Shopping · Frankfurt · Germany
Shopping in Frankfurt
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Frankfurt has one of Germany's busiest shopping streets, the Zeil, plus luxury boutiques on the Goethestraße and independent shops in Bornheim and the Nordend. Best souvenirs: Bembel jug, Apple wine and Bethmännchen and Frankfurter Kranz.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 3
- Top souvenir
- Bembel jug
Where to shop
Zeil
Department stores, chains and the MyZeil mall with its glass vortex roof.
Goethestraße
Luxury and designer boutiques near the Alte Oper.
Berger Straße
Independent shops, bookshops and delis in Bornheim and the Nordend.
Schweizer Straße
Sachsenhausen's shopping and café street with delis and wine shops.
Markets
Kleinmarkthalle
The city's covered food market near the Zeil, open daily except Sundays.
Konstablerwache farmers' market
Regional produce, cheese and apple wine on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Museumsufer flea market
Second-hand stalls along the Sachsenhausen riverbank on some Saturdays.
What to buy
Bembel jug
The grey-and-blue stoneware apple-wine jug, with matching ribbed glasses.
Apple wine
Bottles of local Ebbelwoi or apple-wine liqueurs from taverns and shops.
Bethmännchen and Frankfurter Kranz
Marzipan Bethmännchen travel well; Frankfurter Kranz is best eaten locally.
Goethe-themed books and prints
From the Goethe House shop and bookshops around the Römerberg.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · Innenstadt
Kleinmarkthalle
A covered market hall near the Zeil with stalls selling fresh produce, cheese, sausages, herbs for green sauce and ready-to-eat snacks.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Cheese with music, Apple wine, Frankfurt crown cake and Bethmännchen. Every apple-wine tavern; eat it with a knife and fork, the traditional way. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Altstadt and Innenstadt | $$$ | Römerberg, the cathedral and the Zeil shopping street between the river and the old walls |
| Sachsenhausen | $$ | Museum mile on the riverbank, cobbled tavern lanes and the Schweizer Straße |
| Westend | $$$$ | Villa-lined streets, bank towers and the Palmengarten |
| Bahnhofsviertel | $$ | Station quarter of bars, international restaurants and a visible street drug scene |
| Nordend | $$ | Pastel apartment blocks, café terraces and organic shops |
| Bornheim | $$ | Long Berger Straße of shops and traditional apple-wine taverns |
| Europaviertel and Messe | $$$ | New towers and trade-fair hotels around the exhibition grounds |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in EUR. Round up or add about 5–10% for table service, telling the server the total when you pay; leaving coins on the table is less common.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–March; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- March: Spring Dippemess funfair (usually March to April)
- April: Spring Dippemess funfair (usually until April)
- May: Grüne Soße Festival (usually May to June)
- September: Autumn Dippemess funfair (usually September)
- October: Frankfurt Book Fair (usually mid-October)
- November: Frankfurt Christmas Market opens (usually late November)
Staying near the shops
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and couples
Altstadt and Innenstadt
Römerberg, the cathedral and the Zeil shopping street between the river and the old walls
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Frankfurt?
Bembel jug, Apple wine, Bethmännchen and Frankfurter Kranz and Goethe-themed books and prints.
+Where is the best shopping in Frankfurt?
Zeil: Department stores, chains and the MyZeil mall with its glass vortex roof.
+What are the best markets in Frankfurt?
Kleinmarkthalle, Konstablerwache farmers' market and Museumsufer flea market.