Frankfurt am Main

Frankfurt am Main skyline
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bankenviertel_Frankfurt.jpg
Author: Thomas Wolf


Frankfurt am Main is a city by the river Main in the state of Hesse, in central Germany. It is noted for being a major transportation as well as financial hub of the country. It is also an important trade show destination, hosting major events such as the Frankfurt Auto Show and the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Frankfurt has a population of 670,000. It is the fifth largest city in Germany within the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitan region, which has a population of 5.3 million people. The city got its name because its early inhabitants were the Frank people, and also because the city was located on an ancient ford, or "Furt" in German, on the river Main. The city is usually called Frankfurt in English, although Germans usually refer to it in its full name, to distinguish it from Frankfurt am Oder, another smaller city by a similar name.

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Frankfurt am Main on Google Maps Street View

Frankfurt am Main Central Railway Station
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frankfurt_am_Main_-_Hauptbahnhof_-_Neues_Dach.jpg
Author: Thomas Wolf


Frankfurt has the biggest airport in Germany. It is also the home to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Germany's largest, the European Central Bank, and the German Federal Bank. It is the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and is noted for its many skyscrapers and museums. It ties with London in having 10 skyscrapers above 150 meters, and is only behind Paris with 14 for being among the cities in the European Union with the largest number of skyscrapers.

Going to Frankfurt

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is among the busiest airports in Europe, second only to London's Heathrow.

The main airport in Frankfurt is used mostly by national flag carriers. As a budget traveler, you can consider flying to the Frankfurt/Hahn Airport (HHN), used by low-cost carrier. I must warn you though that it is far from downtown Frankfurt, at least two hours by bus. There is a connection to the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station, for €12. Check first to see if it is worth your while to fly on a no-frills airline.

View of Frankfurt am Main from Maintower
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nach-dem-Regen-Regenbogen-Gegenschuss-vom-Maintower-2012-Ffm-867.jpg
Author: Simsalabimbam

Exploring Frankfurt

Frankfurt has excellent public transport. There is the U-Bahn (subway), the trains (S-Bahn) and trams and the buses. If you are going to use public transport everywhere you go, I suggest you get the day pass or the week pass. The whole day ticket is called Tageskarte Frankfurt.

As a tourist, you should also consider getting the Frankfurt Card, which comes in a choice of one day (€8.90) and two days (€12.90). If you travel in a group of maximum 5 persons, you can get the group ticket, one day for €18.00 and two days for €26.00. They are available at the Tourist Information Office at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof.

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