A Guide to 72 Hours in Frankfurt
I was born and raised in Frankfurt. As my uncle would say, I am a real “Frankfurter Würstchen”. Whenever I meet someone for the first time, they always make the same comment after I tell them where I am from: “Oh wow, I have been to the airport!”.
In this guide, I will show you that Frankfurt is so much more than its huge airport. It is the kind of city that you fall in love with overtime. It’s not ravishing and beautiful, nor huge (we barely have 750,000 thousand citizens), but it is quite unique. It has many facets – a big art scene and the biggest skyline in Germany that is continuously growing and creates a beautiful city escape. More and more people are starting to move to Frankfurt and its beautiful suburbs which are just a 20 minute drive outside of the city.
I hope that this guide will help anyone that is ready to travel to one of the more unconventional holiday places, and hopefully you will learn to love this quirky city as much as I do!
Before we start, here is a small quick tip: Frankfurt is a small city, I usually walk through it or take my bicycle, but the train and tram system are also fantastic, so don’t be scared when you see what I got planned for us since the mobility will not be a problem at all! Secondly, I would try to get a hotel or Airbnb close to the city centre. I have listed a few at the end of this guide that I have only heard good things about!
DAY 1
Apfelwein Wagner
Let’s get started. Once you arrive to beautiful Frankfurt, you should take time to settle in before you hit the road for an evening of the finest local cuisine. If you ask any person that was raised in Frankfurt what is the most traditional food, there can only be one right answer: “Grie Soß and Appelwei”. Grie Soß, also known as green sauce, is a cold mixture of seven herbs that creates a aromatic experience, you usually eat it with a Schnitzel or boiled eggs with fried potatoes, and on the side you drink an “Appelwei”, which is basically a German version of an apple cider that is super flavourful and quite frankly a huge tradition for us. This is why you have to try this local meal the first day you arrive, why not dive into our culture right away, am I right? Sachsenhausen is where you go if you want to find a meal like this. It is an area in Frankfurt on the opposite side of the river bank that still looks like Germany in the olden days – the chequered half-timbered houses, the wooden beams and old village gloom. There are two great “Appelwei Kneipen” as we Frankfurters would call them located here. Apfelwein Wagner, which is a classic and quite famous in Frankfurt, and Zum Lahmen Esel.
After dinner, if you are in the mood for some drinks, it is time to go to a bar for an after-dinner-drink, and there is no better way to get there than a nice walk across the river and into the city centre! The skyline at night is gorgeous and reminds me of a tiny Manhattan, this is why we sometimes joke and call Frankfurt “Mainhattan” since it’s located at the river Main. You will cross the most famous bridge in Frankfurt called “Eisener Steg”, this gives you one of the best views onto the skyline and is perfect for an evening stroll. The final destination is The Kinley Bar (pictures are above), close to the main train station. A little warning beforehand, the area around the main train station is not the finest or best of Frankfurt, but non the less some of the best places to eat and drink are located here!
DAY 2
It is officially your first full day in Frankfurt, and I hope that you will have the luck of seeing Frankfurt during the summer, so that you can wake up to a beautiful, warm and fresh morning! Today, you will see what Frankfurt has to offer culturally first, so you will start you morning by grabbing a coffee at Elaine’s Deli right in the heart of the banking district. You can grab it to go or sit down and eat it with a piece of cake, or if you are feeling like having something healthy, you can go for an açai bowl.
Altstadt
After a delicious breakfast, you will walk toward the Römerberg, which is one of the oldest monuments and buildings in Frankfurt, and has been the Frankfurt City Administration since the 15th century. From here, you can walk around the medieval Altstadt (old town) that has just been restored. It catapults you into a different era and really embodies German tradition. Located at the same town square is the famous Museum Schirn Kunsthalle, which always has amazing exhibitions (one of my all-time favourites being Gerhard Richter’s). After enjoying a tour around the museum, you should walk towards the riverside, the Main. Once you cross the river you will find yourself at the beginning of the Museum Mile, which is famous for stretching down the main and having museum after museum lined up behind each other. I would recommend going to the Städel!
Bar Shuka
For lunch time, you have to visit the restaurant Lohninger, which is right around the corner and has the most amazing food. The chef creates a magnificent cheese ravioli and miso-salmon that literally makes my heart melt. This is the place I force my parents to take me too whenever I am back home, believe me it is a must! After that, you can continue the Museum Mile or you can take a break for the afternoon, cause your night will be packed!
In the evening, I would recommend going to Bar Shuka. It has an amazing Israel restaurant and bar located in the 25Hours Levis Hotel. Its little courtyard, the great food and vibes really demonstrate one of Frankfurt’s biggest hidden gems. After dinner, you can always go to their roof top where you can grab a drink. If you are lucky, a DJ will be playing some tunes and you can watch the sundown while being in the midst of the Frankfurt skyline. If you are not ready for your night to end after this, I would recommend going to The Parlour a bar which is quite famous in Frankfurt and especially a lot of young people have recently started going there due to great DJ sets, amazing drinks and the nice location. This is definitely a good choice for a wild evening!
25Hours Levis Hotel
DAY 3
Alte Oper
It is a new day and I hope your night was as fun as I imagine! Today, you should go for a nice walk that shows you a bit more sides of Frankfurt. I would start with the Alte Oper, which is Frankfurt’s oldest opera house and a common spot for people to meet up and drink wine in the evening. From here, I would walk towards The Kleinmarkt Halle, which is basically a food court and has many different grocery stores and small food stands inside. On the weekend, it’s usually full and people meet for coffee there in the morning. Grab a coffee and take a walk around the court, it’s very local and maybe you’ll find some great spices or souvenirs.
Eat Doori
After your morning walk, I would grab lunch at Aroma which is located on the Öderweg. It has the best falafel in town: cheap, flavourful and amazing, a secret tip from me! After that, I would spend the rest of the day walking along the main towards the ECB, which is a beautiful scenic walk and the perfect balance to yesterday’s cultural shock. Once you arrive at the ECB, there is a restaurant located right at the Main called Oosten. It is super nice to sit on their terrace in the afternoon and to watch the sun whilst enjoying a coffee or an Aperol. At night, there are two choices of restaurants I would recommend to you their located right opposite of each other. Either Vipho, a Vietnamese place that makes amazing Pho, or Eat Doori, an incredible contemporary Indian place with great Curry. If you’re not too tired form the day, you should grab a chill drink afterwards. It has always a great mood, fun music and good drinks!
DAY 4
Cafe Glauburg
Today is your last day, and by now you have already seen a lot of Frankfurt, so I will recommend something very classical. You should grab breakfast at Café Sießmayer, which is nowadays almost always frequented by old people and families, but it is one of the oldest coffeehouses in Frankfurt and famous for being located at the Palmengarten – Frankfurt’s most beautiful park. It has a botanical garden and is located right in the core of Westend, the west side of the city. If you want to take a walk through the park after, I would recommend it, and if you are lucky, in the summer they have a paddleboat rental right in the midst of it which is very romantic!
Alternatively, if you want something a bit more upbeat, I would recommend starting your morning on Glauburg Street, which is a very young part of town and you can grab a big and classical German breakfast at Cafe Glauburg. Later, you should walk towards the Bergerstraße, a street known for its myriad shops and restaurants. The vibe is very student-like and a lot of young families live here, and is perfect to go shopping and exploring a bit more! Additionally, I would recommend having a late lunch at Berger Streetfood, it has the best sushi rolls in town and super juicy and refreshing lemonades, it is definitely a must have!
Cafe Glauburg