If you are downtown near the Hauptwache or Galleria Kaufhof and happen to look down the street, you will see a cool looking, medieval tower. It looks a bit out of place in the middle of town, surrounded by new buildings and traffic, but adds an historic touch of contrast to the Frankfurt city center. This is the Eschenheimer Turm (Tower). Many people think it is a reconstruction, but it isn't. It survived the war with nary a scratch! It is nice to have something almost 600 years old, smack dab in the middle of the city. Our "Frankfurt on Foot" daily walking tour stops here every day, and we will be happy to include a visit to this historic site on your private or layover tour.
The tower was built around 1425 as one of the gates into the city and as part of the defensive wall system around Frankfurt. As you travel around town, you might see 4 other towers that look a bit similar, but these are actually "Warte" or watch towers that would have been 2.5 km outside the city walls. Sachsenhause Warte & Friedberger Warte are popular German style restaurants with nice courtyard gardens to sit in while you eat. Bockenheimer Warte and Gallus Warte don't really have anything in them, but they are nice to look at.
Today, the Eschenheimer Turm has a little restaurant & bar inside, so it is a nice place to stop for a coffee or drink, especially after going to the English movies at Metropolis. What can be fun and interesting, especially if you have children, is going upstairs to the restrooms. There is an old spiral stairway going up, and when you get up there, you can look out of the tower down the street to the Thurn & Taxis palace. One more floor up, they have a "fireplace room" that you can rent for private parties. Looks like a place for knights! This is where I want my next birthday party to be.
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