Frankfurt Travel Guide

‘Frankfurt is full of curiosities’- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Frankfurt-on-Main, or Frankfurt am Main, as the Germans know it, is a city famed for its trade and commerce links. A medieval town with some of Germany’s most splendid old buildings- the Cathedral of St Bartholomew is a true beauty- Frankfurt acquired its reputation as a centre for trade pretty early on. By 1240, this town, on the banks of the river Main (from which it draws part of its name), was already a venue for commercial fairs; even today, its annual trade shows and fairs- particularly for computers, books and automobiles- are famous across the world.

Frankfurt was the place where Gutenberg first printed his Bible; it’s also the city of Goethe and the Rothschilds; the one-time capital of Germany; and a place known for the excellent sausages- `frankfurters’- which are made here. But primarily, Frankfurt is known as a city of glass-and-steel skyscrapers, of commerce and industry. An attractive proposition for a businessman, but also interesting for the ordinary tourist, for it’s a city with delightful restaurants; fine buildings, excellent ballet and opera and great museums - a city worth a trip.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, novelist, playwright and one of the greatest figures in Western literature was born in Frankfurt.