Our guide to some of the best things to do in and around Frankfurt am Main. From seasonal activities to one day trips.
Berger Strassenfest
Food, drinks and live music during a whole weekend as the weather gets warm in the heart of Frankfurt’s Berger Strasse. One of the city’s best street festivals if you ask us!
You will find all sorts of stalls offering German festival-food-favorites like curry wurst and fries, Spanish paellas, Indian specialties like samosas and tandoori chicken, and of course all the drinks you can think of. From ‘erdbeerebowle’ strawberry punch to beer, wine and Brazilian cocktails.
Staedel Museum
One of Germany’s most famous art institutions, the Staedel Museum is the pride and glory of many Frankfurters.
It boasts an impressive collection of classic and modern art, and since February 2012, an extraordinary underground extension constructed under the museums gardens, invisible from the outside but displaying a vast collection of contemporary art on the inside, lit by the nearly 200 skylights ‘cut’ through the ceiling. Quite spectacular.
If you dig into the story of how the museum came to be and how it is run today, you enter the world of Frankfurter bankers, wealthy donors and their desire to bring beautifying art to this city of finance.
Palmengarten
A must-see for anyone living in or visiting the city, Frankfurt’s Botanical Garden, the Palmengarten, is truly a green gem.
In the city’s Westend neighbourhood, it’s a perfect place to visit in Frankfurt especially during Spring or Summer. You’ve got the various greenhouses with different climates from all over the world, the pond full of fishes and turtles where you can rent a rowing boat
Main River Bicycle Route
Finally, Spring!
One of the best things Frankfurt has to offer is it’s surroundings, so if you’re looking to make the most out of the city on the weekends we suggest you grab a bike and enjoy one of it’s many nearby cycling routes.
What started off for us as a morning bike ride along the Main river from Frankfurt’s Sachsenhausen neighbourood, ended up as a 27km trip to the neighbouring city of Hanau, two and a half hours later.
Heidelberg
Heidelberg is one of the best one-day trips from Frankfurt am Main you can enjoy if you’re looking to visit a small old town with picturesque landscapes.
Around an hour away both by car or by train, the old town of Heidelberg is as charming as can be. It lies on the river Neckar, with Heidelberg Castle dominating the views.
Apfelwein Solzer
One of the city’s most authentic Frankfurter Apfelwein restaurants, Apfelwein Solzer is a great place to go if you’re looking for a fun meal and a truly German atmosphere.
In Bornheim’s Berger Strasse, Solzer’s has friendly staff, very reasonable prices (for €10,90 you get for example any of their 5 different types of yummy wiener schnitzel with bratkartoffeln and a side salad) and a great selection of beer and wines by the glass.
Goethe Institut
If you’re relocating to Frankfurt and don’t speak German, word of advice: learn it. Yes, most people speak a bit of English in the city and a very reduced number of companies have English as their corporate language, but if you want to dive even if only a little bit into German culture and not feel like a complete outsider, learning the language is the first and most important step.
The Goethe Institut is considered to be Frankfurt’s best German language school. The most renowned German cultural institution worldwide, it’s a bit pricier than most other options, but it has the most qualified teachers and delivers the best results.
Senckenberg Natural History Museum
The Senckenberg Natural History Museum is Germany’s largest museum of natural history.
A great place to go and spend a few hours in (especially during Frankfurt’s cold and rainy winter days), it’s thousands of exhibits will educate and entertain both kids and adults. It has everything from dinosaur skeletons to Egyptian mummies, stuffed animals, fossils and rocks.
Schloss Johannisberg
Want to impress family and friends who are paying you a visit in Frankfurt? Schloss Johannisberg is our #1 pick.
A historic landmark of Germany’s wine industry, it’s also one of the countries oldest wineries producing riesling wine for over 900 years. When visiting the estate you can take a guided wine tasting tour around their candle lit cellar and 86 acres of vineyards, or have lunch at their Gutsschänke Restaurant, overlooking the vineyards and the river Rhein and offering delicious regional cuisine.
Frankfurt Flea Market
Frankfurt’s best Flea Market is without a doubt the one held every second Saturday in the shore of the river Main, in Sachsenhausen‘s Shaumainkai street.
With a fabulous view of Frankfurt’s skyline in the background, it’s a great place to stroll on a Saturday morning (it’s held from 9am to 2pm).
