Things to do · Frankfurt · Germany
18 best things to do in Frankfurt
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
The essential sights in Frankfurt are Römerberg and the Römer, Frankfurt Cathedral and Städel Museum. Of the 18 picks below, 7 are free, 8 work on a rainy day and 4 suit children. Allow about 2 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Römerberg and the Römer
- Free sights
- 7
- Good on a rainy day
- Städel Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 2 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Römerberg and the Römer | Altstadt | 45 minutes | Free |
| Frankfurt Cathedral | Altstadt | 1 hour | Free |
| Städel Museum | Sachsenhausen | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Main Tower observation deck | Innenstadt | 45 minutes | Mid-priced |
| Apple-wine taverns | Sachsenhausen | 2–3 hours (evening) | Low cost |
| New Old Town (DomRömer quarter) | Altstadt | 45 minutes | Free |
| Museumsufer and Eiserner Steg | Sachsenhausen | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Goethe House and German Romantic Museum | Innenstadt | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Palmengarten | Westend | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Senckenberg Natural History Museum | Westend | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Kleinmarkthalle | Innenstadt | 45 minutes | Free |
| Liebieghaus Sculpture Collection | Sachsenhausen | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Jewish Museum Frankfurt | Innenstadt | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Frankfurt Zoo | Ostend | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Alte Oper | Innenstadt | 30 minutes | Free |
| Ebbelwei-Express tram | Citywide | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Höchst old town | Höchst | 2 hours | Free |
| Schirn Kunsthalle | Altstadt | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
The 18 best things to do
Landmark · Altstadt
1.Römerberg and the Römer
Frankfurt's old main square is framed by the stepped gables of the Römer, the city hall since the 15th century, and a row of half-timbered houses rebuilt in the 1980s, with the Justice Fountain in the middle. Upstairs in the Römer, the Kaisersaal is lined with portraits of the Holy Roman Emperors.
Come early in the morning for photographs before tour groups arrive, and look into the Kaisersaal if it is open.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Religious site · Altstadt
2.Frankfurt Cathedral
The red sandstone Gothic Cathedral of St. 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.
The tower climb has around 300 steps and is open in fair weather; check at the entrance.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Iconic
Museum · Sachsenhausen
3.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.
Start with the old masters upstairs, then finish in the underground galleries, which are usually quieter.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Viewpoint · Innenstadt
4.Main Tower observation deck
The Main Tower is the only skyscraper in Frankfurt with a public viewing platform, an open-air terrace about 200 metres up with a 360-degree view over the skyline, the river and the Taunus hills. Entry includes airport-style security checks.
Go around sunset; the platform closes in storms and high winds, so check before you go.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Iconic
- Couples
- Photo spot
Experience · Sachsenhausen
5.Apple-wine taverns
Traditional taverns serve Ebbelwoi, the local tart cider, from grey-and-blue stoneware jugs (Bembel) into ribbed glasses at long shared tables. A pine wreath over the door traditionally shows that the house makes its own. The best are on and around the Schweizer Straße and in Bornheim.
Order a Bembel to share and ask for Handkäs or Grüne Soße; sit where there is space at a shared table.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours (evening)
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
- Iconic
- History
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Neighbourhood · Altstadt
6.New Old Town (DomRömer quarter)
Completed in 2018, this small quarter between the Römer and the cathedral recreates part of the medieval town destroyed in 1944, with reconstructed half-timbered houses and new buildings on the old street plan. The Hühnermarkt square at its centre has a fountain dedicated to the local dialect poet Friedrich Stoltze.
Follow the Krönungsweg, the coronation route from the cathedral to the Römer that the emperors walked.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Sachsenhausen
7.Museumsufer and Eiserner Steg
The riverbank on the Sachsenhausen side is lined with museums in villas and modern buildings, from the Städel and Liebieghaus to the Film Museum and Museum of Applied Arts. The 1869 iron footbridge, the Eiserner Steg, links it to the Römerberg and frames the skyline from the middle.
Walk the riverbank paths on both sides as a loop; on Saturdays a flea market sets up along the Museumsufer in some weeks.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Photo spot
Museum · Innenstadt
8.Goethe House and German Romantic Museum
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in 1749 in this townhouse on the Großer Hirschgraben, rebuilt after the war with its original furniture, paintings and the puppet theatre he played with as a child. Next door, the German Romantic Museum covers the art and literature of the Romantic era.
Use the audio guide in the Goethe House; the rooms make much more sense with context.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Garden · Westend
1.Palmengarten
Frankfurt's botanical garden, opened in 1871, has a 19th-century palm house, tropical and desert glasshouses, rose and rock gardens, a boating pond and playgrounds. It is a year-round retreat from the city.
On a cold or wet day, spend most of your time in the tropical glasshouses.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Rainy day
Museum · Westend
2.Senckenberg Natural History Museum
One of Germany's largest natural history museums, famous for its hall of dinosaur skeletons, plus fossils from the nearby Messel Pit UNESCO site, mummies, whales and an exhibition on human evolution.
Start with the dinosaur hall on the ground floor before school groups arrive.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- History
Market · Innenstadt
3.Kleinmarkthalle
A covered market hall near the Zeil with stalls selling fresh produce, cheese, sausages, herbs for green sauce and ready-to-eat snacks. The gallery upstairs has a wine bar where locals gather on Saturday lunchtimes.
Buy the seven-herb green-sauce bundle here to see what goes into Frankfurt's signature dish.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Museum · Sachsenhausen
4.Liebieghaus Sculpture Collection
In a 19th-century villa on the Museumsufer, five thousand years of sculpture run from Egyptian and Greek works to medieval wooden saints and Baroque pieces. Its garden café is one of the calmest spots on the river.
Pair it with the Städel next door, and end with coffee in the villa garden.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Museum · Innenstadt
5.Jewish Museum Frankfurt
Housed in the Rothschild Palais and a modern extension on the riverbank, the museum tells the story of Frankfurt's Jewish community from the Middle Ages to today. The associated Museum Judengasse shows the excavated foundations of the medieval Jewish lane.
Visit the Museum Judengasse and the adjacent Börneplatz memorial wall on the same day.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Zoo · Ostend
6.Frankfurt Zoo
Founded in 1858, Germany's second-oldest zoo has great apes, big cats and the Grzimek House, where day and night are reversed so you can see nocturnal animals awake. It is compact and central, by the Zoo U-Bahn station.
Head to the Grzimek House on a rainy day; it is dark, warm and full of activity.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Architecture · Innenstadt
7.Alte Oper
The 1880 opera house was bombed in the Second World War, left in ruins for decades and rebuilt as a concert hall that reopened in 1981. Its square, the Opernplatz, with the Lucae Fountain, is a popular meeting point at the western end of the Freßgass dining street.
Walk the Freßgass (Große Bockenheimer Straße) from the Alte Oper for delis, cafés and wine bars.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- Free
- After dark
- History
Experience · Citywide
8.Ebbelwei-Express tram
A colourfully painted historic tram runs a loop through the city and Sachsenhausen at weekends and holidays, serving apple wine (or juice) and pretzels on board. It is a light-hearted way to see the centre from the window.
Board at any stop on the route; it runs only on certain days, so check the timetable.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Food
- History
Neighbourhood · Höchst
9.Höchst old town
Höchst was a separate town until 1928 and kept its half-timbered lanes, a castle above the Main and the Justinuskirche, whose Carolingian nave dates back to the 9th century and is one of the oldest buildings in Frankfurt. It is 15 minutes by S-Bahn from the centre.
Walk from the station down to the riverfront and the castle square, then along the Main.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Gallery · Altstadt
10.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.
Check what is showing before you go; exhibitions change every few months.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Städel Museum, Goethe House and German Romantic Museum, Senckenberg Natural History Museum and Liebieghaus Sculpture Collection |
| History | Römerberg and the Römer, New Old Town (DomRömer quarter), Frankfurt Cathedral and Goethe House and German Romantic Museum |
| Views | Frankfurt Cathedral, Main Tower observation deck and Museumsufer and Eiserner Steg |
| Outdoors and nature | Museumsufer and Eiserner Steg, Palmengarten, Senckenberg Natural History Museum and Frankfurt Zoo |
| Food and markets | Apple-wine taverns, Kleinmarkthalle and Ebbelwei-Express tram |
| After dark | Apple-wine taverns and Alte Oper |
| With children | Palmengarten, Senckenberg Natural History Museum, Frankfurt Zoo and Ebbelwei-Express tram |
| On a rainy day | Städel Museum, Goethe House and German Romantic Museum, Palmengarten and Senckenberg Natural History Museum |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Frankfurt?
Römerberg and the Römer. Frankfurt's old main square is framed by the stepped gables of the Römer, the city hall since the 15th century, and a row of half-timbered houses rebuilt in the 1980s, with the Justice Fountain in the middle.
+What can you do for free in Frankfurt?
Römerberg and the Römer, Frankfurt Cathedral, New Old Town (DomRömer quarter), Museumsufer and Eiserner Steg and Kleinmarkthalle. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Frankfurt when it rains?
Head indoors to Städel Museum, Goethe House and German Romantic Museum, Palmengarten and Senckenberg Natural History Museum.
+What is there to do in Frankfurt at night?
Apple-wine taverns and Alte Oper are best after dark.