Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main is Germany's financial centre, home to the European Central Bank and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and is often perceived as purely corporate — a city of towers and banks. That reputation obscures a genuinely interesting, well-resourced city with excellent museums, a lively food scene, one of Germany's finest old towns and a strategic position at the heart of Germany's rail and air network. The Römerberg — Frankfurt's historic old town square, rebuilt after wartime destruction — with its half-timbered houses and cathedral spire is surprisingly charming. The Dom (cathedral), where Holy Roman Emperors were crowned for centuries, and Goethe's birthplace (the Goethe House) are nearby. The Museumsufer, a line of over a dozen museums along the south bank of the Main, is one of Germany's greatest concentrations of cultural institutions in a small area — the Städel Museum's art collection is world-class. Frankfurt has reinvented its food scene. The Apple Wine (Äpfelwein) culture in the Sachsenhausen quarter — wooden taverns, earthenware jugs, green sauce (Frankfurt's signature condiment) and rib-eye steaks — is genuinely local and worth experiencing. Kleinmarkthalle, the indoor market near the Römerberg, is excellent. The Christmas market on Römerberg is among Germany's finest. Frankfurt is an excellent transport hub for exploring the Rhineland, Moselle wine country and Heidelberg.