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Frankfurt - Visit, and as Home Base

Staying in Frankfurt soon and looking for daytime jaunts both in Frankfurt and then possibly 2 or 3 different one-day daytime explorations outside Frankfurt, with the ability to get back into the city by @ 6:00pm. I was originally thinking I might plan things on a daily basis once I arrived, as I am coming off-season (later this week!) and am a terrible pre-planner (did I mention arriving later this week?). Staying five days.
Looking forward to the highly-regarded Frankfurt on Foot but also welcoming suggestions for other days, and I will try to be as specific as possible regarding travel interests. Most interested in walking around, people-watching, getting in some photography, not shopping or boat cruises as much.

1. Walking tours, getting informed re history, culture, and green spaces

2. Woodsy walks or formal gardens, public natural areas (where you can go on your own)
3. Museums - cultural and/or social history; arts museums

4. Open public places like marketplaces, towns with interesting blocks / lunch places

This is probably still too broad anyway but I'm hopeful for a some solid specific recommendations as I see this blog is very effective that way.

Posted by
7162 posts

Quoting Ms. Jo (our Frankfurt expert): "My favorite towns that are near Frankfurt are Limburg, Marburg, Büdingen, Gelnhausen, Kronberg, Mainz, and Idstein. Near Frankfurt is also the reconstructed Roman fort, the Saalburg as well as Hessen Park Open Air museum."

The only day trip I did from Frankfurt was to Budingen and it was well worth it. Still has some of it's city walls/towers intact and many fachtwerk bldgs (half-timbered bldgs), lots of restaurants/cafes and shops. I was there mid-summer so not sure how well it works in mid-winter. Easy to get to from Frankfurt by train (about an hour) with a change in Gelnhausen, which would also be worth visiting.

Posted by
9224 posts

You might want to go take a walk in the City Forest if the weather is ok. I really like the Palmengarten, both the outside areas and the hot houses. Bethmann Park in Bornheim is rather pretty with a Chinese Garden. ( I was just there when it snowed last week) Visit on Wed. or Sat. and go to the market on the Berger Str. Lots of museums to choose from. Visit the Klein Markt Halle. On Thursdays and Saturdays, the market at the Konstablerwache is great, as is the one on the Schiller Str. on Fri. Or head over to Frankfurt Höchst to their market on Tues. Fri. & Sat. from 7-13:00 and then visit the Justinus Church if you are there on the weekend. (built in 850) Lunch looking over the small schloss is perfect. Try Zum Bären. While in Frankfurt, lunch or dinner over in Sachsenhausen is recommended. Try Dauth-Schneider, Lorsbacher Thal, or Ätschel. Stroll down Brücken str. and Wall str. to see all the small businesses and boutique type stores. While in Sachsenhausen, visit the Deutsche Orden Kirche if it is before 2 Feb. They have the most elaborate nativity you will ever see. Something like 250 figures and it covers 3 walls.
My recommended museums are the Judengasse and Jewish Musuems, the Städel, Film Museum, Liebig Haus, and right now the Archeology museum has an exhibit of Concentration Camp archeology. Thankfully all in English. I went there last week and thought it was really well done. One of those things that people rarely think about. They have a cool Mithra exhibit too, but it is all in German.

Posted by
33882 posts

Your item number 1 - walking tours.... Frankfurt on Foot https://frankfurtonfoot.com/ is an excellent place to start. They know Frankfurt and all the nearby towns and villages really well - I always learn. You can go on the regularly scheduled daily walk in the Altstadt area and around Frankfurt, but they customise exactly what you want on their private tours. Great people - a great website to start at...