Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours

Seligenstadt Easter Egg Market Tours, 26 Feb. & 4 March.

2012-02-10T21:31:00.000+01:00

We had such a good time at the Easter Egg Show in Seligenstadt last year, that we wanted to offer our Extra Tours there again this year, but on 2 seperate weekends.

Sunday, 26 Feb. & 4 March
Meet at 10:15 at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, next to the Tourist Info.
Cost is 20 euro per person. This will cover your train fare and your
entrance into the Egg Show. We will spend about 5 hours in Seligenstadt.

The Easter Egg Show offers works of art, made of eggs of all sorts and styles as well as many other Easter themed crafts and gift items. All of the artists will be there personally, showing their work as well as demonstrations. On the 1st weekend, there will be 53 artists, displaying their work, and on the 2nd weekend, there will be 60 artists present.

Seligenstadt is a very old market town, located on the Main river. It has lots of pretty Fachwerk Houses, as well as one of the oldest and largest Abbeys in Hessen. The Egg Show takes place in the Abbey itself. While we are there, you will have plenty of time to explore the town, take photos, have a bite to eat, and wander through the Egg Show to your hearts content. Behind the Abbey is a huge garden, that will tempt you to return a bit later this spring and summer.

There is no need to reserve a spot, but if you would like to let us know you are joining us or would like more information about the tour or Seligenstadt, we would welcome an email from you.
info@frankfurtonfoot.com

The Original Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours

2012-02-06T10:03:00.000+01:00

Frankfurt on Foot is a 3-4 hour, easy walking tour that takes place 365 days a year, all holidays included. We visit many of the highlights of the city, while we tell you all about the long and rich history of Frankfurt. We take you to places that the tour buses can't, we leave no carbon foot-print, plus, we have searched high and low for many of the secret gems of Frankfurt that will make your tour memorable and all for an affordable price. Discover the Best of Frankfurt with Frankfurt on Foot:

- The Roemer and the Roemerplatz. City Hall since 1405 and old town square.
- Book Burning Memorial, site of the nazi book burning
- Alt Nikolai Church, original church, built 1290
- House Wertheim, the inner city's only original half-timbered house left at the end of World War II, we tell you how it was saved and why.
- Eisener Steg, a pedestrian bridge over the Main river, offering a great view of the skyline and the many museums lining the riverbanks.
- St. Bartholomew, better known as the Kaiserdom, Imperial Cathedral chosen as the site for Coronations and Elections of the Holy Roman Emperor for centuries
- Archaeological ruins - we walk though the Roman and palace wall ruins, dating from 70 A.D. to 850 A.D.
- Jörge Ratgeb Wall Paintings in the Karmeliter Cloister, the largest religious wall paintings north of the Alps, painted in the early 1500's.
- Stumble Stones, or in German, Stolper Steine. We show you this unique way of remembering many of the victims who lost their lives due to the nazi regime.
- Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall, we visit this very personal Memorial that the city of Frankfurt has chosen to honor the memory of the over 12,000 Jewish citizens of Frankfurt who were sacrificed during World War II. Anne, Margot, and Edith Frank are included on this wall of remembrance.
- Medieval Jewish Cemetery, one of the oldest and largest Jewish cemeteries in Germany
- Jewish Ghetto Wall, Once part of the city defenses, it later became one of the walls that surrounded the Jewish ghetto.
- Klein Markt Halle, A favorite on the tour, this is a wonderful produce hall, filled with fruits, vegetables, chocolate, pastries, cheeses, breads, meats and fish, and delicacies from around the world. (not on Sundays and holidays)
- Hauptwache, historic Frankfurt landmark
- Bull and Bear and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
- Thurn and Taxis Palace, newly reconstructed, and a lovely example of architecture from the 1700's.
- Eschenheimer Turm, original guard tower, once part of the city defensive walls
- Alte Oper, one of the classic opera houses in Europe, once known as the most beautiful ruin in Germany
- Goethe House, we view the house where Goethe was born, and explain why he is Frankfurt's favorite son.
- Paulskirche, the location of the first parliament of Germany in 1848.

Because we use native English speakers, you never have to worry about whether or not you will understand the guides. We try to be as accurate as possible with our information, but never boring. Our tours are more than just plain, dried facts and dates! Along the way, we answer any questions you might have about Frankfurt and Germany. We can give you advice on where to eat, where to shop, what museums to visit, along with information about local events and how to find them.

Every day is tour day, as we walk 365 days a year starting at 10:30, no matter what the weather, all Holidays included! Please try to be on time, though the guide will wait up to 5 minutes on latecomers.
Meeting point is on Braubachstrasse, across from Starbucks, by the Roemer and near the Tourist Info office. Trams #11 or # 12, stop is Roemer / Paulskirche, or U-4 or U-5 stop Dom/Roemer (come upstairs to Braubachstrasse). Using the S-bahn, get off at the Hauptwache stop, and walk straight down Neue Kraeme to Braubachstrasse. (Neue Kraeme is between the Esprit store and Hako Shoes) If you stand in the doorway of Starbucks on Braubach str. and look directly across the street, you will see us standing there, as shown in the photo in this post.
Address to use for GPS or Google maps - Braubachstrasse 36, 60311 Frankfurt am Main.
To call: Outside of Germany - (+49) 1520 846 4200
Inside Germany with a German phone - 01520-846 4200
Email: info@frankfurtonfoot.com

We want our walking tours to be affordable for everyone, so adults pay only 12 euro. If you are a student, a senior or in the military, you receive a discount price of 10 euro. Guests at the 5 Elements Hostel and the Jugend Herberge receive discounted tickets for 9 euro, when you present your keycard to our tour guides. Show your Rick Steves Germany book for a 1 euro discount.

If you have a large group, please contact us ahead of time (at least 24-48 hours notice) so that we can arrange a seperate guide for you as well as pricing.

Layover / Stopover Tours From Frankfurt Airport

2012-02-05T09:11:00.001+01:00

If you have a long layover (7 + hours) scheduled at the Frankfurt Airport, going on a walking tour with Frankfurt on Foot, is an ideal way to spend those hours. You do not have to worry about figuring out where the train station is, how to buy your ticket, how to get into the city and back to the airport again, or where to go and what to see. We can help you make the most efficient use of your short visit in Frankfurt, as well as make it memorable.

How does this work? We come out to the Frankfurt Airport, meet you at the "Meeting Point" in whichever terminal you arrive in, ride into town on the S-bahn, and tour the city for as long as you wish, seeing and doing the things that you want to do. We personalize each tour to match your individual interests and time frame. We then make sure that you are back at the airport in time for your next flight. Whether you are arriving at 05:00, 15:00, or 18:00, we can plan a personalized layover tour for you. We use only native English speakers as guides, so there is never a problem with language. Our guides can show you the secret gems of this city, unusual and special sites, as well as concentrating on any specific themes you would prefer.

Our layover tours are reasonably priced, beginning at 75 euro for 3 hours, with each additional hour 25 euro. This is the price rate if your group is 6 persons or less and is the total price, not a per person price. If your group is larger than this, we can discuss pricing. Payment is cash only, and no deposit is required. Transportation costs are seperate. As an extra service, we will also accept U.S.dollars at the daily exchange rate, with an additional, 5 euro conversion fee.
We also offer Layover sightseeing tours to Frankfurt Hoechst, Eppstein, Idstein, Bad Homburg, Büdingen or Kronberg if time allows.

Please accept our apologies if we need to decline a tour because your layover is too short. We suggest that a layover of 7 hours be the minimum amount of time, though exceptions can be made.

You can contact us by email at: info@frankfurtonfoot.com
Make your Layover in Frankfurt unique and special, with "Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours".

Frankfurt on Foot Private WalkingTours

2012-02-04T08:24:00.000+01:00

Whether you have a long layover in Frankfurt or would just like to have a special, private tour that is tailor made for you or your groups' interests, then you have come to the right place. It can be wonderful to have a friendly contact in a strange city, so allow us to be that contact for you – especially if you are travelling to Germany or Europe for the first time. We can meet you at your hotel or we can pick you up from the airport or the main train station. Starting your walking tour from there means you don’t have to worry about trying to find your way around the city or how to use the train system. Our goals are to make your trip to Frankfurt easy for you as well as memorable. Landing in a foreign country can be difficult when you don't speak the language, so let us make your experience memorable.

Our private tour rates are 25 euro per hour, for groups of 6 or less, with a minimum of 2 hours. If you have a group of more than 6, we will arrange the pricing on an individual basis. Airport Layover Tours are priced at a minimum of 3 hours, due to time involved. These are not a per-person rate, but a total rate for your group.

We will take you to the things that you want to see, spend as much time there as you would like, we will research any special themes for you, and there is never any time pressure. When you let us know what your interests are, we will work with you to plan your very own, special tour. Because it is "YOUR" tour, we can always be flexible and change the day to suit you at a moments notice. This is the best way to go sightseeing in Frankfurt! Having your very own personal tour guide will enhance your vacation experience in Germany. Our tour guides are always native English speakers and can lead you to the secret gems and unusual spots of Frankfurt that aren't in the guidebooks.

If you would like a private tour to Frankfurt Hoechst, Bad Homburg, Idstein, Eppstein, Buedingen, or Kronberg, or a trip up the Rhine, we can also arrange this.We also offer themed tours to match your special interests, so write us and let us know how we can best make your time in the Rhine Main region enjoyable and memorable.

Those who are blind or visually impaired may also enjoy a special exploration tour that will allow you to discover Frankfurt with an experienced guide.

To arrange a private tour, contact us by email: info@frankfurtonfoot.com

Fasching/Fastnacht Parades Frankfurt & the Rhine Main Region

2012-02-03T13:14:00.000+01:00

What is Fasching anyway? Well, it is the German equivalent of Carnival or Mardi Gras, held the last few days before Lent begins. It is a time for people to dress up in fun costumes, go to parades, and uh, party a lot. So, you will see a lot of people drinking at the various parades and many pubs and bars will have Fasching parties. Schools and kindergartens will also have Fasching parties and the kids get to dress up in costumes that day. If you go to a parade, make sure you take a bag with you to catch all the candy and various other items that are thrown from the floats.

Frankfurt Parade - Sunday, 19 Feb. begins at 13:01 and winds its' way through the city: Untermainkai/Untermainbrücke - Neue Mainzer Straße - Friedensstraße - Kaiserstraße - Roßmarkt - Katharienenpforte - Bleidenstraße - Liebfrauenberg - Töngesgasse - Fahrgasse - Berliner Straße - Battonstraße - Kurt-Schumacher-Straße - Fahrgasse - Weckmarkt - Zum Pfarrturm - Mainkai - Fahrtor - Römerberg- Paulsplatz - Buchgasse - Leonardstor - Mainkai
In Frankfurt it is traditional to shout "Hellau" to the people on the floats.

Mainz Parade - Monday, also known as Rosen Montag, begins at 11:11

Klaa Paris - Tuesday, 21 Feb. is the parade through Heddernheim. Very popular with families and very traditional. This year is the 172nd parade.
Klaa Paris Route & Photos

February Events in Frankfurt & the Rhine Main Region

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Ambiente Trade Fair 10-14 Feb. will make hotel rooms hard to find and expensive

Fasching Parade in Frankfurt is on Sun. 19 Feb. (see our post about Fasching)
Fasching Parades on Mon. 20 Feb. in Mainz & Cologne

24-26 Feb. Quilt Festival, Aschaffenburg Quilt Fest 2012
25 Feb. - German Opera Ball, Alte Oper Frankfurt
25 Feb. SATOURDAY, Frankfurt Free Museum Day (see our post about this)
25-26 Feb. Easter Egg Market, Seligenstadt Landscape Museum (We tour here on the 26th, see our post about it)

Exhibitions:
3 Feb.-6 May, Claude Lorrain, Staedel
9 Feb.-13 May, Edvard Munch: The Modern View, Schirn Kunsthalle
11 Feb.-13 May, Andy Warhol: Headlines, Musuem of Modern Art
22 Feb.-13 May, Charlie Chaplin, Film Museum
23 Feb.-27 May, Chinese Objects, Museum of Applied Arts

SATOURDAY - Free Museum Day in Frankfurt, 25 Feb. 2012

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SATOURDAY is usually held the last Saturday of each month, when many of the museums of Frankfurt open their doors for free, as well as holding special events for families and kids. Every month has a theme for these events and workshops, but will all be in German.

Free Museums on SATOURDAY
* Archeology Museum, * Dom Museum, * Ikon Museum, * Kinder Museum (Childrens museum) * Judengasse Museum * Jewish Museum * Museum of Applied Arts * Museum of Modern Art * Deutsches Architecture Museum * World Culture Museum

You still have to pay to get into the following museums, even though some may have special workshops for kids and families * Goethe Haus, * Communication Museum, * Senckenburg Museum of Natural History, * Palmengarten, * Liebieg Haus, * Schirn, * Bible Haus Museum * Staedel * Film Museum

* Staedel is completely re-opens in Feb.
* Historic Museum is closed for a minimum of 1 year.

March Events in Frankfurt & the Rhine Main Region 2012

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The Music Fair - 21-24 Mar. is a big trade fair and will increase hotel prices.

3 Mar. Organ Matinee, Frankfurt Kaiserdom, 12:30
3-4 Mar. Easter Egg Market, Seligenstadt Landscape Museum
3-4 Mar. 17th International Easter Egg Market, Eberbach Monastery Elteville
9-12 Mar. Barbarossa Markt, Gelnhausen Old Town
11 Mar. Lufthansa Half-Marathon, Frankfurt City Center
17-18 Mar. Teddy Bear World, Wiesbaden, Rhine Main Halls
18 Mar. Apple Wine at the Römer, Frankfurt
23-25 Mar. Easter Market, Wiesbaden Pedestrian Zone
24 Mar. Historical Easter Market, Ronneburg Castle, Ronneburg
30 Mar. 1 Apr. International Tattoo Convention, Messe Frankfurt
30 Mar.- 22 Apr. Spring Dippemess, Frankfurt
31 Mar. SATOURDAY, Frankfurt Free Museum Day (see our post about this)
31 Mar. Organ Matinee, Frankfurt Kaiserdom, 12:30

We will be happy to include any of these events in your private tour.

Frankfurt Spring Dippemess, 30 Mar.- 22 Apr. 2012

2012-01-20T08:34:00.000+01:00

Funny word, Dippemess, so you are probably wondering what it is. This is a fair held twice a year on the East side of Frankfurt. Part carnival, part beer tent, part county fair - minus the agriculture and animals, with lots of rides and fair food, German style.

The Dippemess begins 30 March with Fireworks at 22:00, and runs through 22 April, ending again with Fireworks on the last night. It opens every day at 14:00, except Sundays, when it opens at 12:00. Weekdays, it closes at 23:00, and on Fri. and Sat. at 24:00. The Dippemess will be closed on 6 April because it is Good Friday, which is an official Holiday in Germany.

The rides can be a bit pricey, so if you have kids that like rides or if you are like me, secretly like being spun around at top speed, upside down, and to the beat of loud rock music, then Thursdays are the day to go because Thursday is Family Day and the rides are half-priced. For the best views of Frankfurt, take a ride on the Giant Ferris Wheel.

Many of the stands have tents and tables to sit at, so you can enjoy your bratwurst and beer sitting down. Applewine and regular wines are available, as well as lots of non-alcoholic drinks. Other fair foods on offer - Potato pancakes, Calamaris & various Fish sandwiches, Chocolate dipped fruit, Sausage sandwiches, Döner Kebabs, Corn on the cob, Ice Cream, Crepes, Waffels, Pork Steak sandwiches, Kidney stew, Roast Pork & Roast chicken, Baked Potatoes, Tempura Veg., Asian noodles and much more. There are also stands with all kinds of stuff for sale, t-shirts, flags, pottery, souvenir type items, spices and cookware.

How do you get there? The easiest is to take the U-7 to the Eissport Halle stop. Or take Tram #12 there. Other options would be the #14 tram and get off at Wittelsbacher Allee and walk 5 min. or the U-4 or Bus 34 and get off at Bornheim Mitte, and walk about 7 min. to the Eissporthalle. DO NOT DRIVE here. There is no parking available. You can get a group day ticket in Frankfurt for all the public transportation for only 9.50 euro which will be valid for up to 5 people. Evenings can get really crowded if the weather is nice, so be prepared.

Have fun at the Dippemess!

April Events in Frankfurt & the Rhine Main Region

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Holidays in April - Good Friday, 6 April, most museums will be closed, as will all the stores
Easter and Easter Monday, 8 & 9 April, stores are closed, museums may or may not be open. Check their websites.

Luminale - 15-20 April, along with the Light+Building Trade Fair (see extra post about the Luminale)

* 1-22 April, Spring Dippemess, Frankfurt
* 1 April, Vintage Car Meeting, Bad Nauheim
* 21 April, Night of the Museums, Frankfurt
* 21 April, Spring Festival, Altenstadt
* 21-22 April, Spring Market, Seligenstadt City Center
* 28 April, SATOURDAY, Frankfurt free museum day (check our post that lists which ones)
* 28 Apr.-1 May, Medieval Market, Ronneburg Castle
* 28-29 April, Whiskey Fair, Limburg City Hall
* 30 May, Walpurgis Night, Ronneburg Castle

We will be happy to add a visit to any of these events to your private tour, if you let us know in advance.

Frankfurt Luminale, 15-20 April 2012

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Every other year, during the Light + Building Trade Fair, the Luminale is held in Frankfurt. This is an art extravaganza held through-out the city, featuring art made with lights. Photographers love this, as it is all so creative and it is fun to tramp around the city all evening long taking pictures. Museums, historical buildings, churches, factories, parks, bridges and skyscrapers may all be part of the show. Shuttle buses will offer rides to all of the locations.

For more information about what the Luminale is and to enable you to check back later on to see what the program will be, locations, etc., here is the official website:
Luminapolis

Here is a video of the last Luminale
Luminale 2010 Video

May Events in Frankfurt & the Rhine Main Region

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May 1 and 17, are Holidays, stores will be closed.
May 27 & 28 is Pentecost / Pfingsten, stores are closed.

* 5-6 May, Textile Fair, Seligenstadt, Monastery
* 5-6 May, Plant & Flower Market, Hessenpark
* 5 May, Organ Matinee, Frankfurt Kaiserdom, 12:30, Free
* 5-10 May, Green Sauce Festival, Frankfurt Ross Markt
* 10-12 May, Sparkling Wine Festival, Bingen & Rheingau
* 17-20 May, Garden Festival, Bad Nauheim, Goldstein Park
* 18-20 May, Jugendstil Festival, Darmstadt, Mathilda Heights
* 18-20 May, Wine Festival, Bad Homburg
* 18-20 May, Jousting Fest & Medieval Market, Koenigstein im Taunus
* 19-20 May, Craftsmans Market, Seligenstadt Monastery Gardens
* 24-27 May, Spring Festival, Bad Vilbel
* 25-28 May, International Equestrian Show, Wiesbaden
* 26 May, Pealing of the Bells, Frankfurt, 16:30, Alt Stadt
* 26 May, SATOURDAY, Frankfurt Free Museum Day, (see our SATOURDAY post)
* 26-28 May, Medieval Market, Muenzenburg Castle Ruins
* 26-28 May, Jousting Tournament, Ronneburg Castle
* 26-29 May, Waeldchestag Festival, Frankfurt City Forest
* 27 May, Open Air Classical Concert, Bad Vilbel

If there is an event or festival you would like to visit while you are in Frankfurt, please let us know. We are also happy to add any of these events to your private tour, time allowing.

June Events in Frankfurt & the Rhine Main Region

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* 7-10 June, German Choir Festival, Frankfurt (various downtown locations) Hotels may be full during this event. 400 Choirs will be attending this Festival.

* 1-3 June, Assmanshausen in Red, Assmanshausen
* 1-4 June, Fountain Festival, Oberursel
* 2-3 June, Rose Festival, Eltville am Rhine
* 7-10 June, Rose & Light Festival, Frankfurt Palmengarten
* 13 June, J.P.Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge, Frankfurt City Center
* 15-17 June, Summer in the City, Seligenstadt
* 15-18 June, Strawberry Festival, Erbach in Eltville am Rhine
* 16-17 June, Main Embankment Fest, Offenbach
* 22-25 June, Apple Wine Festival, Langen
* 22-25 June, Johannis Night, Mainz City Center & Cathedral
* 22-24 June, Old Town Festival, Limburg
* 23-24 June, International Ceramics Market, Hanau
* 24 June, Vintage Car Meet, Ruesselsheim, Verna Park & Fortress
* 29 June-22 July, Bad Homburg Summer, Spa Park Bad Homburg v.d. Hoehe
* 30 June, Vintage Car Meeting, Seligenstadt

If you would like us to add a visit to any of these events to your private or layover tour, please let us know.

Frankfurt Airport Regional Train Station

2012-01-16T12:04:00.000+01:00

If you have arrived in Frankfurt by plane, and need to know how to get into the city to meet up with us to go on a "Frankfurt on Foot" walking tour, here are some step by step instructions for taking the trains. It is quite fast, with a train only taking 11 min. (3 stops from the airport) to the Main Train Station - Hauptbahnhof, or a couple of minutes more (5 stops from the airport) if you would like to get off at the Hauptwache (the stop you need to get to our tour Meeting Point) or the next stop Konstablerwache (6 stops from the airport). There is usually a train every 15-20 min. and they run from very early in the morning til quite late at night.
How to find the train station in this huge airport? To start with, there are two of stations. If you are just coming into Frankfurt or going to Mainz or Wiesbaden, you should follow the signs for Regional Trains or S-Bahn. (look for the big green S) This station is under Terminal 1 by Arrival Hall B-1, and the signs will be in English. Just take the escalator downstairs and for Frankfurt go to track #1. For Mainz or Wiesbaden, you would go to tracks #2 or #3. This is where the S-bahns 8 and 9 normally stop. There is also an RMV ticket machine here.

If you are catching a long distance train - like the ICE, it will most likely arrive at the Fernbahnhof - or Long Distance Train station. Again, follow the signs, though this is located sort of across from Terminal 1. If you land at Terminal 2, simply take the Sky Train, a fun little monorail over to Terminal 1. If you have kids, they will love this monorail. Heck, I even like riding it. It should only take about 5-6 minutes to go from Terminal 2 to the Regional Train station.

Cost - a single ticket, one way (einzel fahrt) costs 4.10 euro.This ticket will take you into Frankfurt city center by train and is also valid to get to your final destination by tram, bus, S-bahn or U-bahn, as long as you keep traveling without a break. An all day ticket (Ganz Tag) for one person that includes travel to and from the airport as well as all public transportation in the city, is 8.00 euro. Going to Mainz or Wiesbaden will cost the same amount.
A group ticket (gruppen karte) costs 14.90 euro. This ticket would be good for up to 5 people and is valid all day long, getting to and from the airport and on all forms of transportation in Frankfurt. A good choice for 2 or more people. These are NOT 24 hour tickets, they are only good for the day of purchase until the trains, etc. stop running for the day, usually around 1 a.m. Going to Mainz or Wiesbaden from the airport costs the same amount as going to Frankfurt.

The RMV and DB share ticket machines now and they are all touch screens. They switch into English and are fairly user friendly. The machines take coins, 5 and 10 euro bills for single tickets and if you are getting a group ticket it will take a 20 euro bill. It will NOT take a 50 euro bill. Change will be in coins.
RMV machines do not take credit cards.

In Frankfurt you do not need to validate your ticket unlike some other cities in Germany. It is all on the honor system. If you do not have a ticket though, you will be fined 40 euro immediately.

There is a DB Travel Center located right next to the escalators for the Regional Train Station. They can print your tickets for you (this will cost you 2 euro), take credit cards for payments and give you information about schedules and so on.

I love the trains here and hope you enjoy them too. There are several articles about using trains on this blog, so use our Search Function to find out more information about ticket specials or using the public transportation in Frankfurt.
All About Trains in Germany, Brian's Guide to Getting Around

Holocaust Memorials in Frankfurt

2012-01-15T08:10:00.000+01:00

When you come on the daily walking tour with "Frankfurt on Foot", one of our most important stops, is at the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall, as well as a stop by the site of the old Jewish Ghetto and the Stumble Stones.

- The Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall is located next to the Judengasse Museum and surrounds the medieval Jewish cemetery. There are now over 12,000 names on the wall, all in alphabetical order. The Jewish Museum, located along the river, has a data bank where relatives can look up their family members for more information, such as their relatives former home address and the deportation lists. Anne Frank and her sister Margot, are on this wall since they were born in Frankfurt. Their mother, Edith Frank is also included. The fact that none of these people have a personal grave or gravestone makes it so important that their names be remembered, and so that families actually have a spot where they can come, grieve and pay their respects.

- Homosexual Holocaust Memorial. This is located about a block behind Karstadt department store and the Zeil. It is a beautiful angel that has had its neck broken and then put back on and had its wings clipped. The nazis believed that Homosexuals were broken and needed to be "fixed", so the sculptor did this on purpose. If you go here, turn around and you will see another angel up on the corner of the building behind you, looking down on the memorial.

- Jehovah Witness Memorial. Frankfurt deported around 150 Jehovah Witnesses and 15 of them died in concentration camps. Location is Rohrbach Str. 56.

- Roma & Sinti Memorials. There are several of these around the city as Frankfurt had one of the largest Gypsy populations. Main location is the main cemetery, Hauptfriedhof.

- Slave Laborers Memorial. The city cemetery, Hauptfriedhor, has a memorial built to honor the thousands of slave laborers and POW's who lost their lives here in Frankfurt, mostly due to starvation, death marches and the fact that during a bombing raid, they usually were not allowed in the "good" shelters.

- Stolper Stein (Stumble Stones). There are around 400 of these brass cobblestones installed in Frankfurt. Germany has around 32,000 total, with more being installed every year. These stones commemorate those who were for multiple reasons, murdered by the nazis. We stop by these on our walking tour.

Please see the link, which is in German, but does list the locations in Frankfurt.
www.stadtgeschichte-ffm.de/service/gedenktafeln/einleitung.html

We can include any of these Memorials on your private tour if you would like to visit them.

Monday Activities in Frankfurt?

2012-01-14T05:10:00.000+01:00

Frankfurt, like most cities in Germany, have many of their museums and art galleries closed on Mondays. So, the question often comes up during our "Frankfurt on Foot" walking tours:
"What can we do on Mondays?"
If you haven't already gone on a walking tour with us, then come walk with us on Monday mornings at 10:30

After your tour, or if you walked with us on a different day:

* Walk across the Alte Brucke going to Sachsenhausen and visit the Deutsche Ordenskirche (Teutonic Order of Knights Church) located next to the Ikon Museum. Built in 1309 and suffering very little damage in the war, this church has some beautiful frescos in its baptism chapel dating from the early 1400's, as well as some wonderful old altars along the walls. Interesting wall friezes of the life of St. Elizabeth and the story of St.George slaying the dragon.
* Go view the massive scale model of Frankfurt located in the atrium of the Planungsdezernat Amt. This is in the same building as the Judengasse Museum located on Kurt Schumacher Str. Great idea to orient yourself where everything is in the city. Open weekdays, 9-5
* View the Joerge Ratgeb frescos in the Karmeliter Cloister, which are open weekdays from 08:30-17:00, a big plus, is that they are free. Located on Bethmann strasse, right around the corner from the Römer. Recommend renting one of the audio guides for detailed info on these wall paintings.
* Visit the top of the Main Tower, Magnificent view day or night!
* Walk to the top of the Kaiserdom. Only 3 euro and 323 steps gets you a stunning view.
* Visit the Palmengarten
* The Frankfurt Zoo is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year
* The Goethe House opens at 14:00 on Mondays.
* Senckenberg Natural History Museum - Great dinosaurs, fascinating for the kids, but adults will enjoy it too.
* The Geld Museum (Money Museum) is open on Mondays from 10:00-17:00 and it's free.
* Go swimming at Rebstock Bad or one of the other great pools in Frankfurt, like Panorama Bad, or the Taunus Therme at the Nordwest Zentrum Mall.
* Stroll through the Klein Markt Halle and see what kind of samples are available for tasting and get some great fruit and veggie photos.
* The Kaiserdom, Liebfrauen Church and the Alte Nikolai are always open
* Visit the neighborhood of Hoechst, which has a multitude of lovely half-timbered houses as well as the Bolangaro Palace, Schloss and the Justinus Church - built in 850 (closed weekdays in the winter)

* Window shop around all the galleries that fill the neighborhood around the Kaiserdom.
* Explore the neighborhoods of Bornheim, Bockenheim, Sachsenhausen, Nordend, and Westend. You will be amazed and pleasantly surprised at all the beautiful, old architecture that is here in Frankfurt. Streets to look for - Berger Strasse, Schweizer Strasse, Oeder Weg, Leipziger Strasse
* Walk through the I.G.Farben building, which is part of the University campus. Amazing 1930's architecture & once the biggest building in Europe, this was headquarters for the American Military after the war. Eisenhower had his office here. Ride the Pater Noster for a fun and unusual experience.
* Visit the Grueneburg Park next door to the I.G. Farben building and the Palmengarten. Nestled in the trees is a lovely Greek Orthodox church which almost looks like a jewel sitting there. Nearby is the Korean Pavilion.
* Shop for treasures at some of the indoor flea markets in Frankfurt

All of these spots are ideal places to visit during a private tour. Just let us know what you would like to see.

Frankfurt Grüne Sosse or Green Sauce

2012-01-13T07:48:00.000+01:00

This is my favorite Frankfurt speciality. Though the name sounds a bit odd, it is absolutely delicious and you won't be able to find this any place but in Hessen, but mainly just in Frankfurt and a few surrounding towns.

Green Sauce is a mixture of 7 specific herbs, chopped fine, and most often mixed with a combination of sour cream, joghurt or creme fraiche (some use mayonaise; but not purists), a bit of oil, vinegar, and mustard, salt and pepper and then served over boiled potatoes with a couple of hard-boiled eggs. Some restaurants will serve it with boiled beef or fried fish, but it can be a full meal just with potatoes. One of the more popular menu items that you can try is the "Frankfurter Schnitzel", which is a schnitzel topped with Gruene Sosse.

The herbs can change a tiny bit due to the seasons, but traditionally it is parsley, chives, cress, sorrel, chervil, borrage, & salad burnet. Dill is usually never a substitute, but broad leaf plantain (not that banana looking thing!) or dandelion greens can be substituted. Most of the herbs are grown in the Oberad neighborhood of Frankfurt so it is truly a local dish. There is even a monument there to this yummy dish. - 7 little green plexi-glass houses, each one with the name of one of the herbs engraved inside.

There is a lot of contention about when & where Gruene Sosse originated, but all the signs point to the Huguenots who immigrated to the Frankfurt area when they were being persecuted in France. It supposedly dates back to at least the 1700's and was a favorite dish of Goethe.

People take their Gruene Sosse seriously. There are organizations that are working on EU protection of it, that it can ONLY be made of these 7 herbs with no substitutions and that you can only sell it as "Frankfurt Gruene Sosse" if the herbs are grown in Frankfurt. Though you can get the herbs all year round, the traditional season is from Green Thursday (the day before Good Friday) until the first frost. At the Farmers markets or in the Klein Markt Halle, it is sold in white paper packets and the vendor will usually unroll it for you so you can see if it has enough of all the herbs to suit you. I often get an extra bunch of chives as I like that flavor. Some cooks insist on chopping up the herbs with a knife and others who are fine using a blender. It will have a different taste depending on the method used and it will also taste a bit different in every restaurant as everyone seems to have their own recipe for it.

On our walking tour, when we go through the Klein Markt Halle and point out the packets of herbs as well as the finished product at some of the stands, I tell people who are unsure if they will like it or not, that if they enjoy sour cream and chives on baked potatoes than they will probably enjoy Gruene Sosse too. So, I hope you will be adventurous and try this wonderful dish. Chances are good, that it will make you want to keep coming back to Frankfurt again and again, just to have some more. Now of course, you know my secret reason for living here: it's the Gruene Sosse!

Frankfurt Klein Markt Halle

2012-01-12T07:57:00.000+01:00

Frankfurts' Klein Markt Halle in the city center, is a busy and popular place to visit and to shop. Its origins date back to the 1890's when Frankfurt built one of those large glass and iron palace sort of places and filled it with stands selling all sorts of foods. Bakers, butchers, produce, fish, wine, you name it, it was all here. The building unfortunately was destroyed during the fire storm bombing in March 1944. The city quickly rebuilt it after the war, but in a pretty functional looking building. Many of the families running the stands have been doing this for generations. It is one of my favorite places to visit in the city, especially on cold winter days.

As you enter through the door on Hasengasse, which is the street that comes straight out of the Kaiserdom main entrance, you are greeted with big flower stands on the right side and a long row of butchers on the left side. Upstairs on the second floor, are the butchers selling wild meat, such as venison, boar, pheasant, duck or rabbit, many sorts of eggs and poultry, seafood shops, and an oyster bar, and Italian delicatessens. At the end of this upper level if you walk outside, is a wine bar. This is an extremely popular place to gather with friends for a glass of wine, though it can be a bit smoky. The entire downstairs area is filled with stands selling all kinds of delicious foods and delicacies. It is a gourmet cooks dream! The cheese stands draw me in every time, but the bakeries are a close second. Some stands pecialize in foreign delicacies such as Asian, Persian, Greek or Italian. On Fridays and Saturdays, when you walk past the stairs going to the cellar, you will see the fish swimming in a small tiled enclosure. You pick out your fish and the vendor proceeds to clean it for you, wrap it in foil and you are ready to go grilling. There are usually a few kids standing down there watching the whole procedure, fascinated by it all.

The produce stands are fabulous, carrying exotic fruits and veg with some that I have never seen before. Though they have the usual produce that you can get all year, this is the place to come to when you just have to have mini-asparagus for your dinner party on New Years eve, or luscious huge raspberries in Nov. You do pay the price for out-of season specialities naturally. They may have 10 kinds of potatoes, 15 kinds of tomatoes, lots of unusual mushrooms. including fresh black or white truffles, and fresh herbs of every kind. Do allow the vendors to pick out your produce for you. They take enormous pride in having everything look perfect and beautiful and they don't take kindly to people touching or poking at it.

Some of the butcher stands sell sandwiches, hot sausages, home-made potato salad and gruene sosse, a Frankfurt speciality. Long lines form at lunchtime from the neighboring downtown businesses. The place is packed on Saturdays, but that makes it even more fun. The hours are rather short, closing at 18:00 during the week and at 16:00 on Saturdays. If walking through the Klein Markt Halle has made you hungry, but you would like to sit down, try the restaurant "Markt Stubb", located upstairs where you first came in. They offer a delicious, very reasonably priced menu, in a very traditional German atmosphere.

I think you will like this place as much as I do. It is one of the most popular stops on the "Frankfurt on Foot" regular walking tour and is a great addition to your private tour.
Now if they were only open on Sundays too!

Frankfurt Farmer Markets

2012-01-11T17:04:00.000+01:00

Even in the winter, on almost a daily basis, except for Sunday and Monday, there will be an open produce market in some neighborhood in Frankfurt. For ease in writing, I am saying produce, but there will also be stands selling breads, cheeses, meats, seafood, flowers, wine, deli items, jewellery, spices, British foods, and even sheepskins. Often, a knife sharpener will have set up shop there too.

The vendors set up quite early in the morning and will always have the same spot. These markets are VERY popular with the residents of Frankfurt. The one in Bornheim on the Berger Strasse is held twice a week on Wed. and Sat. and is one of the largest. Going to the Schiller Strasse near the Stock Market on Fridays is a unique experience. The market runs the entire length of the street and there are many stands selling grilled foods, gruene sosse, sandwiches, and of course wursts of all kinds. All the tables will be filled with bankers, stock exchange traders, and secretaries having lunch, or after work get-togethers with a glass of wine. The "Frankfurt on Foot" walking tour visits this market on Fridays.

The Konstablerwache market, held on Thurs. and Sat. is immensely popular with the local residents of Frankfurt, eating and drinking wine from the Rhine as well as the Frankfurt "national drink" ,applewine. This is strictly a local produce market, so you won't find any oranges at this one, just products from the local farms near Frankfurt.

There are also markets in Sachsenhausen, Bockenheim, Friedberger, Hoechst, Hauptbahnhof Quarter, and Dornbusch Northend.

Many of the stands will have local produce or meat from their own farms, mostly organic, in German known as "Bio". The best part about the markets is the way they sell seasonal produce. When it is aparagus (spargel) season, all the tables will be piled high with white asparagus, though you can also get green or violet. Strawberry and cherry season are very highly awaited too. One gorges oneself on the stuff for about a month and then you wait until next year. Apples, broccoli, artichokes, plums, nectarines, or mushrooms, they all have a season, but not with the same hype as the asparagus, strawberries and cherries.

The vendors put their produce on sale near the end of the day and one can get GREAT bargains, plus it is fun to hear them yelling. I love simply walking through the markets, breathing in the aromas, admiring the colors and the lusciousness of the fresh fruits and veggies. Buying some fresh bread, some goats cheese, and some asparagus can just make my day. I hope you enjoy the markets too.

Produce Markets

If you would like to include a visit to one of the Farmers Markets on your private tour, please let us know. We will be happy to show you one of the highlights of living in Frankfurt.

Activities for Kids in Frankfurt

2012-01-10T09:09:00.000+01:00

Hopefully, this post will be useful to anyone traveling with children or if you live here and have children. Some of the activities will depend on the ages of the children naturally. All the links to the various activities and museums are on the "link list" on the right hand side of the page.

- The Frankfurt Zoo is popular with children and is quite good for a European zoo. Open 7 days a week.
- Kinder Museum (Childrens Museum) - This is located at the Hauptwache. They recommend an age of 6 and up. They will also do birthday parties.
- Communication Museum - This is a fairly interactive museum, with postal train wagons to climb in, various workshops to create and build things pertaining to communication and everything about the mail service, phones, radio and TV in Germany. If you go all the way to the top, they often have volunteers in this section showing how ham radios work.
- Senckenburg Natural History Musuem - Better known as the dinosaur museum, this is always a favorite. The Egyptian mummies are often a hit, as well as the many dino skeletons. One floor has row after row of glass cases containing stuffed animals from around the world in imitations of their natural habitat. They always have great changing exhibits too. A big plus is that they are open 7 days a week.
- Palmengarten - Besides having all the lovely botanical houses, it also has a couple of great playgrounds, a pond with row boats to rent, and a small train to ride. Open 7 days a week.
- Verkehrs (Tram) Museum - Lots of old trams to climb on and into. Fun for grownups and for kids. Some of our friends who have gone there with their boys rave about this place. Any budding Casey Jones out there? Only open Sundays and holidays
- Main Tower - I think most kids like going up in tall buildings and looking at the teeny tiny cars and people far down below. The view at night is spectacular. See my seperate post Open 7 days a week.
- Eisporthalle (Ice Skating Rink) - Open through most of the year (but not in the summer), it can be really fun during the winter when they open their huge outdoor ring to skate on. The "Frankfurt Lions" ice hockey team are pretty popular and their games are always exciting events. See my seperate post about Ice Skating in Frankfurt. Teens may like the Ice Disco on selected Sat. nights.
- Swimming Pools - Frankfurt has its share of indoor and outdoor pools as well as a great adventure pool, Rebstock Bad. Kids love the wave pool and slides here, and they have a seperate small child area. See my seperate post about pools.
Kaiserdom Steeple - Climb to the top of the Kaiserdom, up a small, spiral staircase, 323 steps. Once at the top, you get a great view of the city that is completely different from the view from the Main Tower. (no toilets up here!)
My Zeil - If you have little ones who want to play and you would like to shop, My Zeil has a facility at the top for doing just that. For a price, you can drop of the kids for a couple of hours, or sit and have a burger while they play.
Lego Store - My Zeil also has a Lego store and they are very welcoming about having children sit there for hours making things. They have extra play tables for this.

City Forest and Parks - there are dozens of parks all over Frankfurt, but one of the nicest is the City Forest on the Sachsenhausen side of Frankfurt. Fabulous playground here. Also check out Bethmann Park, Ost Park, Gunthersburg Park. In the summer, many of the parks have water play, so make sure to bring a towel and a change of clothes.

One Day in Frankfurt - What to See and Do

2012-01-09T13:24:00.000+01:00

If you only have one day to spend in Frankfurt, here are a few suggested options that should satisfy various interests and age groups. Of course, we hope that you will come on our Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tour, as this is the easiest way to cover many of the hightlights of the city listed below, but if the times don't match your schedule, you might want to consider booking one of our private or Layover tours, as this is the most convenient way to see many of these sites.

Option A. - Römerberg, Alte Nikolai, Haus Wertheim, Jörge Ratgeb Wall Paintings in the Karmeliter Cloister, Pauls Kirche, the old Palace and Roman Bath Ruins, the Kaiserdom, the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall, the Leinwand Haus, the Klein Markt Halle, Eschenheimer Turm, Alte Oper, and then go up on the Main Tower for sunset, have dinner at the Friedberger Warte or the Sachsenhausen Warte.

Option B. - Add in the Deutsche Ordens Church built in 1309, visit the Palmengarten, take tram #12 to Bornheim on Wed. or Sat. for the Farmers Market and a walk down the Berger strasse with a stop in the Chinese Garden at Bethmann Park, on Fri. visit the market on Schiller Strasse, or at the Konstablerwache on Thurs.and Sat. When evening comes, take a walk through Alt Sachsenhausen with dinner in one of the old applewine pubs, like Dauth-Schneiders.

Option C with kids under 12 - Visit the Kinder Museum, My Zeil, the Communication Museum, Senckenburg Museum of Natural History, the Palmengarten, go up to the top of the Main Tower (especially cool at sunset and after dark), go swimming at Rebstock Bad with its' wave pool, slides and sauna, on Sundays you can visit the Antique Tram Museum and check out all the old trams. Have dinner at one of the cafes that surround the Römer, so the kids can run around and you can watch the buskers perform that are often there.

Option D - if you haven't been able to get to any old towns while here in Germany, then make plans to visit the Frankfurt neighborhood of Hoechst. There, you can walk through a dry moat next to the old city wall, see lots of original half-timbered houses lining narrow cobble-stoned streets, the Bolongaro palace and a schloss, as well as St.Justinus, one of the oldest churches in Germany built in 850. Have dinner up on the wall at the Alte Zoll Wache. A visit to the Hoechst Porcelain Factory would also be interesting. Tram #11 goes there and lets you see lots of Frankfurt as the ride takes about 45 min. or you can cut the time to 10 min. using the S-bahn 1 or 2 from the Hauptbahnhof.

Museum recommendations if you only have one day (and it isn't a Monday) and depending on your interests: Liebieg Haus for sculpture, Judengasse & the Jewish Museum, the Archeology Museum, the Schirn, Museum of Modern Art, the Kunsthandwerk Museum. Many of the museums stay open late on Wed. and Thurs. but are closed on Mondays.

Frankfurt and the City Bees

2012-01-08T18:23:00.000+01:00

Those of you who have been on our Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours, have heard about the City Bees of Frankfurt and you might find these links to be of interest. Amazing little creatures and so very important to our lives. We tend to give them too little attention, so I hope you enjoy reading more about the City Bees. Perhaps your own city has a similar project that you can learn more about or take part in. If your group would like to arrange a private tour to visit the hives and learn more about the City Bees, our local guides can help arrange this with sufficient notice

The bright yellow Bee Box, located diagonally from St. Leonhards church, is open on most Saturdays when you can purchase local Frankfurt honey and other bee products. Honey from other cities is also available for sale.

The first link is only partly in English, and it explains the City Bee project in Belfast, with the rest of the website in German, but it has lots of great photos. They even have photos of the bee hives on top of the Museum of Modern Art in downtown Frankfurt which is where this project began. The 2nd and 3rd links do a great job of explaining the hows and whys of City Bees.

City Bees in Frankfurt

Urban Bees Article - Spiegel

City Bees, Frankfurt and Other Cities

Free Things to Do in Frankfurt

2012-01-07T08:21:00.000+01:00

You 've gone on our Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tour and are looking for some more things to do that won't break the bank, or maybe you only have an afternoon here and missed the tour. Well, here is a small list of things that you might like to see that we usually recommend to people for extra activities and sightseeing. Any of these sites can be included on a private tour.

* Deutsche Ordens Kirche (Teutonic Order of Knights Church) - built in 1309, open every day
* Geld Museum - open weekdays and Sat. but not on Sunday.
* Portikus - Small exhibit museum on the Alte Brucke that changes exhibits every 6 weeks (not open on Mondays)
* Joerge Ratgeb Frescos in the Karmeliter Cloister - Painted in 1513-1519, open 7 days a week
* Liebfrauen Church and Meditation Garden - built in 1340
* Chinese Garden in Bethmann Park
* Hoechst - Hidden gem of a neighborhood in Frankfurt
* Zeil Gallerie - Nice observation deck at 9 stories
* Klein Markt Halle on Hasengasse
* Frankfurt City Cemetery - peaceful place to walk and wonderful place for photographers
* Sachsenhausen - walk around the pub district, but go down the side streets too for lots of unique stores, especially Schweizer Strasse.
* Bornheim's Berger Strasse - Best street for people watching, cafes and a wide variety of small stores, stroll through the Farmers market on Wed. and Sat.
* I.G. Farben Building - University now, once American headquarters and formerly one of the largest buildings in Europe
* Korean Pavillion at Grueneburg Park
* Commerz Bank - walk through the lobby and gaze up through the Atrium, weekdays only
* Deutsche Bank lobby. Very interesting. Weekdays only
* The side streets around the Kaiserdom are filled with small galleries, great for window shopping
* St. Pauls Cemetery - Frankfurts oldest city graveyard, right behind Karstadt on the Zeil

So my friends, go out and enjoy the wonderful city of Frankfurt for free!
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Public Transportation in Frankfurt

2012-01-06T09:07:00.000+01:00

Since the city of Frankfurt has done such a good job of translating their website into English, I won't double up the info given to any extent, but will just give a few pointers of my own, mainly the questions we often get asked on our "Frankfurt on Foot" walking tours. The RMV link will give you directions to our "Meeting Point", if you type in either Dom / Roemer or Roemer / Paulskirche as your Destination.

Once you buy your ticket, it is good on all forms of transportation in the city. If you have a one way ticket (einzelfahrt), it is valid for however long it takes you to go from point A to point B, even if it means transfering from S-bahn, to U-bahn, to tram and then to a bus. It is NOT valid for a quick round-trip though.

Frankfurt works on the "honor system", so you do not have to validate your ticket or show it to anyone before getting on the train, BUT they do have controllers who do nothing but ride around all day and night, looking for people who thought they could ride for free. This will cost them 40 € if caught. I have seen these controllers at the oddest times, early morning, holidays and late at night. Sometimes I will go days or even weeks without getting checked and then get checked 3 times in one day. Make sure you keep your ticket until you get out of the station too, as they can control it there too, to keep vagrancy in the stations at a minimum.

* Buses - You may sometimes need to buy your ticket from the bus driver as there are often no ticket machines at the bus stops, but try not to give them big bills. If you are getting on the bus after 20:00, you need to get on in the front and show your ticket. The buses have an electronic sign at the front that tells the next stop, so push one of the red "stop" buttons ahead of time, to insure that the bus stops. Those with strollers, should get on in the middle of the bus. If you are in a wheelchair, the bus driver will flip open a ramp and the bus will actually tilt to one side a bit and after you get on, the driver will flip the ramp back up, though sometimes other passengers will help do this. They prefer that you not bring your bike on the bus during rush hour times as there just is no space. Most of the buses are air conditioned which can be lovely on a hot day.
* Strassenbahns (Trams or Streetcars) - These run on tracks in the middle of the street and are always above ground. If you have a stroller or wheelchair, they are a bit more difficult to get into, especially if they are the older type. The city has replaced a lot of them with newer ones that are easier to get into, but not all of them yet. The driver does not sell tickets or give out information. I like riding these to get a good view of the city, just hopping on and riding to the end of the line, then returning.
* U-Bahns - All of the U-Bahns run underground while they are in the city center and then emerge from a tunnel and travel above ground. They are easy to get into while underground, but more difficult above ground at certain stations. Wheelchair users might want to take this into consideration. People with strollers will usually have someone offer to help them, but if not, just ask. The driver does not sell tickets or give out info.
* S-Bahns - These also travel underground in the city center, but the difference between these and the U-Bahns is that they go farther out of the city, with one or both of their end destinations being other cities. This is the easy way to get to Mainz, Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, Hanau or Darmstadt. Late at night, in suburban locations, I advise sitting in the first car, near the driver.
* A single ticket for riding in the city is 2.50 €
*If you are going to be taking more than 2 trips in a day, then buying a day ticket or "tageskarte" for 6.00 € is a good deal. 2 to 5 people? Buy a "gruppenkarte" or group ticket for 9.50 € which will be valid the entire day. This is not a 24 hour ticket, it is only valid until the trains stop running, usually around 1 a.m. or so.
* Frankfurt also has "Hotel Guest Tickets" which at 7.90 € is a really good value. They are valid for 2 days and will also get you back and forth to the airport. Ask your hotel or Hostel if they offer these.
* Single trip tickets or "Einzelfahrt" are going to be more expensive during rush hours on weekdays, 0600-0900 and 1600-1830. Day tickets and Group tickets will stay the same price.
* Kids under 6 are free and 6-14 will need a youth ticket for 1.40 €
* The ticket machines will take bills up to 10 €. If the machine is broken, tell the driver.
* If you are only going a couple of stops, check your end destination on the ticket machine under "Kurzstrecke" or short trip to see if you can buy a cheaper ticket. If you can, then simply press the Kurzstrecke button on the ticket machine. Bus drivers will also sell these, but they will ask you where you are getting off to see if it is a valid Kurzstrecke.
* To change the language on the ticket machines, press the little button that sort of looks like a flag. It is not on the screen, but located all by itself under the screen on the metal front.
* From the airport, a one way ticket is 4.10 €, a single all-day ticket costs 8.00 € and an all-day group ticket for up to 5 people is 14.90 €.

A few of the stations in downtown Frankfurt, all of the Hauptbahnhof and all at the airport have new touch-screen ticket machines.Touch the screen to switch it to English.

Enjoy the Ride!
Frankfurt RMV Public Transportation Link

The Kaiserdom Steeple is Open

2012-01-05T17:52:00.000+01:00

After 13 years of being closed for total refurbishment both inside and out, the beautiful gothic steeple of the Frankfurt Kaiserdom is once again open to the public. For those of us willing to trek to the top on a winding spiral staircase of over 300 steps, we will be rewarded with one of the best views in the city. If the weather is really bad, they don't let you climb up there.
What will it cost to climbyour way to the top? Only 3 euro for Adults Kids are 1.50 or you can get a family card for 5 euro.
P.S.- there are no bathroom facilities at the top!
Enjoy the View!

Grocery Shopping in Frankfurt

2012-01-04T08:10:00.000+01:00

Grocery shopping can be a little bit different in Germany, but if you are like me, I get a kick our of going into stores in other countries.

What might be different in Germany from your country? You need to put either a 1 € or .50 € coin (or a special chip that many people carry with them) into the cart, which you will then get back when you are done using it, you will pay for your bags (9-40 cents depending on the type of bag you choose) if you do not have one with you, and you will need to bag your own groceries. Most stores have a choice of freezer bags, plastic bags, paper bags with handles, cloth bags and I have recently seen that Aldis has "bio" bags which are biodegradable. Many stores will be very narrow, with barely enough room for 2 carts passing each other, though this too is changing.

Frankfurt, like any other large city in Germany has a wide assortment of chain stores to pick from. They also have a lot of small, privately run stores. Every neighborhood will have several bakeries, one or two butchers, and usually a Turkish store selling produce, halal meat and other products. I like to get my feta cheese, olives, spices, fresh ground meat, lamb and a delicious bread, called fladen brot, in these stores.

The most popular discount stores are Lidl and Aldi. Their products are really a bargain, but mostly good quality too. You do have to move quick at the check-out, so put your items immediately in your cart! Toom Market has huge, American style shopping and they are often located at shopping malls, like Hessen Center. Rewe and Penny Markt are everywhere. Tegut is becoming popular and it is unusual in that most of their products are organic. Organic products make up over half of Aldis selections too. "Bio" is the common term used to denote Organic foods.

If you want strictly health food items, meat substitue products or a large selection of Gluten Free items, then you would go to a Reform Haus. There is usually one in every neighborhood. Most stores do carry gluten free items.

The 2 big department stores downtown, "Galleria Kaufhof" and "Karstadt", have fairly large grocery stores in the lower level. Pricier naturally, but they do carry a lot of gourmet items and American products. Don't be surprised to see Oreos for 6 euros! Both stores have a huge chocolate section.

For late night shopping downtown, visit the large Rewe located on the lower level in "My Zeil". They are open until midnight, 6 days a week. Sorry, still no Sunday shopping here.

It is easy to get items to make a great picnic lunch, and most stores sell individual brotchen, and small packs of cheeses and meats and even packaged salads and fruit cups, or joghurt and puddings. Prices are reasonable and I think quite comparable to American prices, though meat might be a higher price. Many bakeries and butchers also sell ready made sandwiches. Then of course, there are the many Farmers' Markets and the Klein Markt Halle where you can get most of the items for a delicous meal.

I hope you enjoy grocery shopping as much as I do when I go traveling!

Where Can I Buy English Books & Magazines?

2012-01-03T08:22:00.000+01:00

Luckily for us, Frankfurt has a large population of native English speakers, so finding English books is rather easy. One can always find reading material out at the airport or at the train station, but it isn't the same as wandering around a nice bookstore. If you just want an English newspaper, many kiosks in town will have them available.

- Hugendubel is the largest bookstore in town and includes a nice cafe on the lower level where you can sit, read and drink your cappuccino while enjoying a brownie or muffin. The English section is located at the street level and has its own entrance, but is also connected with the rest of the store. They offer a fairly wide assortment and include popular magazines too. If you do not see what you want, they can order if for you and it will often be there the next day at no extra charge. Steinweg 12, (069) 01801-484484 www.hugendubel.de

- British Bookshop is a wonderful, cosy little bookstore where you can spend your time searching the many shelves for what you want. They also will order books for you. If there are other English services you are looking for, they always seem to have a lot of notices in their windows. Helpful for newcomers to the city. Börsenstrasse 17, www.british-bookshop.de

- Readers Corner is handily located right across from the Eschenheimer Turm. They will also be happy to order books for you.
Stiftstrasse 36 (069) 36605934

If you want a bargain, you can also look in Oxfams as they often have English books here. Located just a block off the Zeil, and around the corner from the Klein Markt Halle, they are easy to reach. Töngesgasse 35

The large department stores, Galleria Kaufhof or Karstadt will also have a small selection of books.

If you live in Frankfurt, I would suggest getting a library card, as the libraries have a goodly number of English books to choose from. The main city library is on the corner of Hasengasse andTöngesgasse, across from the Klein Markt Halle and 1 block from the Zeil walking towards the Dom.

For the ultimate experience though, make plans to visit the Frankfurt Book Fair in October on the last day and go to the English hall. This is a book lovers dream come true. Outside of the Festhalle you will find sellers of used books and they always have some English books for sale. These sellers will be there every day of the fair.
Frankfurt Book Fair - 12-16 Oct. Open to the public on 15 & 16 Oct.

Alte Nikolai Carlillon in Frankfurt

2012-01-02T17:30:00.000+01:00

If you have never been on the Roemerberg on a Wednesday at 12:10 to hear the Glockenspiel or Carillon, you have missed something special. The Alte Nikolai is the only church in Frankfurt with a Carillon of bells and they have a fantastic, professional carillonist to play them - Yuko Tajima.
Here is a little video that "Newcomers Connection" made about Yuko where you can see her playing and hear the beauty of these bells.

Yuko Tajima Playing the Carillon in Alte Nikolai

What an amazing skill to possess. The Alte Nikolai carillon has 47 bells, and as you can see in the video, it is played by hitting the wooden handles with your fists or with foot pedals. Though the Netherlands has 180 of these carillon, Germany only has 41, so we are lucky to have one here in the middle of the city where all can hear it, and also to have a talented carillonist like Frau Tajima.

Growing up in Japan, studying the piano and organ, Yuko had always loved the sound of these bells. She eventually went to Amsterdam and began studying the carillon. After going back and forth between Japan and the Netherlands for 7 years to study, she spent the last 6 months with a Dutch family and finished getting her diploma. Once she moved to Frankfurt, she found out that the Alte Nikolai had a carillon and approached the pastor, Dr. Myers, asking if she could volunteer to play. With a resounding Yes!, she prepared for her first session in Frankfurt with a varied selection of music. Her first date to play? Sept. 12, 2001. She quickly changed her selections and played songs that would reflect the grief over the loss of lives in America from the day before.

On June 12th 2009, Yuko played a lovely selection of songs in honor of Anne Franks 80th birthday in conjunction with 2 special tours offered by Frankfurt on Foot, that day. Anne had written in her diary how reassured she felt, listening to the carillon of the West Church that could be seen out of her window in the "annex". Yuko had picked out songs that she thought Anne might have listened to while she was growing up, both here in Frankfurt and in Amsterdam. I can't tell you what a special treat it was to be up on the gallery of the Alte Nikolai, looking down on the crowds on the Römerberg, and being able to listen to these wonderful old songs.

If you would like to hear these lovely bells played with such passion and skill, then make sure you are downtown at the Römer on most Wednesdays of the year at 12:10. For 40 minutes, Yuko plays for our enjoyment. I was so astonished one time to hear the bells ringing "Love Me Tender" by Elvis. Two years ago for a special event, even the Rolling Stones got played. I never imagined that these bells could be so versatile, with the right person playing them. Yuko's playing can be heard on several holidays of the year, like Christmas or Easter, or for special events. The bells also play 2 songs every day at 09:05, 12:05, & 17:05 and are part of the 4 times a year, Pealing of the Bells.

Main Tower Observation Deck

2012-01-01T09:16:00.000+01:00

If you are going to be in Frankfurt, the only city in Germany with a skyline, then it is well worth your time to visit the observation deck in the Main Tower located at 200 meters or the 54th floor. If it is a somewhat clear day outside, we always recommend to the people on our "Frankfurt on Foot" walking tours to take a ride to the top. You get an amazing view and it is almost impossible to take a bad picture from up here. They all will look great! Why not take a picnic lunch while you enjoy the view? Sunsets are particularly spectacular from this heigth. This is a perfect stop to include on your private tour.

One of the nice things about the Main Tower, is that all around the edge of the observation deck, they have a silhouette of whatever important building, etc., you are looking at, and it tells you the name of it. This is really good for getting orientated to where things are in the city. One of the most amazing buildings you will see, is a huge, long, yellowish building out in the direction of the Taunus Mountains (you can see it in the photo). This is the I.G Farben building. At the time it was built, it was the largest building in Europe. After the war, it became Allied Headquarters and Eisenhower had his office there., but today it is the Goethe University. If you have time, go take a walk through it.

The Main Tower has a restaurant and bar just a floor or so below the observation deck, and they are one of the "Top Ten" of Frankfurt, in the exclusive restaurant category. You will need reservations for the restaurant and a few Euro too! Perfect spot for an anniversary or other special occasion.

If you are going up in the tower, there is an entrance fee and you will also need to go through a security check at the entrance. Fortunately they are open 7 days a week
Summer: Sun.- Th. 10:00 - 21:00 Fri. and Sat. 10:00-23:00
Winter: Sun.- Th. 10:00-19:00 Fri. and Sat. 10:00-21:00
My recommendation is to go up right before dusk and then stay there until it gets dark. It is absolutely gorgeous when you see the city spread out before you with all the lights.

Prices: 5 € for Adults 3.50 € for kids & seniors

The Exhibit area is also open M-F from 08:00-20:00 Sat.& Sun. 10:00-16:00
There is some absolutely stunning artwork in this building. Make sure you see Stephan Huber's work, "Frankfurt Stairway XXth Century" which is a huge mosaic of famous Frankfurt citizens. See if you can find Anne Frank in their midst. On the Main Tower website, they have photos of all the artwork, so make sure you check it out.

If you aren't quite sure which building it is, look for the round building that says "Helaba" and has a red & white pole on top. It is right around the corner from the Alte Oper.

www.maintower.de/hlb/generator/Sites/Maintower/wwwroot/hpMaintower.en.html

Frankfurt Flea Markets

2012-01-01T08:57:00.000+01:00

One of the favorite places for guests on our "Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours" to go to on Saturdays after their tour, is to the Flea Market, especially if it is the week that is on the Main River, running along the Museum Mile.

The Flea Market in Frankfurt has been going on for many a year. Every Saturday, folks would gather along the Main riverbank beginning at the Eisener Steg bridge and buy and sell to their hearts delight. A few years ago, it began switching locations every other week, with it being on the river bank one week, and the other week, it is located at the East Harbor. The Flea Market at the East Harbor (Ost hafen) is easy to get to, just take the #11 tram from the Römer (our tour meeting point) to Lindley Strasse. This is about a 5 minute ride from the Römer. One is expected to bargain, and the later in the day it gets, the better the bargains get, as long as you don't mind risking losing that special treasure you had your eye on. There are 2 levels at the river location and the one down by the river is mainly clothes. This becomes a mad house at the end of the market.
Hours are from 09:00-16:00 at both locations.
Frankfurt Flea Market

There are other flea markets held in Frankfurt, most notably at the Bornheim Saalbau, the Eisporthalle parking lot, Jahrhunderthalle and various churches and kindergartens. There are often Antique or Trödel markets combined with these and one of my favorite places to buy German souvenirs. People don't have yard sales or garage sales, so this is the best way to find all kinds of stuff. Check back here for dates, or check on our Facebook Fan page.

For an indoor flea market that is open every day except Sundays, located on Sandweg in Bornheim: Leipold Markt

In the downtown area, located on the Fahrgasse 86 (right around the corner from the Konstablerwache) & also at Grosse Friedberger Str. 27
raus-aus-dem-keller flea market
Oh, and the German name for Flea Market - "Floh Markt"

Frankfurt Neighborhood - Hoechst

2011-12-09T20:24:00.000+01:00

Hoechst is the most interesting and oldest of Frankfurts' neighborhoods. Once a small town with a palace and defensive walls, it was annexed onto Frankfurt in 1928. First mentioned in 790, it received town priveleges from Emperor Charles the IV in 1355 as well as permission to hold a market every Tuesday.

Today, the market still takes place but on Tuesday & Saturday mornings from 06:30 until 13:00. Hoechst has 2 palaces as well as a wonderful Old Town section, filled with half-timbered (fachwerk) houses built in the 1500's. The prettiest part is walking along the river banks where the Nidda River merges into the Main River. The old defensive walls line the river bank, boats are anchored along the shore, including a hotel boat, the gardens of the Bolangaro Palace beckon to be seen, and if you go through the small, arched tunnel next to the playground, you will be walking in the dry moat of the Schloss.

Near the Market area is the St.Justinus Church, one of Germanys' oldest churches. Begun in 830, it was consecrated in 850 and has survived intact through all these many years. The columns in the church that line the nave are very unique, supposedly one of a kind. The opening hours are very limited in the summer, Tues. thru Sun. 14:00-16:00, and in winter, Sat. and Sun. from 14:00-16:00. Visit the authentic Antoniter herb garden behind the church to see the herbs the monks used to cure "ergotism or St. Anthonys Fire". In the summer and during Advent, they offer wonderful organ concerts, so do check the website.
http://www.justinuskirche.de/

How to get here? Take the S-2, or S-3 to Hoechst Bahnhof or you can take the #11 tram from the Hauptbahnhof or Roemer. It is quite a long ride, but interesting as it passes through Gallus and Nied. Once you get off, the Alt Stadt is just a few blocks away, simply head towards the river or look for the signs that say Alt Stadt.

If you have some extra time, consider stopping by the Höchst Porcelain Factory and watch how they create beautiful porcelain pieces from start to finish. Höchst Porcelain is the 2nd oldest porcelain manufacturer in Germany. (no production on weekends or holidays)
Höchst Porcelain Visitor Program

"Frankfurt on Foot" will be happy to add sightseeing in Höchst to your private or Layover tour. This is one of the best hidden gems of Frankfurt.

Büdingen, Historic Walled Town

2011-12-02T09:59:00.000+01:00

Buedingen is a gem of a town, that I first visited a few years ago and it left me with a desire to visit again. Last year, I got my chance while researching our "Frankfurt on Foot" Christmas Market Tours. Since then, have visited a dozen times or more. Located only an hours' train ride away from Frankfurt, this is the perfect Medieval town to visit. Never bombed and never burned down, Buedingen is an absolute original.

When you leave the train station, turn right and walk down this street. This section of town is a little bit non-descript, but with-in just a few blocks you start seeing half-timbered buildings (fachwerk) with various small businesses in them. All of a sudden, looming up in front of you, is the massive, red sand-stone Jerusalem Gate and the walls of Buedingen. They stretch out left and right from the gate, and are surrounded by a dry moat. The moat is the location for the Medieval Festivals held here each year. Walk through the gate and you are surrounded by one historic building after another. In fact, the entire town inside the walls is made up of these fachwerk buildings. The town is perfect for exploring, so take some time to do so. As you walk around, you will come upon the Market Square with the friendly Tourist Info on the corner. Lots of cosy cafes around here, beckening to come in and sit. The main part of the Christmas Market is held here. You might want to plan a visit to the 1950's museum located here too.

Continue walking through town and you will soon see the Schloss, a beautiful and unusual, 13 sided palace. Still occupied by the noble family since 15 generations, they have turned much of the palace into a hotel.

The scenery around Büdingen is stunning and is ideal for walking around and discovering the beauty of the Vogelwald Mountains, once home to the Celts and the Romans. Near-by Glauberg has the best museum for Celtic artifacts and history.

Multiple fests are held here, with Medieval ones being the most popular. The one they held last year was just about my favorite fest. Ever! You may also get a kick out of the giant ceramic frogs that are on many of the buildings. I am not going to tell you why they are there though, cause then it will ruin your fun of finding out for yourself.

If you would like to visit Büdingen on a private tour, please let us know. Our tour guides will be happy to make arrangements to show you this historical town.

Best Frankfurt Souvenirs

2011-12-01T10:08:00.000+01:00

There are several places that I like to recommend, when folks on our walking tours ask where they can find typical "Frankfurt Souvenirs". These stores all offer items that are a bit different then what you would find in the regular German souvenir stores, and most are hand-made.

* Töpferei Maurer - This store is located on Wallstrasse 5 in Sachsenhausen. The owners make and paint all of their own pottery, which is done with Frankfurt designs, mostly in the gray/blue colors. I was enchanted with this store from the moment I walked in. You can order personalized items or simply pick from a wide assortment of "Bembels" the traditional applewine jugs. All kinds of cups, mugs, pots, are also available, but they also make those beautiful little houses that you can put a candle in. I saw one of the Hauptwache that is calling to me! Check their online shop for those of you living farther away or if you just want to check prices. The photos at the top of this article are from their store.
www.keramik-maurer.de

* Kulturothek - Located on the small street that runs along the south side of the Klein Markt Halle, they have a wide assortment of very unique Frankfurt items. Like Goethe & Schiller salt and pepper shakers, a Frankfurt recipe book in English, slippers with "Frank" and "Furt" on them, wooden swords, felt crowns, wonderful knight outfits for kids, potholders, aprons, towels, and bags with Frankfurt skyline on them, all kinds of things to do with Grüne Sosse including a seed set to grow all the herbs needed, messenger bags with the map of Frankfurt on it, puzzles of Frankfurt, and my favorite - a little chest with individually wrapped cookies shaped like the Alte Oper, the Hauptbahnhof and the Römer. Sweet! Kulturothek also offers a wide variety of themed tours at very low prices, but mostly in German.
www.kulturothek.de/main.html

* Kaufhaus Hessen - Located at 288 Berger Strasse in Bornheim, this store offers a huge variety of local products, all made in Hessen or in Frankfurt. Whether you are looking for souvenirs or perhaps local wines, jellies, honeys, or sausages, this place has it all. Truly unique items and the owners are extremely friendly and helpful.
Kaufhaus Hessen

* Bürgerberatung - Sitting right on the edge of the Römerplatz, this store has a wide variety of "Frankfurt" items. Made in workshops staffed by handicapped individuals, purchasing your gifts here goes for a very good cause. You can get wooden Frankfurt skyline candle holders, all kinds of wonderful wooden toys, keychains, flip-books, cookie cutters, or even a CD with the 4 times a year "Pealing of the Bells" on it or a DVD with the computer generated film of the palace of 680 and how it grew. They close at 17:00 and are not open on Sundays or holidays.

* Frankfurter Dippemarkt - Located on the corner of Berliner strasse and Fahrgasse, diagonally from the Modern Art Museum, this store has a giant selection of every beer stein you would ever want. They also have a multitude of Frankfurt Grey/Blue Salt-glaze pottery items, pewter ware, garden gnomes and assorted other German items. The beer steins and some other items may not be made in Germany, but the Frankfurt pottery items will be.

My tip is to move away from the Römer souvenir stores with their mass-produced items that may or may not have come from Germany, and visit these stores for some wonderfully special, locally made gifts.

Erzgebirge Souvenirs in Frankfurt

2011-12-01T09:48:00.000+01:00

Attention: The Hasengasse Location will be having a holiday sale starting Tuesday.

When you visit a country, you might want to take some sort of souvenir home that is not only typical of the country, but that has also been made there. In Germany, tourists like to buy wooden Christmas decorations, but far too often, they haven't been made here. If you find a nutcracker or pyramid and the price is fantastically cheap, you have most likely found an imitation made in some other country than in Germany. To make sure you buy authentic, hand-made German crafts, you need to go to a reputable store for your souvenirs.

The Meeting Point for "Frankfurt on Foot" walking tours is about 25 feet away from this store on Braubachstrasse, so it is easy to find. Many of our guests like to browse in here before the tour begins and then come back here at the end of the tour to browse some more. Its location in a lovely, old building just seems to add to the special atmosphere of shopping there. There is a giant, red nutcracker standing guard by the front door. He is quite a handsome fellow and therefore a favorite photo op. They also have another, smaller store along the Hasengasse near to the Klein Markt Halle. Making a decision at either store about what to buy is SOOOOO difficult, as it is all so wonderful. I find myself attracted to the amusing smokers and their various "professions" but also to the tiny miniature carvings created inside of match-boxes or walnut shells. They will also have a stand at the Christmas market.

Though hand-carved wood objects such as smokers, nutcrackers, pyramids, and Christmas ornaments abound, you can find other treasures here too. Music boxes, miniatures, cuckoo clocks, angels, nativity sets, and some porcelain that is Frankfurt specific. If you have a doll house, you will love the dinner sets they have. They are cute enough to make you wish you had a doll house!

If you need to get gifts purchased and in the mail before the Christmas Markets open, then this is truly the store for you.

The website is in German, but I have been told it might get a translation in the near future. Everyone working in the store speaks English. They will also ship, and help you with the VAT forms.
Handwerkskunst
Braubachstrasse 39 Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00 Sun 11:00-20:00
Hasengasse 9, Mon.- Sat. 10:00 - 18:00
www.nussknacker-frankfurt.com

Church Services in Frankfurt

2011-11-28T21:10:00.000+01:00

We visit the Kaiserdom and Alte Nikolai on our daily walking tour and can also include them in your private tour.

Kaiserdom (Catholic) - in German, Daily - 0800 & most evenings at 18:00
Sun.- 10:00 & 18:00 In Croatian, Sun. - 12:00
Cleaning on Friday until 15:00 German tours every day at 15:00 3 €

Alte Nikolai (Lutheran) - Open every day of the year from 10:00 til 20:00 All services are in German Sun. 09:30 and often at 11:15

Trinity Lutheran - All in English, Sun. 11:00
1st Sunday of each month at 18:00, a praise service

New Hope Methodist - In English, Sun. 11:30

Church of Christ the King - Anglican / Episcopalian - All in English, Sun. 11:00

The Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury (Anglican) - All in English, Sun. 10:00 Located in Wiesbaden

www.newcomers-network.de/rhein-main/newcomers-guide/religious_services/index.php

Jewish Museum & Judengasse Museum

2011-11-24T20:12:00.000+01:00

When you go on our daily "Frankfurt on Foot" walking tour, we present a lot of information about Frankfurt's centuries-old Jewish Community, WWII, and the Holocaust. The location of the Jewish Ghetto, the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall and the Medieval Jewish Cemetery are all a part of this tour. We hope that you would like to visit these sites on your private tour too and we will probably ask if you would like them included as these make up such a large part of the history of Frankfurt.

The Judengasse Museum is one of my favorite museums in Frankfurt. Located between the Konstablerwache and the Main River, it is an easy 5 minute walk from the Römer, straight down Braubach Strasse. Inside this museum, you will find the basements foundations from a few of the houses that once made up the Jewish Ghetto from the 1500's on. Frankfurt moved the Jewish Community into this walled Ghetto in 1462, and kept them there until around 1810. This museum covers that time period and all text is in English, which is another reason why I recommend coming here. Two of the houses have a mikvah, you can walk into the basements, and through-out the museum, see a wide variety of pictures that depict life in the Frankfurt Jewish Ghetto during the Middle Ages and later. Really eye-opening. By the 1700's, there were well over 3000 people living in this small, cramped Ghetto.

Next to the Judengasse Museum is also the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall and the large Jewish Cemetery that dates back to 1272. The Museum has keys for the Cemetery and also a large data bank covering all the people whose names are on the Memorial Wall. For those finding relatives on this Wall, this data bank can help you find their former addresses and other information.

The Jewish Museum is located in the former villa of the Rothschilds, on the Frankfurt city side of the river, just a few blocks from the Römer. Covering several floors, this museum covers the entire history of the Jewish community in Frankfurt. There is a large scale model of the Jewish Ghetto and if you only have time to visit this museum and not the Judengasse Museum, there is also quite a lot of information about the Ghetto here. A considerable amount of space is devoted to the Holocaust and the terrors that befell the Jewish citizens of Frankfurt.

The displays are not in English, but on each floor there are notebooks that you can carry around with you that have the English translation for each item on that floor. Both museums have changing exhibitions, so check the website to see what will be featured.

My recommendation would be to visit the Judengasse first, to get the best historical perspective and then visit the Jewish Museum. Get the combination ticket offered that will allow you entrance to both museums. Both museums are closed on Mondays.

http://www.jewishmuseum.de/

Frankfurt City Cemetery

2011-11-23T22:36:00.000+01:00

If you haven't been to the Frankfurt Cemetery, you might set aside a bit of time to go. Especially if you enjoy photography. This is a treasure trove of beautiful statuary, carvings, trees, light and shadow. It really lends itself as an ideal place to spend a few hours strolling around. Add it to your private tour with Frankfurt on Foot, if you would like to see this peaceful, beautiful spot in Frankfurt. No matter the season, you will be impressed by the beauty to be found here.

On 18 Sept. the Frankfurt Cemetery will be having a free tour day, where you can learn more about the history of the complex, as well as interesting facts about the cemetery itself and some of the most interesting graves and memorials. Though most tours will be in German, Jo, from Frankfurt on Foot will be giving a tour in English at 12:00 and 15:00.

It is easy to reach by taking the U-5 from the Konstablerwache or Hauptbahnhof, direction Preungesheim. The U-bahn stops right in front of the main gate. The place is huge, so give yourself enough time to walk around. There are some interesting mauseleums there as well as a very long "Gruft Hall" or Crypt Hall that doesn't really seem that interesting until you step into it and look down through the many arches, as shown in my photo.

The Cemetery or "Hauptfriedhof" is open almost every day, usually closing by dark. If you have questions about visiting here, please send us an email and I will be happy to help you out.
Frankfurt Hauptfriedhof

The Frankfurt Palmengarten

2011-11-22T09:27:00.000+01:00

One of the favorite spots for tourists to visit after their Frankfurt on Foot walking tour with us is the Frankfurt Palmengarten, especially on Mondays when the museums are closed, or if they have kids. A gorgeous oasis of beauty and calm, located right in the middle of the city, this a wonderful space to spend the afternoon. First opened in 1871, the Palm House, which is the first main building you come to, is one of those great glass and iron structures the Victorians designed so well. It is really pretty inside, with waterfalls, tropical plants, a noisy parrot and giant goldfish in the pond.

The entire park is beautifully laid out, with open spaces for relaxing, a musical amphitheatre for concerts, a pond for rowing which is home to dozens and dozens of turtles, a small train, playgrounds for the kids and then of course there are the different houses and gardens. You just walk from one climate to the next as many of the houses are connected, so you can go from the tropics, to desert, to the subarctic. Separate houses are the Alpine House, the Bloom House, and there is also an outdoor cactus garden. As you walk through the park area, you will come upon the Meadow Garden, the Stone Garden, the Rhodendron Garden and of course the Rose Garden. They have been working on this the past 2 years and so far have planted 4000 new rose bushes. They even have an Aroma Garden, which sounds heavenly.

During the summer, they have a musical program which is quite popular to go to after work, with many different themes - Jazz, World Music, Chamber Orchestra, Promenade Concert, & Summer in the City. In June they have a Rose and Light Festival which is extremely popular, especially with photographers as they have thousands of tea-light candles laid out in designs through the park.The Fall show is coming up soon as well as the Harvest show.

On Sundays, they have free guided tours through the park (once you pay your admission).

The Palmengarten is open daily: Feb.- Oct. from 09:00 - 18:00
Nov. - Jan. from 09:00 - 16:00

Prices: 5 € for Adults, 2 € for kids, 4 € for seniors.
9.50 € for a family of 5
During selected events, the price will increase

The website switches to English, though the information is a bit sparse. I recommend that you click on the German pages to see all the photos and lists of events and concerts. This is a great place to come with the kids and it is easy to spend hours here, especially if you have brought a picnic lunch. The Cafe Siesmayer is a pleasant place to sit and have lunch too.
www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de

Frankfurts' "Pealing of the Bells" on 26 May, 2012 at16:30

2011-11-21T13:39:00.001+01:00

If you are going to be in Frankfurt during Pfingsten, then the best place to be on the 26th, is down at the Römer or near the Dom at 16:30. At this time, 50 bells from 10 of the downtown churches will ring together for 30 minutes. This is 70 tons of metal ringing away, but amazingly, all in harmony. Frankfurt has been holding this unique event since 1954, though city chronicles state that it has been happening in a similar form since the late 1300's, in connection with the election of the Emperor here in Frankfurt. Today, the "Pealing of the Bells" takes place four times a year - Christmas Eve, the 1st Advent Sat, the day before Easter, and the day before Pfingsten (Pentacost).

It is a lot of fun to be there and walk around to hear the difference in the sound of the bells. Since they are ringing for 30 minutes, you can go up on the Eiserner Steg bridge, walk over to the Pauls Kirche, stand in the Roemerberg, or walk over to the Kaiserdom. It really does sound different in every spot. My favorite spot is there on the Roemerberg. You hear the bells from the Kaiserdom, the Alte Nikolai, the Paulskirche and the Liebfrauen kirche pretty well here. Though I have gone up on the Eisener steg to hear the bells from the Drei König Church and St. Leonhards Church better, it wasn't my favorite spot. Some folks like it though, as it does sound different and seems to resonate off of the water a bit. Plus the view is stunning from up on the bridge. During our walking tours, this is one of the favorite photo spots.

This is just one of the very special events that makes this our city unique, and during a "Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tour", you will find out more fascinating stories about the bells of Frankfurt.

Idstein - Fachwerk, Hexen Turm and Union Church

2011-11-20T21:13:00.000+01:00

With autumn upon us, consider taking a side trip up into the Taunus mountains and visit Idstein, a beautiful little, historical town of 25,000 inhabitants, only a short train ride from Frankfurt. Packed full of some of the most elaborate Fachwerk houses I have ever seen, this is a town I would certainly take time to visit while staying in Frankfurt.

The Hexen Turm or Witches Tower, looms over the market square and the baroque style Residential Palace. This tower was built in the 1100's, added to a few times, but is basically unchanged since the 1500's. If open, climb to the top if you are feeling fit and want a stunning view. Though no record has been found that says witches or warlocks were ever imprisoned in the tower, Idstein did execute 39 people during the heyday of the witch trials. Nearby, is the Union Church, with its extremely unusual ceiling. This ceiling is made of 38 oil paintings done in the late 1600's, and in the Rubens style. Simply magnificent is all I can say, since words can't describe this very well.

There are many cities and towns on the Fachwerk Route, but Idstein has one of the most opulant houses of them all, the Killingerhaus, built in 1527. As you stroll around the winding, cobblestone streets, it will be hard to miss the Crooked House, sitting next to the town hall. Most of the buildings and houses date from the 1500-1600's, with the oldest being built in 1410, so prepare to enjoy these wonderful examples of Fachwerk architecture.

Idstein has plenty of restaurants, cafes, and interesting little stores. Hotels and B&B's are also available, and this would be a great place to spend a day or two. From the town, you can also go hiking in the Taunus mountains, perhaps following the Roman boundary lines, called the Limes, and visit a reconstructed guard tower located South of Idstein.

Our Frankfurt on Foot tour guides will be happy to include Idstein as part of your private tour with advance notice.

Bad Homburg

2011-11-20T08:41:00.000+01:00

Bad Homburg is a wealthy community, nestled in the foothills of the Taunus mountains, just 30 minutes North of Frankfurt. Easy to reach by the S-5, it is a town you might plan on visiting while staying in Frankfurt.

Bad Homburg has a lovely old town with winding, cobblestone lanes, as well as a wonderful pedestrian shopping street, beautiful hotels, luxurious spas and one of Europes 1st casinos. (jacket and tie required) The Kur Park that stretches through the town is filled with sculptures, a Thai temple and a Russian chapel.
This was once a favorite summer residence of Kaiser Wilhelm and his palace is in pristine condition. Tours are well worth the 4 euro, to get a glimpse of how the royals used to live. Truly fascinating decor. The park that stretches out below the palace is a favorite place to stroll.

Next to the Palace is the Church of the Redeemer. Finished in 1908 in a neo-Bysantine style, this church will take your breath away when you walk into the sanctuary. The entire ceiling is gold mosaic! Fit for a Kaiser you might say and often called the Hagia Sophia of Bad Homburg

On the outskirts of Bad Homburg, is the Saalburg. Once a Roman outpost, the Saalburg today is the only reconstructed Roman fort in existance. Walk the Limes, which earlier marked the Roman Empire boundaries through Germany. Plenty of Roman ruins, and the Saalburg itself has some fantastic exhibits as well as a Taberna where you can dine on ancient Roman specialties. They bake some fabulous bread here in their ovens too. Take the #5 bus from the Hauptbahnhof to get there.

Also near-by is Hessen Park, a huge Open Air Museum, where you can get to see and experience the traditional day to day life of old world Germany, with farming, harvesting, soap and candle making, wood-working and black-smithing. Around 90, original, historical buildings are spread out over the Park. Every weekend through-out the year offers some sort of event, market or workshop. This is a great place for kids and adults.

If you would like to include Bad Homburg on your private tour with Frankfurt on Foot, please let us know.

King Tut in Frankfurt

2011-11-20T04:22:00.000+01:00

King Tut is coming to Frankfurt! A special, 4000 sq.meter exhibition hall has been built for the King wth the exhibit opening on 19 Nov. You can visit the exhibition until summer of 2012. This is quite a special show, first held in Zurich in 2008, and containing over a 1000 reconstructed pieces to represent the exact view of the tomb as it was originally found.

The Karmeliter Cloister has just opened an Egyptian exhibit called "Mummies and the Travel to Eternal Life" in the Refectory from 5 Nov. - 16 Feb. All exhibits have text in English and German. Lots of original artifacts and very nicely presented.
Price is 8 euro, 4 euro for students.
Opening hours: M - Sun. 10:00-18:00, Wed. 10:00-20:00

Archeology Museum Frankfurt, Egyptian Exhibit

Visit the King Tut website below, to find information about opening hours, ticket prices, special tours for school groups or in English.

King Tut in Frankfurt Information

DB Train Bargains Explained - Laender Tickets, Happy Weekend Tickets, Dauer Spezial

2011-09-19T11:03:00.001+02:00

People often ask us at the end of their Frankfurt on Foot walking tour, how they can buy train tickets to go visit near-by cities while using Frankfurt as a base city. So, here is a bit of information that may make your travels easier. Please ask us for assistance or send us an email, if you still aren't sure how to go about this: info@frankfurtonfoot.com Here is a link that gives excellent advice about the trains of Germany: Getting Around Germany

Riding the trains in Germany is easy, fun and often economical, but trying to work out which bargain ticket to buy, by wading through the DB website can be confusing. Please note that when Land is mentioned, this means the Lands of Germany, like Hessen or Bavaria, and not other lands like France or the Netherlands.

* Laender Tickets - These are a fantastic deal if you do not mind riding the slower, regional trains. A plus is that these train routes are also much more scenic. Each Land has one available but with different prices and sometimes different rules, and you can buy them from the DB ticket machines at the larger train stations. The touch-screen DB ticket machines switch into English and are easy to use, but you can also buy these tickets from the DB counter for an extra 2 euro. Prices range from 21-34 euro depending on the Land you are traveling through. The ticket is valid for up to 5 people traveling together. Some Lands also let all of your children or grandchildren be included. The DB website will list this. Hessen is not one of them that lets the children ride free, the ticket is for 5 people, period, and costs 31 €.

Single tickets are also available for 21-25 euro, but for some Lands, you have to order these online. You can use the Laender Tickets Mon-Fri after 09:00 until 3a.m. and on Sat, Sun, and Holidays the entire day. For Rhineland Pfalz, it is different, the 1st person pays 21 € and each extra person, up to 4 people, pays another 4 €. Bavaria is 21 € for 1 person, and a group of up to 5 people, is a simple 29 €. All kids or grandkids under 14 are free.

Make sure to print your last name on the ticket before getting on the train. If you are traveling through more than one Land, you can purchase tickets for each Land at the same time from the DB ticket machine (only in Frankfurt and a few other select large cities) or at the counter. These tickets are also valid on S-bahns in most cities and local transportation in many. You should check out the DB website to get details before you travel. You cannot use the ICE, but the Laender Tickets are valid for some border cities, like Salzburg.

As an example: 5 of you are leaving Frankfurt to go to Munich or Würzburg - Purchase a "gruppenkarte" from the RMV ticket machine for travel to Seligenstadt (right on the Bavarian border) for 25 euro, then go to the DB ticket machine and buy your Bayern Laender ticket for 28 euro. Tada! 5 people to Würzburg or Munich for 53 euro. You can get on and off your train where ever and when ever you want. Perhaps you have seen a cute town. Get off, explore, have lunch and then continue traveling. I try to plan my trip on weekdays to leave Frankfurt about 08:30 so that the Laender ticket goes into effect by the time I reach that Land. You can get non-stop trains to Würzburg and to Koblenz from Frankfurt.

* Happy Weekend Tickets - (or in German, Schoenes Wochenende Ticket) This 40 euro ticket can be used for one day travel on either Sat. or Sun. through the whole of Germany and is valid for up to 5 people, with children under 14 riding free with their parents or grandparents. Buying it from the DB counter will cost you an extra 2 euro as always. If you want to take your bike along, it is an extra 4.50 euro per person. It is also valid on most S-bahns and many local transportation systems. It isn't valid on the trams, buses and U-bahns in Frankfurt though, only the S-bahns. Check the DB website for more details. Remember to print your last name on it when you purchase it. You can buy these ahead of time.

* Quer Durchs Land Ticket- (or in English, All Across Germany) can be used weekdays after 09:00 and are similar to the Happy Weekend Ticket. Regional trains, 2nd class only. Buy this from the DB ticket machines just like the other tickets or from the DB counter. Price is 42 euro for the 1st person and 6 euro for each extra person, for up to 5 people total. Children under 14 ride free with the parents or grandparents.

* Dauer Spezial - These tickets for 29 or 39 euro, are great for riding the ICE to Berlin or Paris or Munich, but you really have to catch them far in advance. They go on sale 3 months ahead of time and are only sold in limited amounts. You cannot change the date or time once you get them and if you miss your train, you can't just take the next one. They are a fabulous bargain if you can get them, just keep your eye on the DB site and plan your vacations well ahead of time.
Deutsche Bahn Special Offers

Karmeliter Cloister and the Joerg Ratgeb Frescos

2011-06-08T10:13:00.000+02:00

One of the high points of the Frankfurt on Foot walking tours, is visiting the Karmelite Cloister to view the Wall paintings. This is also a good stop to include on your private tour. People often stand in awe as we first enter, as they are quite breathtaking.

The Frescos were painted between 1513-1521, on the walls of the Karmeliter Cloister, by a painter named Joerg Ratgeb. These are the largest religious wall paintings north of the Alps, 150 meters total, and are scenes from the life of Jesus, from beginning to end in one room and the history of the Karmelite Order in the Refectory.

The Karmeliter Cloister is free and open weekdays from 08:30-18:00, and on weekends from 11-18:00 Located right next to the Archeology Musuem in the City Archives, they are easy to find. The #11 & #12 tram go right past, so you can get off at either Roemer/Paulskirche or Willy Brandt Platz and the Archives are right between these two stops. It is also an easy walk from the Hauptwache. Major plus - this is open on Mondays, when all the museums are closed!

This is a true Secret Gem of the Frankfurt, and deserves to be high on your sightseeing list while visiting. If you live here, this is an ideal freebie.

The City Archives website is in German, but still useful to look at for more information. www.stadtgeschichte-ffm.de/veranstaltungen/ver_hinweise/ratgeb.html

Staedel Art Museum in Frankfurt

2011-06-07T09:09:00.000+02:00

The Staedel is re-opening on 7 Oct. with a special exhibit - Max Beckman in America.

The Staedel is one of the most respected art museums in Germany. Possessing a large collection of 2700 pieces, they only display around 600, (mostly pictures) on 4000 square meters of space, so it is quite a large gallery. I can easily spend hours here! There are sections for Late Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, the Classics, and then more modern pieces from the 1900's up to today. Wandering around, admiring Botticelli, Picasso, Dürer, or Max Beckman is such a joy. These aren't the only famous artists presented here though, one can see Rembrandt, Degas, Hieronymous Bosch, Courbet, Renoir, Lucas Cranach the Elder, or Veneto to name just a few. Visit the website for the highlights.

Located at Schaumainkai 63, it is very easy to get to.
Opening Hours:
Tues. Fri. & Sun. 10:00 - 18:00
Wed. & Thur. 10:00 - 21:00

Make sure you check the website, as there are lots of special events going happening: after work get-togethers, kids showing kids art, chamber music, etc. Guided tours in English are also available. Be aware that they do not allow big bags, so you might have to check your purse if it is too big. If you are wearing a coat, it is wise to check it, because they don't like you carrying it around in the museum.
www.staedelmuseum.de

Kids Activities Outside of Frankfurt

2011-04-28T17:43:00.000+02:00

All of these places are accessible with public transportation. Directions will be found on their web sites, listed under the "useful websites" list.

- Hessen Park - This is an historical open air museum, showing how people lived back before modern technology. The buildings are mainly half-timbered style farmhouses, and farming as well as various skills are demonstrated along with workshops to participate in. This is a great place for grown-ups too! Check their website for special events.
- Saalburg - The only reconstructed Roman fort in existence, created under the direction of Kaiser Wilhelm 100 years ago. Located in the Taunus mountains near Bad Homburg, this is where the Romans kept their watch on the Germanic tribes of the area. Trails lead along the old walls and fortifications and a "Taverna" offers typical Roman food. "Roman markets" are occasionally held here. (see events posts or website) This is a wonderful place for kids to run around and see how the Romans lived and worked in their daily lives.
- Lochmuehle - Combination of kids activities and rides, playgrounds, pony rides, picnic area.
- Opel Zoo - This zoo is located outside of Frankfurt so that the elephants would have more space than what was available in the Frankfurt city Zoo. Lots of play activities and playgrounds here. The bus stops right in front of it.
- Fun Forests - Several locations, between Bad Homburg and Friedrichsdorf, Wiesbaden, Offenbach and Darmstadt. Pretty much for any child over the age of 8-9 and great fun for teens and adults. You have to make your way from tree to tree on various elements, like logs, tires, nets, etc. but always safely cabled. Different courses available depending on size & ability. Lots of zip lines too! Check for opening dates as some of them close down in the fall.

Tuesday Night Skating in Frankfurt - Until 25 Oct. 2011

2011-04-02T09:35:00.000+02:00

The Tuesday Night Skate in Frankfurt is a very popular activity for those who like to inline skate and can do it well. Every Tuesday from April through Oct., between 1000 and 1500 skaters gather at Frankensteiner Platz in Sachsenhausen at 20:30 and set off skating through the city until around 23:00. The tour usually covers around 30-42 kilometers and is accompanied by the police who block off the street while the skaters come through. The season started this year on 4 April and runs through 25 October 2011.

Recommendations:
1. You need to be a really good skater, especially when it comes to braking
2. Helmets are highly recommended as well as other protective gear
3. Reflective clothing is also recommended
4. Stay to the right, pass on the left
5. Skating on the sidewalks is forbidden!
6. If an accident occurs, either keep on skating, or help out, don't stop and gawk, blocking the way for emergency vehicles, etc.
7. Volunteer helpers should be listened to, they help with the organizations, accidents, etc.

The website has a map of the meeting point as well as lots of cool photos. We love watching them skate past our house. I often think it is raining, but it is just the sound of 100's of wheels. There are always skaters carrying boom boxes, so the atmosphere is one of a giant rolling party. Parents have their little ones in jogging strollers, so it becomes a bit of a family affair.

Many cities do this, so if you are a skater, you might want to think about bringing your skates with you when you travel to Germany and check out the individual city websites to see if they have this activity.
Have fun!

t-n-s.de/tns/

Bornheim - Upper Berger Strasse

2011-03-15T19:10:00.001+01:00

Once you get past the market area at the Uhr Turmchen (clock tower), you enter what is known as the "upper Berger Strasse" and it is up here that you will find some of the original half-timbered buildings from the 1600's. Most of these are either Applewine Gardens, like "Zur Sonne" or "Apfelwein Solzer" or other small restaurants. When you see "Dunkers" wine cellar, make sure to go inside as it is well worth a look as well as a good glass of wine in an original wine cellar. When you get to the very end of the Berger Strasse, you will find lots of little gardens that people rent. This is a pleasant area to stroll through.

Spring and summer days and evenings are the best time to visit the Berger Strasse. All the cafes and pubs have outside seating and the streets are packed with tables, everyone enjoying themselves. Once dusk arrives, all the tables will have candles or lanterns on them and it is just so pretty. Many of the restaurants have great German food and it is the perfect place to sit, people watch and strike up a conversation with your table mates. Italian ice cream salons are in abundance along here. Great place to stop and try a "spaghetti ice".

The Berger Strasse has wonderful street festivals every summer, both an "upper Berger Strasse" and a "lower Berger Strasse" fest. The "Bernemer Kerb" parade in August is a ton of fun and one of the most interesting parades you will ever see.

Most of the buildings in Bornheim were built around 1900 and are very desirable for apts. Lots of people want to live in an "Altbau" apt. These have 12 foot ceilings, often lovely wooden floors, wide baseboards, original door fittings, and balconies. Set aside some time to just walk around these neighborhoods and admire the architecture.

Bornheim has kind of a funny history too. Back before 1806, it was outside of the city walls, and because of its' applewine pubs, was a desirable place to visit on a weekend. It was known as the "lustige dorf" or Merry Village, a place where you would go and drink and be kind of silly. The women were known to be a bit "looser" here and always ready for a fun time.

When you come to Frankfurt, you definitely need to walk through Bornheim and stop for awhile to enjoy this neighborhood and get a real feel for both Germany and Frankfurt. We highly recommend adding Bornheim to your private tour agenda for a completely different look at Frankfurt.

Neighborhoods of Frankfurt - Bornheim

2011-03-15T08:20:00.001+01:00

Just a few blocks from the Konstablerwache, you run into Bornheim, the Berger Strasse and Bethmann Park. This is a gorgeous spot and people are usually astonished when I bring them to this oasis of calm and beauty set in the middle of the city. Once you enter the park, you will see the Chinese Garden along with hearing the waterfall inside the walls. This is the perfect place to sit for a while, read a book, and relax. The pond has lots of goldfish in it, with a few who are really huge, along with some cute turtles swimming around. Keep your eye out for the Heron who likes to fish here too. It is fun to watch the old men playing on the giant chess board, and even the rain won't stop them, they just keep on playing with umbrellas! Sunday mornings may find groups of people doing Tai-Chi here, which is interesting to watch or even join in. The flower plantings change with the seasons, so spring will look quite different from summer in the park. The park offers a special service: If you have a "sick plant", you can bring it here to the greenhouse and ask the experts what to do.

If you walk on through the park, you will find yourself on the "lower" Berger Strasse. This is one of the best and most popular streets in the city, filled with cafes, pubs, unique little stores, and a pedestrian area up near the Uhrturmchen (clock tower). This is the spot for our bi-weekly farmers market and on Wed. and Sat. the place is transformed. It is not only a gourmets' dream come true, but photographers love it too. All the sights, aromas, and colors are absolutely wonderful and towards the end of the day, you can enjoy hearing the vendors calling out their "end of the day" specials. The Berger Strasse is true validation that entrepreneurship is alive and well in Frankfurt as so many creative stores and boutiques make their home on this street.

If you are here in June, try and time your visit for the Lower Berger Strasse fest that takes place here every June. This is extremely popular and is one of the best street festivals around.

It is nice though to occasionally veer off of the main street and explore some of the side streets. Beautiful, turn of the century architecture abounds. I could stroll through here for hours, up one street and down the next, admiring the buildings and the flowers on the balconies.

I have two favorite German style restaurants in Bornheim - Malepartus and Zum Schoene Muellerin. Great places to eat and to enjoy a good glass of applewine. Ethnic restaurants are easy to find here too. Turkish, Moroccan, Italian, Vietnamese, Chinese, American, and even Mexican.

If you would like to include visiting Bornheim on your Private or Layover tour of Frankfurt, please let us know.

The Neighborhood of Old Sachsenhausen

2011-03-13T08:26:00.000+01:00

Sachsenhausen is basically divided into 2 parts. One is the fairly elegant portion that includes the Museum Mile and the Schweizer Strasse and the other is the older, applewine pub district. This older part would have been inside the city walls back in 1425 or even earlier.

Many of the pubs and restaurants are in original half-timbered buildings. When you walk in the pedestrian zone, which is all cobblestones and narrow streets, you do get the feeling what it might have been like back in the Middle Ages. Well, except for all those electric lights and the music! Fortunately, this area was not so badly bombed during the war, so they were able to keep the original look of the place. Lots of tourists like walking up the Klappergasse to check out "Frau Rauscher" as she spits out water. The best time to go here is in the evening, when everything is open, people are sitting outside at the tables and you can enjoy the wonderful party atmosphere. I find during the day it all looks a tad tawdry, so try and go during the evening. Back when 38,000 American troops were stationed in or near Frankfurt, you could barely walk down the streets, it was so crowded. Once the troops pulled out, this area struggled to stay alive, as many of the Frankfurters had stayed away for so many years. I think this has changed now and many Frankfurt residents enjoy going here for a night out, sitting in an Applewine Garden.

As to the history of Sachsenhausen, this area was the "grocery store" for Frankfurt. The slaughter house was along the river, the Old Bridge contained the mills, there were vineyards on the hills, and gardens and orchards everywhere and the fishermen of Frankfurt lived here too. This was one of the oldest guilds in the city. The market women walked across the bridge every morning to sell their wares around the cathedral area. They were well known for having a sharp tongue and were a tourist attraction themselves. They had their own dialect which still exists in part today, thanks to the historical societies that keep it alive.

The 10,000 acre city forest, which the city bought in 1360 from the Emperor, by the mayor, "Siegfried zum Paredies", borders Sachsenhausen and is still a popular place to visit. If you go there, make sure to climb up the wooden Goethe Turm for a fabulous view of the city. The area around it is a very fun playground for kids. The forest is nice to walk in too. Nearby is the Sachsenhause Warte, one of the old guard towers built in the 1500's, that would have been outside the city walls. Today it is a popular applewine garden restaurant.

We will be happy to show you Sachsenhausen on your private tour.

Liebieghaus - Frankfurt Sculpture Museum

2011-03-08T09:25:00.000+01:00

Liebieghaus Museum is located along the river front in one of the most beautiful, old villas of Frankfurt. The villa itself is very large and the whole interior has been restored in a magnificent fashion. The grounds are very lovely and contain a fair number of stone sculptures, making this is a perfect spot to sit and rest or read for a while.

The museum is divided into sections, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman, with a somewhat smaller section in the basement for Asian and a huge section for Western Europe. I was really amazed in the Roman section as they had these pictures done in wax pigments from peoples graves. They were their "death pictures" and I was astounded by how true to life they were. So, not technically sculptures, but still amazing. Anything Egyptian thrills me, so I liked this section too.

Then moving to the other side of the museum, which begins with Gothic art of the Middle Ages and then as you upstairs, changes to Renaissance, Baroque and Rococco. The Middle Ages is almost all church related, but fascinating to see how the styles change. In each room, there was an English description of how and why the style changed, which is very helpful As one moved away from the Middle Ages, other sculpted items became more common and this museum truly has some wonderful examples.

When you go, make sure you go to all the lower levels and then all the way to the top tower. As you climb the spiral staircase, you can view photos from how the rooms and the house looked like in 1905. I really liked this part. The wooden, carved ceilings are gorgeous.

This is an excellent museum to visit on "Night of the Museums" and during the "Museumsufer Fest", as it isn't as crowded. www.liebieghaus.de

Pumpkin Time and Where to Find

2011-01-10T11:11:00.000+01:00

When the beautiful autumn weather arrives, with that special fall smell in the air and the crisp crunch of leaves underfoot, our thoughts often turn to pumpkins, gourds, Halloween, hay-rides and so on. I can't help you with the hay-rides, but I have found some places where you can go pick out your own pumpkins.

The Goldgrund Pumpkin Patch is nearby in Huenfelden-Nauheim. They are open Mon-Sat from 16:00-19:00. They also have a pumpkin stand at the produce market in Limburg on Wed. and Sat.

Another Pumpkin Patch is a bit farther away, but still accessible by car from Frankfurt as it is near Giessen. This is the Kuerbis Hof Mueller in Langgoens. They are open Th.& Fri. from 14:00-19:00 and Sat. from 10:00-19:00. If you have a group and would like to make a private visit on other days or times, it looks like they will accommodate you if you make prior reservations. Email: info@kuerbishof-mueller.de
www.kuerbishof-mueller.de

If you just want to buy a pumpkin to carve, most of the grocery stores, like Penny Markt have them for around 2-3 euro. If you want eating pumpkins, to make pies and breads and soups with, all of the Farmers Markets have them in abundance.

Happy Pumpkin Hunting!

Sauna Etiquette in Frankfurt and in Germany

2011-01-01T12:28:00.000+01:00

no photo today :-))
I see Sauna questions asked rather frequently on travel forums, and our "Frankfurt on Foot" guests ask about Saunas too, because for many visitors to Germany, the whole Sauna culture can be a bit daunting or at the least, very foreign. Along with the Sauna, there may be steam rooms, whirlpools, massage available at an extra charge, or other spa treatments. So that you can know what to expect or at least make an educated guess as to whether you might enjoy experiencing a Sauna in Frankfurt or in other cities in Germany, here are the important things to know. (you may see ads on taxis for FKK or Saunas, but be aware that these are for erotic purposes and not what I am writing about today)

1. Germans take their Sauna seriously. There will be lists of rules, so make sure you follow them. (it is basically frowned upon to take kids to the sauna as most people use this as a restful time and do not really want kids around, but it will not be forbidden as long as they are with a parent, are quiet, behave and are comfortable seeing naked adults)
2. Many indoor pools will have Sauna areas available at an extra charge, usually by the hour or with a day pass. They will sometimes have separate saunas for men and women, or certain times of the day where this is the rule. Check before you go to see if this is the case during the times you will be there, especially if this is something you prefer. Every city with BAD in its name will also have Thermal Baths to visit that will include saunas. Many are very elegant and beautiful. (Bad Homburg, Bad Nauheim, Wiesbaden)
3. Be aware that once you enter most sauna areas, lots of nudity will be on display. People tend to just disrobe without any concern. Unless you are there on a divided sex day, even the showers may be mixed.
4. After you disrobe, grab a towel and a robe, put on your flip-flops or shower shoes and you are on your way for your sauna experience. You can wear your robe or wrap your towel around you if you like. Do not wear a bathing suit.
5. Do go shower before entering the Sauna, this is pretty much a requirement.
6. It is best to avoid eating garlic or curries the day of or the day before going to the Sauna. This can really stink up the place as you sweat it out of your pores and you will be very unpopular.
7. Most Sauna areas will have several different sorts of Saunas, perhaps with different aromas, or with lights that change color while you sit there (it's an esoteric thing) and most often, with what is called an "aufguss" (more on that in a bit)
8. Hang up your robe, bring your towel, remove your footware, and enter the Sauna quickly. People hate it if you let out too much heat! Give a greeting in a general sort of fashion, a simple "guten tag" is enough. Pick out your place, spread your towel and sit down on it, or if you prefer and the Sauna is not full, you can lay down too. It is going to be a lot hotter up at the top. It is ok to switch positions, if you find it is too hot for you. Most people will sit inside for about 15-20 min. which is long enough to be covered in sweat. When you leave, again, do so quickly.
9. Go rinse off in the shower and then go jump into the "cold pool". This is the refreshing part, and very important to get the full health benefits of a Sauna.
10. Most people put on their robes now and rest for a bit before repeating the process. Good time to drink some water. Go easy on the alcohol on Sauna days! There are usually lounge chairs to lay on.
11. THE AUFGUSS - There should be a schedule for this for whatever Sauna room this will be happening in and what aroma will be used. Get there a few minutes early and take your place. If you have never done this before, you will not want to be near the top row, as it will get REALLY hot. An employee of the Sauna will come in, give a greeting, then pour scented water on the hot stones. This naturally produces a lot of steam and they will then swirl a towel around their head to circulate this steam and then flap it around in the different directions. This will cause everyone to immediately break out in sweat! Everyone then applauds to show their appreciation for a job well done and he/she leaves. One needs to sit there for awhile, since if you get up and leave now, all the good steam goes out the door. This almost becomes a contest, as no one wants to be first. It is better not to go in big groups out the door if you can help it. Then go shower and do the cold dip thing. (the first time I saw this whole procedure, I was in total awe. Could not believe people applauded for being made to sweat! and the whole swirling towel thing was amazing)

OK, that's it. Do try a Sauna while you are here at one of the indoor pools or Therme. Don't be afraid to be nude/FKK , originally meaning Frei Korper Kultur, as it is called in Germany, since it is considered rude to stare and after a little while, you will be surprised how quickly you become comfortable with it. If you have concerns about how you look or that you are too old, don't be, you will be pleasantly surprised at the huge mix of ages and body weights and styles. Just imagine, when you get back home, you will have a wonderful adventure story to tell about how brave you were in Deutschland!

Halloween at Burg Frankenstein

2011-01-01T07:01:00.000+01:00

BOO!
Perhaps you have been thinking that this was a holiday that would slip past you while in Germany. Oh No! Halloween at Burg Frankenstein near Darmstadt and Eberstadt, is quite a popular place to be, especially on the nights of Oct. 30,31. Tickets for these dates sell out quickly, so hurry and order yours now if you want to be scared.

Celebrating Halloween at Burg Frankenstein for the past 35 years, used to be highly popular with the 1000's of American troops that were once stationed all around the Rhein-Main area. Many of the bases are closed now, but there are still enough around to make this a fun multi-culti event, with a lot of German participation.

Burg Frankenstein is an old castle ruin from the 1200's, that sits on top of a hill/mountain with a great overlook. Surrounded by forests, it becomes the ideal place for a haunted evening. For those of you who like the chills and thrills of this kind of thing, this is the perfect place to experience letting your screams out. Monsters, Ghouls, Vampires and Were-Wolves populate the forest, as well as the castle itself. If you are traveling with teens, it is an easy decision to visit here for Halloween. The coolness factor of them being able to go back home and tell their friends they were in the "Real" Frankenstein Castle and how scary it was, will certainly earn you a few brownie points in the "best parents" contest.

The show runs from 21 Oct. to 6 Nov. beginning at 20:00 until 23:00 or midnight depending on the day of the week. Tickets are 22 € . There is also a VIP Lounge ticket from 19.90 €-49 €, that offers a Halloween buffet, no waiting in line to get in and you can visit the castle all evening. There are also some scary dinners, and though all in German, this might be fun anyway. The link has this info in German, so not as easy to figure out if you are interested in participating. Do be aware that children need to be 14 and older to attend the evening "festivities".

If you have smaller children, but still would like to visit here during the Halloween season, Burg Frankenstein offers children's afternoons on Sundays from 15:00- 19:00, that are not so scary. Price is 9 € per person and children need to be 7 and older. The website switches to English, but please write if you have questions.

www.frankenstein-halloween.de/content/e566/index_ger.html

If you are here at times other than Halloween, you can still visit the ruins as Burg Frankenstein is open all year round. There is also a cafe with an outside terrace and a very pretty view, just a short stroll away from the castle.

Contacting Frankfurt on Foot

2010-12-30T23:20:00.000+01:00

If you would like to contact us for more information or to arrange a private tour, please email us at:

info@frankfurtonfoot.com

If you prefer a phone call and you live in the United States, Canada or Europe, we will be happy to call you and if you are on Facebook, please come visit our Facebook page. We love getting messages from you there, as well as having you become a fan.

Ice Skating in Frankfurt

2010-09-17T18:38:00.000+02:00

Looking for something fun to do when the weather is cold, especially now when the kids are out of school? Why not go Ice Skating ? Frankfurt has a large rink called the Eisporthalle, on the East side of town, which is very easy to reach using public transportation. They have a large indoor rink where the Frankfurt Lions play hockey, and a huge outdoor ring that also includes a large rink that has a sort of cover over it. If you have teens, they might enjoy the Sat. night Ice Disco which is held fairly often. Just check the website for dates. Though the website is in German, it is not too difficult to navigate. Clicking on the webcam gives you a good idea of the size of the place. The outdoor ring is a lot of fun as it surrounds the entire tennis court area. Skating at night can be a great way to work off all those schnitzels and be romantic too.

How to get there? Take the U-7 from the Hauptwache and get off at the Eisporthalle. If you like riding above ground so you can see the city, take the #12 tram from the Konstablerwache and get off at the Eisporthalle stop.Altenatively, you can take Bus #34 or the U-4 and get off at Bornheim Mitte and then either walk or take the #12 tram 3 stops to the Eissporthalle.

Costs are varied depending on season, age, groups, etc. but the basic cost for an adult is 6 euro, and kids age 6-17 are 4 euro. If your child looks like it might be an adult, it is better if they have some sort of ID to show that they are in fact not 18. Skate rental is 3.50 euro and they do require some sort of ID to be left as a deposit. A family can rent skates for a basic price of 10 euro. A family is considered to be 2 adults, 2 kids. Extra children can be added on for an extra 2 euro. They have all kinds of group prices, so if you want to go with a school or church group, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or other club, discounts are available. They don't have birthday parties, but birthday children under 18 get in free and you can also reserve a table in the snack bar - "Cool Running".

If you want to learn basic Ice Skating, classes are also available, but only in German. A 5 hour course will cost you 50 euro.

Hours are from 09:00 - 22:30 beginning here in the winter season. The outside rink is open when it is cold enough. No Ice Skating in the summer months.
Closed on New Years Eve, open 14:00-22:30 on New Years Day

Have Fun!!
Frankfurt Ice Skating Rink

Swimming Pools in Frankfurt

2010-07-17T08:34:00.002+02:00

Frankfurt has a lot of indoor pools to go swimming during the cold winter weather. They are all listed under the same website, which is in German. If you click on the various photos and names, you will at least get times and prices and locations. Make sure you click on the "foto galerie" to get some good views. The sauna photos have been done tastefully, but be aware that in Germany, one sits naked in the sauna. I have an extra post about sauna etiquette, but the most important thing is to take a towel to sit on.

* Adventure Pools
Rebstock Bad (has a wave pool), Titus Therme is located at Nord West Zentrum
shopping mall, Panorama Bad is in Bornheim. They all have beautiful sauna,
steam bath and whirlpool areas.

* Indoor Pools

Riedbad Bergen Enkheim, (also has an outdoor pool open in the summer)
Hallenbad Höchst

Near to Frankfurt are a few more pools that are also quite popular and easy to get to. They have their websites in English!
* Oberursel has a great indoors and outdoor pool, with a lot of fun things for the kids.
* Taunus Therme in Bad Homburg is really nice, but it isn't a place for kids at all. Beautiful sauna area, with massages and different health treatments available. Also wheelchair accessible.
* Rhein Main Therme in Hofheim has all kinds of great things to do, with an outstanding sauna area.

Pools will usually have lockers to put your clothes, shoes, etc. I would not store my wallet, phone, etc. in these lockers. I also would not leave these items unattended on my towel. Theft is common.

Little kids are often naked, especially at the outdoor pools. If they are still in diapers though, they will have to wear one or the lifeguards get pretty angry. Some outdoor pools allow topless bathing for the ladies, but if you are not sure, just look around to see if anyone else is doing it. There are some outdoor lakes that allow total nudity as do some parks in the city, most notably Grüneburg Park. People just lay out like this. If you are interested in this, you would look up FKK pools. FKK stands for Frei Körper Kultur, or Free Body Culture. The Miramar Pool near Weinheim is noted for having this type of swimming available.

I have entered their links on the "useful websites" sections. Most of the pools in Frankfurt are under:
www.bbf-frankfurt.de

"Cookie in the Box" - Brownies, Cookies, and More

2010-04-18T22:05:00.002+02:00

Has living in Frankfurt meant that you have been missing soft, luscious, freshly made brownies and chocolate chip cookies? You won't be missing them any longer! "Cookie in the Box" is now open to the delight of us all.

Choose from a scrumptious selection of Classic, Cream Cheese, or Almond Brownies, or if Cookies are your treat of choice, the variety ranges from Chocolate Chip, Walnut Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Chip, Triple Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Almond-White Chocolate Chip. As if that wasn't enough, the American style home-made Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting is enough to make me visit here every day. Seriously! Try their Brownie Pralines for a very special taste treat, or for a hearty lunch before dessert, have one of their sandwiches made on Fresh Sourdough bread. Coffee, Cappucinos, Lattes, or Tea are of course on offer.

Owner Dianne is a charming, transplanted Bostonian and together with business partner and owner, Patrick Oni, they have created a unique addition to the Frankfurt food scene. With a cute decor and unbeatable quality and flavor, the crowds should be beating down the doors very soon. There is seating both inside and outside, where you can gaze on the Main river with the Drei König Church completing the scene. The location is easy to get to, Kurt Schumacher Str. 2, just 3 blocks from the Konstablerwache and right before you go over the Alte Brucke into Sachsenhausen.The buses #30 & #36 go past here with the stop, Schöner Ausblick, being the one you would want.

Hours - Open Mon-Fri 08:00 - 20:00, Sat.& Sun. 10:00-21:00

The best part is that you can also order these yummy products online as gifts. (website is only in German)
Cookie in the Box Gift Packages

Insider Tours in Berlin

2010-04-03T08:20:00.000+02:00

Insider Tours in Berlin, offers many different tours, the Famous Insider Walk, Berlin Bike Tour, Cold War Berlin, 3rd Reich Tour and a Berlin Pub Tour. They have a day trip tour to Dresden and also offer tours to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and Potsdam which are 6 hour tours. Beginning in April, they began the new Cruise and Walk tour for 20 €. Most of the tours are 10&12€ depending on your age or student status, the Bike Tour is 18&20€, the 6 hour tours are 12&15€ and the Dresden day tour is 45€. These are great prices and affordable for any budget. Insider Tours uses outstanding guides, many of them experts in their fields.

The "Famous Insider Walk" tours in Berlin, take place every single day, rain or shine, but check the website to see days, and times for all the tours as well as where the Meeting Point is. The Insider Tours website also offers a great guide to Berlin.

Why Insider Tours? Lots of reasons besides the simple fact that they are the best walking tour in Berlin!

1. They have been providing these outstanding tours for over 14 years, so they are a well-established company.
2. Tours in English, Hebrew, Spanish, and Italian.
3. You know they have to be good when the "History Channel" uses them to help film their documentary about the Berlin Wall.

4. They get consistently great reviews on websites such as Trip Advisor and In Your Pocket.
5. Many of their guides have been with them for quite a long time, sign of a good company that knows how to treat their employees well.
6. Their guides are so informed, that they write their own books about Berlin.

Private tours for individuals or groups are also available, on just about any theme you might think of. Check them out and write them if you have questions.
www.insidertour.com

The Frankfurt Card - Transportation Plus Museums

2010-03-15T06:48:00.004+01:00

If you are coming into Frankfurt for 1-2 days, or during a layover, consider getting a Frankfurt Card. It is a pretty good deal as it covers your public transportation from the airport into the city and back, as well as all day long in the city, plus you get a 50% discount at the following museums and a few other places. As an added bonus, you also get a discount when you go on one of our Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours. Make sure you tell us!
1 day - 8.90, 2 days - 12.90, group 1 day - 18.00, group 2 days - 26.00 (a group is for up to 5 people)
Considering an all day ticket from the airport to Frankfurt is 9.50, you actually save money by getting a Frankfurt card for 8.90, plus you get to visit the museums for half price too. Families and groups save a lot with these.

You can buy these cards at the little "Welcome to Frankfurt" tourist info stands that are scattered through-out the arrival halls in the airport. Get one of these and you don't need to purchase a train ticket from the machines.

Half price entrance at the following museums:

- Archeological Museum
- Kinder Museum (Childrens Museum)
- The Bible House Museum
- Explora - Museum+Science+Technology
- Frankfurt Goethe-House and Goethe-Museum
- Icon Museum Frankfurt
- Jewish Museum
- Judengasse Museum
- Jugendbegegnungsstätte Anne Frank
- Museum of World Cultures
- Museum of Applied Arts (Kunsthandwerk Museum)
- Museum of Modern Art
- Museum Giersch
- Palmengarten
- Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History
- Städel Museum
- Struwwelpeter-Museum/Heinrich-Hoffmann Museum
- Frankfurt Zoo

If you will be going on a private tour with "Frankfurt on Foot", these are a good value too, as we can then visit museums while we tour.

Alte Nikolai - Historic Frankfurt Church

2010-03-10T08:34:00.006+01:00

When you enter Frankfurts' Roemerberg square, the red and white church with the green copper spire can't help but catch your attention. This is Alte Nikolai, one of the oldest churches in the city. Archaeological digs done in 1988 have proven that it first existed as a small, almost square hall church built most likely around 1140 and which would have been used by the royal court living in the Staufen palace next door, though its' first official mention is in 1270. When you go inside, look for the metal inserts in the flooring that outlines where the original hall church used to be.

The steeple was once occupied by a watchman who was tasked with not only playing a tune on a horn every time a ship came and went on the Main River, but also had to watch for fires and sound the first alarms. Today it houses 3 bells that are part of the "Pealing of the Bells" and a carillon of 47 bells that sound every day at 09:05, 12:05, and 17:05. Almost every Wednesday at 12:10, Frau Yuko Tajima will come and play the carillon for about 40 minutes, which is wonderful to hear. The gallery around the edge was once the prime viewing spot for VIP'S to watch the passion plays taking place on the Roemerberg, the Emperor coronations, and in the 1920's and 30's the Fest Spiele. If you are here in Frankfurt for the Christmas Market, you will get to hear a brass band play from there. The church often offers the chance to climb the spiral stairway to the gallery, which provides a unique view of the Roemerberg.

Once you enter the church, you will be struck by the beautiful simplicity of it. The acoustics in this church are marvelous, so if you get the chance, go to the Lutheran services held on Sunday mornings at 09:30 or 11:15. It will be in German, but it is a chance to hear the organ and the organist is fantastic.Through-out the year, the church offers various concerts, everything from hand-bells, to trumpets, to choirs, brass bands and of course organ concerts.

Alte Nikolai is open 365 days a year, and the hours are from 10:00 to 20:00. We do come in here on our daily Frankfurt on Foot walking tour and will be happy to include it on your private tour too. This is one of my favorite spots in the city, so I hope you too can come in, sit for a while and enjoy the peacefulness there.

During the Summer months, on Friday evenings, the Alte Nikolai presents a variety of concerts, so visit their website to see what will be offered while you are here in Frankfurt.
/www.paulsgemeinde.de/

St. Leonhards Church - Frankfurt

2010-03-10T08:24:00.005+01:00

As of 1 May, 2011, St. Leonhards is closed for renovation and restoration, for approximately 2 years. Some of the renovation plans include lowering the floor that was installed in the 1900's due the continual flooding of the river.

This beautiful church with its' 2 crusader helmet towers, dates back to 1219 and contains myriad treasures. Located on the Main river, just past the Eisener Steg bridge and the Römer, it is easy to find.

Inside, one of the 1st things you will see is a huge, beautifully carved Romanesque stone portal carved in 1220. This is the Jerusalem Portal. As you continue down the nave towards your left, you encounter the Jacobs Way Portal, also from 1220, commemorating those making the pilgrimage to Santiago del Compostela, as St. Leonhards was an important way station for these pilgrims. Continuing on, you come upon the best treasure of them all, an architectural oddity - the "hanging vault". Created in 1510, this was one of Frankfurts' biggest sightseeing sensations in the 1700 and 1800's. Due to its rarity, I am surprised more people don't find their way here to see it. I think it is marvelous and hope you will too!

St.Leonhards has some very interesting vaulting. Each section of the church has a different, unique style. The area near the portals and the "hanging vault" has many crests on it and is very intricate, as well as containing beautiful designs of birds, flowers and so on in the areas between the ribbing. The ceiling in the choir area has what is called "star vaulting" and it is believed that Madern Gaertner, the architect for the Kaiserdom and the Eschenheimer Turm, designed this around 1430.

In the choir area, are several beautiful frescos that range in age between 1440 and 1600, but unless someone is there to take you up there, they are hard to see. The 3 altars all date from the early 1500's and are very beautiful. The Flemish "Mary Altar", to the left of the choir, is exceptionally detailed and dates from 1480.

www.stleonhards.org/

The Frankfurt Kaiserdom, St. Bartholmews

2010-03-10T07:16:00.004+01:00

One of the stops on our daily walking tour, is the Kaiserdom, where we go inside and show you some of the treasured artwork of the church and tell you more of the history of this Imperial Cathedral.The Kaiserdom in Frankfurt is one of the cities most notable and famous landmarks for hundreds of years.. There are a lot of gorgeous churches in Germany, and there are certainly ones that are larger, but historically, we have the most important one. Why? Because this was where the German Kings and Emperors were elected and crowned for hundreds of years.

Major archaeological digs were carried out in the Kaiserdom and it was discovered that the first church was built here around 680 A.D. as the house chapel for the palace next door. This would have been where Charlemagne would have attended mass when he stayed in Frankfurt in 794. A larger church called St. Salvator was built on the same spot around 850. You can see the outlines of both of these churches, when you go inside the Dom.

The Kaiserdom suffered badly in a massive fire in 1867, but was quickly rebuilt. It also sustained extensive damage in the WWII, but the steeple itself, survived fairly unscathed. They did a very long restoration job on the steeple for almost 9 years, and finished in Sept. 2009. Hopefully in August, they will offer once again, the chance to climb to the top and look out over the city.

There are a lot of interesting treasures in the Dom and I recommend buying 1 of the small books describing them, for 3€ at the museum located near the main door. Entrance to the Dom itself is always free, except for concerts, and they do limit access during services. The organ is magnificent and one of the largest in Germany, so you might want to go to services there to hear it, or attend one of the many concerts held through-out the year. Short tours are held every day at 15:00 for 3 €, but they are in German. If you have a group, they will do one in English for 45 €. Friday is cleaning day, and they close the gates at the main entrance until around 15:00, but you can still see inside the church.

Some treasures to find on your own? The huge "Van Dyke" painting, the stone "Maria Schlaf" altar from 1434, the decorative wooden endpieces of the choir stalls, carved in 1352, the murals around the choir area from early 1400's, the crucifixion group by "Backofen" done in 1509 at the entrance, and many, many more. On Sundays, you can view the reliquary from St. Bartholomew (the top of his skull) over near the organ as the elaborate, ornate case is open and lit up. You can still go back into the Election Chapel most days, but it is a place of quiet and prayer.

If you visit the Dom during the week, you may see some school groups electing an Emperor and holding a coronation, followed with a procession down to the Römer, with blaring trumpets and all.

Frankfurt Dialog Museum

2010-02-20T21:38:00.003+01:00

Guest Post: A Visit to the Dialog Museum
by John Fisher

My wife and I were recently given a gift certificates to the Dialog Museum, which gave us the push we needed to finally visit this unique Frankfurt institution.

The Dialog Museum bills itself as "A museum without any collections, and an exhibition with nothing to see." In reality, the museum has three distinct parts: the "Dialog in the Dark," which is a tour that gives visitors the experience of being blind, the "Taste of Darkness," a restaurant where the food is served in total darkness, and the "Casino for Communication," where visitors can play games which allow you to "learn more about someone in an hour than you would in a year's worth of conversation."

We stuck with the tour, which begins with a museum employee handing you a walking stick (exactly like the ones used by the visually impaired) and a stern warning to turn off all mobile phones or anything which can produce light. A few quick instructions are given, and then you walk around a corner and into utter and total darkness. You can't see a thing, not even your hand in front of your face. This situation continues, without pause, for the next 60 minutes. The place is so dark that your eyes never adjust - the feeling of blindness is incredibly visceral, and it was a little unnerving at first. However, your tour guide for this experience is an actual blind person. The guide leads you through several sample environments, which include a forest, a city street, and a cafe. During the extended tour, there is also a simulated boat trip. With directions like "follow the wall" you cautiously move your way through the world, and simple things like crossing the street - or finding a mailbox - become quite an adventure. Along the way, your guide will answer your questions and give you more insight on what it is like to be visually impaired.

There are other surprises which await visitors (including difficulty with time perception), but generally the experience is a lot of fun and a severe detour from anything to which you are accustomed. The tour finishes with a drink in the cafe, and then it's all over and you have to re-enter the bright and familiar world.

Unfortunately, the tours are only offered in German, and the price is somewhat expensive (€13,50 for Adults, €9 Reduced, €6 Children) However, assuming you are not prone to panic attacks, I would highly recommend a you make a visit.

The Dialog Museum is open Tues-Fri from 9:00-17:00, and Sat-Sun from 11:00-19:00

Hanauer Landstraße 137-145
60314 Frankfurt am Main
Bookingline: 069 90 43 21 44 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 069 90 43 21 44 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Dialog Museum

Frankfurt Schirn Art Exhibition Hall

2010-02-20T11:35:00.005+01:00

The Schirn is one of Germany's most respected galleries, due to the fact that they have continually changing exhibitions of very high quality & popular artwork. Usually two different ones that overlap with the times that they are presented. Sometimes it is just one artist and other times a whole genre', such as Op Art.

If you are planning a trip to Frankfurt, a good idea is to check the Schirn website to see what will be on exhibit there during your visit. They offer guided tours in various languages. Many times a year, they stay open til midnight with casual discussion with students, with a bar and DJ in the foyer. There is also a wonderful art bookstore attached to the Schirn that you can enter anytime. The Schirn is very popular on the "Night of the Museums" held in April, so if you are attending this event, we advise you to get there early.

Opening hours are Tues. Fri. Sat.& Sun. 10 - 19:00
Wed. & Thur. 10 - 22:00
Entrance - 8 €
6 € for students, seniors, handicapped with accompaning assistance
Free for kids under 8 years
There are lockers for you bags and they will probably ask you to put your bag in one. Cost is 1 euro, but you get it back.

The Schirn is located directly next to the Kaiserdom and Römerplatz. Take the U-4 or U-5 and get off at Dom/Römer stop. With trams #11 or #12 get off at Römer/Paulskirche stop, or you can walk here from the Konstablerwache or Hauptwache stops. Just follow the steeple of the Kaiserdom.
www.schirn.de

Frankfurt Museum of Applied Arts

2010-02-20T09:58:00.002+01:00

The Museum of Applied Arts in Frankfurt or as it is called in German, Kunsthandwerk Museum, is a fairly large museum built in 1877, with a wide array of interesting objects and exhibits. I find the name - Applied Arts, does not sound exciting, but the collections inside are marvelous.

The different rooms cover various time periods and cultures going back 5000 years. There is an Oriental room, an Islamic room, a Western Europe room, and so on. Objects made of ivory, silver, porcelain, or glass, and beautifully carved tables and cabinets will surely make you go ooh and ahh. Some of the rooms deal with modern objects and are sorted into time periods. For those of us who grew up in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, this will bring back fond memories.

A visit to the Villa Metzlar, next door is accessed by a walkway on the 2nd floor. Built in 1804, the villa has been. wonderfully renovated with some of the coolest wallpaper I have ever seen. Containing unique and creative furniture in each room, this house is very pleasing to the eyes.

I would allow several hours at least to view this museum. The Featured Exhibitions, the opening hours and prices are on the website, which is in English. It is also air-conditioned which is a relief on hot days in Frankfurt.

www.angewandtekunst-frankfurt.de/mak_e/index.html

Frankfurt Archeology Museum

2010-02-20T09:00:00.005+01:00

The Frankfurt Archeology Museum is one of my favorites and not just because I wanted to be an archeologist when I was younger. Their exhibits are presented in an interesting fashion and the fact that the whole museum is in the Karmeliter Church and Cloister, dating back to the 1300's makes it even more fascinating. It truly is a beautiful space to show off all of the artefacts of the history of Frankfurt.

We walk past the Archeology Museum during our "Frankfurt on Foot" tours, on our way to the Karmeliter Cloister, so you will be able to find this easily after your tour is over.

It begins slowly with stone age tools, found in the East Harbor area of Frankfurt, moving up to Celtic items found in the Frankfurt City Forest, and then explodes with the myriad finds from the Romans. The Romans had an outpost watching the Main River located right in front of the Dom, as well as a huge garrison in the neighborhood of Heddernheim along the Nidda river, a villa in Nordwest Stadt and forts and fortifications all along the Taunus mountains. Seems like they left a ton of stuff behind and you can see it all in the museum. I especially like the huge stone carving dedicated to Mithra, who had quite a cult following among Roman soldiers. They have a lot of soldier artifacts, which should thrill any historian, along with a re-creation of a villa room that they found.

In the chapel area, the museum presents all the many finds from the first pre-middle age settlement located up on the Dom hill. The palace, the church, burial goods from a high-born, nameless little girl who died in 680 & found buried in the Dom and lots of other items from this era. Make sure to sit down and watch the video about the palace that was once located in front of the Dom beginning in 600's. It switches to English and it is amazing to watch the computer generated architecture. A bit of a mix between Christian and Pagan items can also be found here in this section. There is also a display of items from the Jewish Ghetto and in the Cloister section, row after row of pottery.

The museum is 2 blocks from the Römer, one street up from the river. Almost behind St. Leonhards.
Address is Karmelitergasse 1 Phone: (069) 212-35896
Hours: T,Th,Fr,S,Sun. 10:00-17:00 Mon.- Closed
Wed. 10:00-20:00

The website is outstanding and has some nice photos too to give you a sample of what awaits you. The museum offers concerts throughout the year, so check their website. They also offer workshops and lectures, though these will be in German. While you are there, make sure you go next door to the City Archives and view the Jörg Ratgeb frescos covering the walls of the Cloister. These were painted between 1513-1519 and are fascinating in their detail. It is free.
www.archaeologisches-museum.frankfurt.de

Stolper Stein or Stumble Stones

2010-02-20T08:37:00.003+01:00

As you walk around Frankfurt or any other large German city, you may see small brass cobblestones set into the sidewalk. These are Stolperstein or Stumblestones. They will have a persons' name on it, their birth date and execution date. These have been installed to commemorate individuals who were killed by the nazis. Germany has around 20,000 stones and Frankfurt has over 400, with more being installed each year. You may also find these stones in Austria, the Netherlands, and Hungary.

Keep your eyes open for these stones, and if you find one, you can look the person up on the website. Though it is in German, you can use a translation program like Babblefish, to read about these people. What really hits hard is when you find a whole group of these stumble stones together and realize the entire family was wiped out, or everyone in an entire apt. building.

We do stop at stumble stones during our "Frankfurt on Foot" walking tour and explain more about them. This is also an excellent stop to include on your private tour.
Stolperstein in Frankfurt

Museum for Communication in Frankfurt

2010-02-20T08:04:00.008+01:00

The Communication Museum in Frankfurt is a fun place for both kids and adults. It is fairly interactive and is set in a light and airy space that is pleasant to be in. Though all the exhibit explanations are in German, it is still interesting to go and see how the history of communication developed in the world. They offer audio guides at the entrance for an extra 2 euro.

The museum is divided into sections, beginning with the history of writing or using signals to communicate, like fire or smoke. It moves on to letters and the postal system, which in Germany began in 1490. Next comes the telegraph and they have some of the telegrams from the Titanic you can read, then of course the telephone, radio, television and the internet. I liked seeing the Enigma machine and the post coaches. They also have a Deutsche Post train car and a modern sorting machine. It wasn't until I went here that I discovered that the first television program began in Berlin in March,1935. Who knew? There is also a section showing communication in artworks which is kind of fascinating. What's not to like about a lobster phone? They have a lot of workshops for kids here, some are open to everyone where the kids can construct things but also private ones, as the museum seems to be quite popular for birthday parties.

The Museum is open: Tues.- Fri. from 09:00-19:00
Sat. Sun. and Holidays from 11:00-19:00

This museum is absolutely packed on the "Night of the Museums", so it is a popular place to go. Also a good place to stop during the Museums Ufer Fest. We will be happy to include this on your private tour, if Communications are one of your interests, and you would like translations of the exhibits.

I wish the website was in English, but it isn't. You can still take a look at it though to get a bit of an idea of what the museum looks like. Hope you enjoy your visit here as much as I always do.
Communication Museum

The Leather Museum in Offenbach

2010-02-20T07:58:00.004+01:00

The Leather Museum is one of the most unique museums in the Frankfurt area, and therefore a very interesting museum, no matter what your usual interests are. Perhaps the thought of looking at the "Shoes of the World" doesn't sound exciting, but when you actually see them, it becomes fascinating. They have these bizarre shoes from Italy that are 30 cm. high, really odd sandals from India, along with plenty of newer, freaky creations.

The museum is divided into 3 sections. The Shoe section, Ethnic groups, and Applied Arts. Their website is quite good at describing all of these along with a good slide show for each of them to give you a good idea about what is exhibited. The Ethnic section starts sounding interesting when you begin thinking about those cultures that depend almost completely on leather, like the Inuit or the Plains Indians. The American Cowboy is also featured - which is very unique for a European museum, as well as fascinating exhibitions from several cultures in Africa and Asia. They have a huge collection of rare shadow puppets from Thailand, India, China and Indonesia. I had never seen anything like these before. The Applied Arts section has not only beautiful and antique objects such as Napoleons briefcase, Goethes' hatbox and gorgeously worked leather boxes and books, but also a huge handbag collection both new and old. They have also included a small section on how leather is tanned and worked which is interesting in itself.

The Leather Museum is located in Offenbach, which is sort of a suburb of Frankfurt, but it is easy and quick to get there with the S-bahn. Take S-1,S-2,S-8,or S-9 and get off at the Offenbach Ledermuseum stop. Go out the exit direction Ludwigstrasse. The address is Frankfurter Strasee 86.
They are open Tues. thru Sun. from 10:00 - 17:00
Prices: Adults - 5 €, Kids 4 and up - 2 €, Seniors - 2.50 €, Families - 8 €

Great museum to come visit on the Night of the Museums. Ride the shuttle bus out here or take the S-bahn.

www.ledermuseum.de/DLM/frames_e/hfr_in_e.html

Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt

2010-02-20T07:38:00.002+01:00

I like the Museum of Modern Art a lot, and when they change exhibitions, I like to go and see what they have done. They first opened in 1991 and the building itself, better known as "the slice of cake" was designed by Viennese architect, Hans Hollein, who won the design competition. With over 4000 sq.m. of exhibition space and 40 different rooms of all sorts of shapes, sizes and styles, simply a walk through the building is interesting. The use of lighting, open windows from 1 room to the next, changing levels and an overlook view makes exploring the museum an adventure.

The museum has a large collection of works that they frequently switch out along with the twice annual change of exhibitions. This keeps everything fresh and allows for a different perspective on the collections. They really work on bridging a connection between everything presented. If you look at their website, they give a really good sampling of the works presented. One of their permanent exhibits though, is by Claes Oldenburg and I always like seeing it again. See if you can tell which one it is.
www.mmk-frankfurt.de/mmk_e/03_ausstellungen00_ix.html

It is one of the easiest museums to find, as it is almost directly in front of the Kaiserdom and 2 blocks from the Zeil. If you are on the Zeil, walk straight down the street from the white fountain directly to the Dom. Tram 11 or 12 go past it too. "Frankfurt on Foot" walks past this museum every day, so you will be able to easily find this again after your tour. .

They have free public tours on throughout the day, but they are in German. If you want to arrange a group tour in English, you will need to contact the museum at least 2 weeks ahead of time.
Opening hours: T,Th,Fr,Sat,Sun, 10:00 - 18:00
Wed 10:00 - 20:00
Prices: 8 € Adults
4 € Children, Students, Seniors, Military, Handicapped, Jobless
Last Saturday of each month entrance is FREE!

Dom Strasse 10
(49)(69) 212-30447

www.mmk-frankfurt.de/#

Eschenheimer Turm - Frankfurt Guard Tower

2010-02-20T07:34:00.002+01:00

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 gives a welcome look of history to Frankfurt. This is the Eschenheimer Turm (Tower). Lots of people think it is a reconstruction, but it isn't. It somehow 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" walking tour stops here every day, and we will be happy to include a visit to this historic site on your private 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 truly interesting, 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.

Fun Forests - Frankfurt & Rhein Main Area

2010-02-19T19:30:00.004+01:00

The name "Fun Forests" are a perfect description of what they are, forests where you get to go have fun. In German they are known by other names, so if you are going to other areas in Germany or Austria, you can look them up under Seil Garten, Kletter Wald, or just plain Fun Forest. They are popular all over Europe, so if you have teens, this is the absolute perfect day activity when they have had their fill of museums and sightseeing. I know the Netherlands and France also have similar fun forests.

The concept is basic. Pay your money, usually 15-18 euro for 3 hours, kids are less. Trainers show you how to put on your equipment, which consists of a body harness, 3 different cables with carabiners, and a helmet and then they show you how to use everything. It is all pretty easy and the 3 different places I have visited, all offered the training in English for those who didn't speak German. They start you on very simple, very low elements (1 meter above the ground) that go between the trees. Everyone has to do this while the trainer keeps watch and assists or answers questions. Most importantly, they emphasize that one always has to have one cable attached to the overhead cables at all times. You work with 2 cables, hook both, unhook one and move it, then unhook the 2nd one and move it. This way you are always connected and safe. After successfully completing the learner course, you are on your own!

All of the Forests have varied courses, from simple and low, just 1 meter above ground for young children (8-11)and very easy elements, graduating to ever higher and ever more difficult things to do. You might have to walk across a log, or a tightrope, or a net, or swinging tires, and all kinds of creative methods to go from place to place. Everyone's favorite seems to be the elements where you get to hook your rolling carabiner to the cable and, whoosh, you are whizzing down a Zip Line. It is amazing to watch people on the really high (17 meter) courses.

Different Forests have different rules about children, so it is wise to check the websites. A certain height will be needed and under a certain age they will need to have an adult with them. Many of the Forests have birthday party and group discounts available. Some of them have gloves for you to use or to purchase cheaply, but if you have your own bike gloves, bring them, you will be glad you did. I can't imagine doing this course without the gloves. Decent shoes. comfortable clothes and a touch of confidence are all you need then for a day of exciting fun.

Kletterwald is very easy to get to by public transportation and is near Bad Homburg
www.kletterwalk-taunus.de

The Fun Forest in Offenbach is also fairly easy to get to with the S-bahn and bus.
www.funforest.de/

Neroberg in Wiesbaden and a 2nd location near Darmstadt.
www.kletterwald-neroberg.de/fotos.html

Last but not least, a link to the Netherlands too.
www.funforest.nl/?lan=english

Frankfurt Zoo

2010-02-19T10:48:00.002+01:00

The Zoo in Frankfurt is not only extremely popular, it is also one of the oldest zoos in Europe and the 2nd oldest in Germany, first opening in 1858. After the war, it was decided that the Zoo was too small for elephants, so they were all moved to the Opel Zoo, near Kronberg. Today, it has around 5,000 animals of 500 different species. They have worked extensively to build more natural habitats for the animals and it is a pleasant place to spend the afternoon.

One of the most interesting buildings, is the Exotarium with its' insect section. It is fascinating watching the bees work, or trying to find the "walking sticks" among the branches in their habitat, or the cool creepiness of the spiders. If you have brave children, they might enjoy the snake feeding days. Another good building is the bird aviary with free flying birds or the Night House with all of the nocturnal animals. Of course, the seals seem to win a lot of attention, and it is fun to go undergrond and watch them swimming under water. I like the giraffes a lot and they always seem to have a baby each year. The ape house, like in every Zoo, is always interesting for just about anyone in the family.

Open every day in the summer from 09:00 - 20:00
in the winter from 09:00 - 17:00
The season is determined from when they change the clocks in fall and spring.

Prices: 8 € - Adults
4 € - Children 6 to 17 & students with ID. Kids under 6 are Free
20 € - Family card (2 adults, all kids)
6 € and 3 € on the last Saturday of the month

How to get there? Take the U-6 or U-7 from the Hauptwache or Konstablerwache and get off at the Zoo stop. Or take the Tram # 14 which stops in front of the zoo. If it is a nice day, you can walk there if you go straight down the Zeil, staying on that street until it runs into the Zoo. Takes about 10 min. from the Konstablerwache.

Grüneburg Park Frankfurt

2010-02-19T09:07:00.005+01:00

Grüneburg Park in Frankfurt is one of the most popular and largest parks in Frankfurt. Located right next to the Palmen Garten in the Westend, this 75 acres of meadows and huge shady trees, looks and feels lush and welcoming. The land was once owned by the Rothschild family, but has been owned and maintained by the city since 1935. It has a couple of marvellous, hidden gems in it.

Located on one side of the park is a beautiful jewel of a church. This is the Greek Orthodox church, "Hagios Georgios". As you can see from the photo, it has a unique stone and brickwork style along with some gorgeous mosaics around its' outside walls. The golden domes on the roof contrast nicely with all the green trees surrounding the church. Unfortunately it is not open to the public to go inside. I am sure you would be welcome at their service.

Visible from the same path, are the Korean Pavilions. These were donated and built by Korea as a gift to Frankfurt in 2005. This was the year that Korea was the featured guest at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Since Korea and Germany share the same sort of history of being divided countries, it is fitting that the cultures share with each other. Frankfurt is home to a fairly large community of Koreans too, more than 6000. The Pavilion area is peaceful, with the temples sitting on a small pond and with benches surrounding it, making it a nice place to sit and read a book.

Grüneburg Park has lots of playgrounds for the kids, a jogging track all the way around, a unique looking hexagonal shaped cafe, and plenty of space for frisbee, kicking a soccer ball around, or just laying around sunbathing. (a few people might be sunbathing in their birthday suits, so don't be shocked)

You can reach the park by taking bus #32, which stops right in front of the park, or by taking U-6, U-7 and getting off at Westend and then walking straight down Siesmayer Strasse.

We would be happy to include visiting this park on your private tour.

Classical Music Concerts in Frankfurt

2010-02-19T07:50:00.001+01:00

For all those Fans of classical music, you are in the right city. The Alte Oper has a full schedule, with various orchestras and groups playing on almost a daily basis and many of the churches offer concerts too. If you have a trip scheduled to Frankfurt in 2010, you can look to see who is playing and book your tickets in advance. They have all kinds of different concert series, for example in 2010 there will be a Mozart violin series.This year is Bachs 350th Birthday, so many of the churches will be having Back concerts.

The Kaiserdom has one of the largest organs in Germany, so coming here for a concert is quite special. They usually do not play much in the summer though. Find dates here on their link
http://www.domkonzerte.de/

I have been to some smaller concerts at the Alte Nikolai and have been thrilled with the wonderful acoustics. Their list of events are here: Alte Nikolai

The Liebfrauen Church presents many concerts as does the Drei König Church.
http://www.liebfrauen.net/
Drei König Church

Unique Frankfurt Cafes - Lala Mamoona

2010-02-19T07:21:00.001+01:00

Lala Mamoona is one of the prettiest and most unique cafes I have ever been in. Having walked by it on a number of occasions and always remarking on its unusual architecture, I finally walked in one day. Now the outside is very special in its style, but the inside is so very pretty. Chatting with the owner, he began telling me about the transformation of this little building and then brought me an album of photos to show me what they had done. Wow, is about all I can say. Believe it or not, this was once a "Klo haus" or in English, a toilet house. Built in 1906, it was closed down and abandoned in the 70's. It sat here neglected and infested with pigeons until just a few years ago. Then the owner started to work some magic which included hundreds of hours of disgusting, hard, dirty work to clean up after the pigeons and well, to be frank, change it from a toilet house into a cafe. Total success are the words that come to mind here.

Located on Zeil 1A, which is the street that extends down from the Konstablerwache and is just a few blocks from the Zoo, Lala Mamoona sits on the edge of the park that surrounds the city center. It is a lovely place to sit and have coffee or a mint tea made with real peppermint leaves. Seating is available outside under umbrellas, on a 2nd floor terrace or at a small area inside. Evenings after 1800, they offer sort of a Moroccan - Lebanese tapas variety. This looked so fresh and wonderful the other day when I was there, but we were a bit short on time and didn't order anything. It is high on my list for a place to dine in the near future though. The staff all speak English and are very friendly.

This truly has to be one of the most unique cafes in the city! You will be pleasantly surprised and amazed when you see it. Make sure to ask to see the photo album of the renovation. If the owner is there, he will probably be glad to sit and tell you of his passion for turning this poor neglected building into a true gem.

Open 7 days a week: 11:00 - 02:00
www.lalamamoona.de

5 Elements Hostel in Frankfurt

2010-01-31T17:28:00.001+01:00

The 5 Elements is Frankfurts' newest hostel. They have taken one of the wonderful, turn of the century buildings in the Hauptbahnhof quarter and renovated it beautifully. It is only a 2 minute walk from the train station, so very easy to find and close to public transportation. Though located on the Mosel Strasse in the red light district, it still feels safe walking there. 5 Elements is rated highly on Trip Advisor and recommended by Rick Steves in his Germany 2010 book

The first time I walked in here, I was truly amazed at how nicely decorated this hostel was. They have been stylish and quite creative in their use of colors, lights, and furnishings and they have really put a lot of thought into what their guests want and need. I immediately wanted to rent the roof flat or one of the private rooms.

Having been there quite often, I can honestly say all the staff have been very helpful and friendly with the guests, it is always clean, the lobby is full with people on their computers, playing chess, having a coffee or just chatting. Great, chill music is always playing, but not so loud that people cannot chat with each other. They have activities every night of the week, so there is no chance of you being bored or wishing you could meet new friends. Things like Quizz Night, Movie Night, trips over to Sachsenhausen or to the Jazz Keller are just a few examples. The reception is open 24/7 so no worry about getting locked out. Laundry facilities are available as is internet, a billiard table is in the basement, and they have lockers for your bags. It is of course non-smoking. Free WLAN is a huge plus point, as is the all you can eat breakfast from 07:30 til 12 for only 4€. They even have laptops to borrow.

A nice feature is that their booking site contains a calendar that will tell you when prices are higher, so that you can book when a big trade fair is not in town. They are pretty busy there all the time and though they do try to hold a bed or two open for walk-ins, they do recommend a reservation.

As a guest of the 5 Elements Hostel, you can buy tickets to the Frankfurt on Foot tours for only 9 euro! We often ask our tour guests how they like the 5 Elements Hostel and without hestitation, they all say it is one of the nicest hostels they have ever stayed in and usually make a comment about how friendly the staff is.

Oh, and if you are ever downtown and want a delicious "Real Ice Tea" or a "Real Iced Coffee", and I mean without ice cream in it, stop in to the 5 Elements, and indulge yourself in one of these tasty, ice cold drinks. I guarantee you will be back, again and again.

www.5elementshostel.de

Where To Find Free Wi-Fi in Frankfurt

2010-01-31T10:06:00.002+01:00

In our modern world of today, many people bring their laptops or notebooks with them while they travel and of course are looking for a place to use them that is free. Many of the hotels offer free wi-fi, but it seems the nicer the hotel, the more expensive the internet gets. Odd isn't it? Both of the downtown hostels offer it for free, so you can sit in their lobby areas, buy a coffee or a drink and check your mails. 5 Elements has the nicest lobby and they do some delicious drinks there, plus play decent music in the background.

Here are a few other places where you can go.
* Coffee Fellows - on Kaiserstrasse 14, near the Mercedes Building.
* World Coffee - Grueneburg Weg 9, and Kaiserstrasse 10
* O'Reillys Pub - directly across from the Hauptbahnhof
* Cantina Mescal - Schweizer strasse 77 in Sachsenhausen
* Starbucks - get 1 free hour with a purchase in participating locations

Ask for the password when you buy your drink or snacks.

A much better option is to buy a monthly pass from the T-Mobile website for 39.99 euro. This will let you have access to dozens and dozens of hotspots in town (restaurants, cafes, pub, hotels, etc.) and make life just a little bit easier during your travels through Germany. If you have an i-phone, it will allow you access to wifi, but not data roaming.
T-Mobile Info

Great German Restaurants in Frankfurt

2010-01-31T09:28:00.003+01:00

The most popular question on our tours? Where can we get some good, traditional German food?

Having lived in Frankfurt for quite a long time, I have visited lots of German style restaurants. Many of them are in the Useful Links section. Today, I will review 3 of them that I find to be outstanding and good value too.

Malepartus - Since we live in Bornheim and right around the corner from Malepartus, it has become the birthday, Mothers Day, and anniversary restaurant not because it is so convenient, but simply because they have fantastic food. I love their Grüne Sosse and their schnitzels are huge (see photo) and taste as delicious as they look. They always havethis tangy sweet, fresh pressed apple juice, that is just like drinking an apple. Yummy! The staff is consistently friendly and efficient, the decor is traditional German, and they source much of their menu from local farms in Hessen. They also offer a seasonal menu, goose for St. Martins day for example.

Schöne Müllerin - Another Bornheim restaurant! What a great neighborhood to live in. Great outdoor seating with awnings in case of rain, and the inside has that cosy, old German look to it. The wait staff is attentive, the food is great, especially their apple ring dessert. I have never had anything like this, but it was absolutely fabulous. On our last visit there, we liked it so much, we ordered a 2nd portion! The prices here are really decent. Almost everything was under 10 € and I enjoyed my Grüne Sosse a lot too. (as you can see, this, along with a schnitzel is my measuring stick for a good Frankfurt style restaurant)

Dauth-Schneider - Don't let the odd name fool you, this place rocks when it comes to delicious Frankfurt & German style food. Located in the Sachsenhausen Applewine Pub district, they have traditionally decorated indoor seating and tons of outdoor seating. We were there on a Tues. night and they had a large, friendly wait staff bustling around taking care of an amazingly busy restaurant considering it was a week night. Once I saw the beautifully prepared, gigantic portions being delivered to neighboring tables, I knew this was a place I was going to visit again, just to try everything on the menu and so I have dined here at least 30 times. Really good prices too. The food tastes as excellent as it looks, proving you CAN judge a book by its cover occasionally. We sometimes end up here after our Frankfurt on Foot daily tour, if everyone is hungry and wants to come to Sachsenhausen. Just give a shout-out if you want to come over here too.

Other notable restaurants in Bornheim - Apfelwein Solzer and Zur Sonne, both have lovely applewine gardens for dining outside, and very traditional decor for dining inside, as both are very old Bornheim restaurants, dating back to the early 1700's.

If you would like to come to one of these restaurants to eat during your private tour, please let us know, and we will be happy to bring you to one of them.

Guten Apetit!

British Food Products in Frankfurt

2010-01-15T11:17:00.004+01:00

This post is for all of my British readers here in Frankfurt, who are longing for a taste of home, but can't make it back over the English channel right now.

The "Taste of Britain" store is right around the corner, (about 2 blocks) from the Metropolis Movie Theater, and is located on Oeder Weg 34. Though it is a little store, they carry quite a few products. The store also has a stand at the huge "Schiller Strasse Market" every Friday. Great place to buy crisps in other flavors besides the ubiquitous paprika flavor that one finds everywhere in Germany.

"Taste of Britain" also has an online store and if you want products to use for Christmas or New Years, make sure you get your orders in early.

Taste of Britain Online Store

For those of you from Australia, there is the "Australian Shop" over on Berliner Strasse. Though not nearly as comprehensive as the "Taste of Britain" store is, I have had people on our walking tour, who have been traveling around Europe for many weeks, practically swoon with ecstasy after I have taken them there. Funny how those little tasty treats have such permanent places in our hearts and always mean home when you taste them.
The Australian Shop

Shopping Malls in Frankfurt

2010-01-15T08:12:00.002+01:00

Frankfurt has several large shopping malls that are easy to get to with public transportation. Hessen Center, Nordwest Zentrum, Zeil Galerie, and My Zeil. There is another one farther outside of town called Main Taunus Zentrum, but it is harder to get to.

* My Zeil is the newest mall to open (Feb.2009) and one of the most unusual. Lots of people taking pictures, both inside and out. Huge, fitness center on the top floor, a kids play area that charges an entry fee, quite a few restaurants, and lots of fashion stores. For electronic needs, make sure to visit Saturn, as they have decent prices and a huge store space. Kids love the Lego store here!

* Zeil Galerie is a spiral shaped mall that is right on the Zeil, Frankfurts big shopping street. It also has a great viewing platform outside, that is perfect for taking photos, especially at sunset or during Christmas. Weekdays and Saturdays during store opening hours, you can also walk directly across from this platform to the outside seating area of the Kaufhof restaurant. Most of the stores in here cater to the younger, funkier crowd. The escalators are kind of cool though, as is the transparent elevator. Presently, the entire mall is being renovated, so many stores are closed. As soon as I know the updates to the status of this mall, I will post it.

* Hessen Center is your basic shopping mall with 3 floors. Take the U-7 from the Hauptwache direction Bergen-Enkheim, and it stops right in front of the mall. Most of the big department stores have branches here, Kaufhof, H&M, Karstadt, etc.

* Nordwest Zentrum is about the same as Hessen Center, but a bit more open and sunny due to the huge skylights. Take the U-1 from the Hauptwache, direction Ginnheim and the train stops at the mall at an underground stop.

Christmas Markets in Germany

2009-12-25T21:33:00.005+01:00

I love being down in the atomosphere of the Christmas market here in Frankfurt. The Frankfurt on Foot walking tour does of course visit the market as the Meeting Point is right there. One of my favorite things to do is to watch the little kids walk up, their eyes getting all big, and sometimes they are truly jumping for joy, they are so excited. Now, if there is just a touch of snow to make it extra special. See you at the market!

Here is an excellent website with lots of Christmas Markets:
www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/index.htm

This website is quite good with lots of markets being held in castles and small towns. Though in German, it will give you towns and dates.
www.weihnachtsmarkt-deutschland.de/burgweihnachtsmarkt.html

Impressum

2009-12-24T17:50:00.001+01:00

Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours
Owners: Jodean and David Ator
Wittelsbacher Allee 135
Tax # 12 318 31178

Our Mobile Phone - Calling from outside of Germany +49 1520 846 4200
or from inside Germany with a German mobile - 01520 8 46 4200

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Christmas Nativity or Krippen in Frankfurt

2009-12-01T16:10:00.000+01:00

One of the things we do on our regular walking tours and on our private tours too, if guests are interested, is to visit some of Frankfurts oldest churches. During the Christmas season, you have the chance to see some very beautiful, and very old nativity scenes that these churches begin setting up during Advent. Keeping with old traditions, they add figures as the weeks go by, all the way up to 6 Jan. when the 3 Kings arrive. They then stay up for a while longer, but the dates will vary at each church.There is a collection box in each of the churches for people to donate money to help defray the costs of the restoration and upkeep of their Krippe.

St. Leonhards - This Nativity or "Krippe" as it is called in Germany, dates from the middle of the 1700's and was created in Naples. At this time period, Naples was producing 1000's of these figures, employing about 5000 artists and it is estimated that they made between 1-2 million figures. The Krippe show street scenes with average street people and have all the little items that go along with it. St. Leonhards acquired this Krippe in 2001 and it was a very poor shape. They have spent a fortune to get it restored, each of the 3 Kings cost over 10,000 euros each!. The cloth of Mary's robe is 100 year old Indian silk, and all of the embroidery and clothing on the other figures are of course hand sewn and historically accurate. One fact I found fascinating is that baby Jesus is laid on linen and not straw and has a serious face. This is to give the idea of what is to come later in his life. He is also shown in a position of arms spread out, to re-inforce this idea.

Teutonic Order of Knights Church (Deutsche Orden) - Consisting of about 120 figures, this Krippe is the largest and most elaborate in Frankfurt. Every year it seems to grow larger. They do not present it for viewing until 24 Dec., the 3 Kings arrive on 6 Jan. and it stays up 4 weeks total. It sort of took my breath away when I walked in to see it as it does look very different than anything I had ever seen before.

If you are booking a private tour during the Christmas season, please let us know if you would like to see these Nativity Scenes.


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