Frankfurt

Germany's financial heart, home to Europe's most important trade fair centre and its tallest office building, and a major transportation hub to boot, with a jet landing or lifting off from its main airport nearly every 30 seconds - Frankfurt is all this and much more besides. Often referred to jokingly as 'Bankfurt' because of its many banks, Germany's most impressive skyline has inspired its other nickname, Mainhattan' - a play on the River Main which flows through the city (officially called Frankfurt am Main, to distinguish it from Frankfurt an der Oder in eastern Germany.) But Frankfurt is not all business and high finance. Often underrated as a city to visit and spend time in, Frankfurt offers plenty of other things to see and do. For instance, as an excellent shopping destination it can offer all the heart desires. Numerous luxury stores are located along Goethestrasse, while the city's main shopping street, the Zeil, is chock-a-block with department stores, boutiques and shops selling just about everything under the sun. Competition is tough, so bargains (Sonderangebote) are often to be found.
If all that shopping makes you peckish, then the city has a huge choice of cafés and restaurants to relax in. Thai, Ethiopian,Turkish, Italian, American; the variety of cuisines offered reflects the international character of a city where the mother tongue of nearly a quarter of the inhabitants is not German. At night hundreds of pubs, bars, clubs and discos allow you to party until the small hours. Frankfurt is also a city of arts and culture, second only to Berlin in terms of the number of museums it has to offer. The city's opera and ballet companies rank with Germany's best, and classical music of the very highest standard is featured at the Alte Oper, an impressive concert venue. In summer music takes to the streets, as live concerts of rock, pop and jazz liven up the inner-city area. At this time of the year one festival seems to follow the other, with parades and delicious food stalls being a feature of many. A highlight at Christmas is one of Germany's loveliest Christmas markets, with the Römerberg making for a picture-book setting. Finally, Frankfurt is the gateway to the vineyards of the Rheingau, the forested hills of the Taunus and the historic cities of Wiesbaden and Mainz, where you can admire one of Germany's most splendid cathedrals or enjoy one of its loveliest spas.

Shopping

Frankfurt is a modern, cosmopolitan city with a correspondingly wide range of shops to choose from. Affluent bankers and businesspeople ensure a steady stream of customers for luxury stores like Tiffany's and Chanel, whereas foreign language bookshops and other specialist stores cater to the needs of a large resident foreign population. Best of all, you don't have to go far to find what you want: in the inner-city trendy fashion boutiques rub shoulders with second-hand shops, while open-air markets are often just a stone's throw away from modern shopping passages. And to make your shopping experience complete, there is an excellent choice of cafés in which to relax afterwards. Most of the city's more exclusive shops are found in the area between Roßmarkt and the Alte Oper. Especially pricey are the noble boutiques in Goethestrasse; here you'll find such names as Armani, Chanel,Tiffany and Gucci in what is Frankfurt's modest version of New York's Fifth Avenue and London's Oxford Street. Other luxury shops can be found in Steinweg, Schillerstrasse and Fressgasse (Große Bockenheimer Strasse). The latter is especially good if you are looking for gourmet foods and top quality wines. More down to earth are the shops and department stores flanking the Zeil, Frankurt's main shopping drag. Great for a splurge, it offers just about every material thing your heart might desire. Large department stores like Peek & Cloppenberg and Galeria Kaufhof compete for the customers' hard-earned euros, along with trendy clothes shops such as Esprit and Zara. Here you'll also find the world's largest Douglas store, crammed full with perfumes and beauty products. Competition is strong, and regular price-slashing means that bargain hunters will find the pickings relatively good. This is particularly the case around mid-summer and in December,when especially clothing and sportswear shops clear their shelves for the coming season's fashions. With a bit of luck bargains are also possible at the city's most well-known flea market, which takes place on Saturday mornings along Schaumainkai.
Finally, if you are looking for souvenirs other than the predictable tee-shirts to take home, consider a Bembel, a glazed stoneware jug used for serving cider. Sachsenhausen is the place to start looking.

Eating & drinking

Frankfurt can boast a huge range of cafés and restaurants catering to all tastes and pockets. The choice of food styles reflects the mix of people who live here; Greek,Thai, Indian, Spanish, American and more besides. For traditional Frankfurter specialities, the cider taverns are the best bet. Self-providers are well catered for by the local food markets and the food sections of the large department stores.