiserner Steg

      The 1869 iron footbridge, the Eiserner Steg, links it to the Römerberg and frames the skyline from the middle.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cheese with music

      Every apple-wine tavern; eat it with a knife and fork, the traditional way.

   4. Afternoon

      Liebieghaus Sculpture Collection

      Its garden café is one of the calmest spots on the river.

   5. Late afternoon

      Main Tower observation deck

      Entry includes airport-style security checks.

   6. Evening

      Alte Oper

      Walk the Freßgass (Große Bockenheimer Straße) from the Alte Oper for delis, cafés and wine bars.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Goethe House and German Romantic Museum (Innenstadt): Use the audio guide in the Goethe House; the rooms make much more sense with context.
• Swap in Palmengarten (Westend): On a cold or wet day, spend most of your time in the tropical glasshouses.
• Swap in Senckenberg Natural History Museum (Westend): Start with the dinosaur hall on the ground floor before school groups arrive.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 12–15 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.1 hours in December to 16.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Walking covers the old town, the shopping streets and the Museumsufer; footbridges cross the Main every few hundred metres.

More or fewer days

• One day in Frankfurt
• 3 days in Frankfurt

Questions travellers ask