Erm, I actually do not know what to say about Frankfurt! I mean, it is a city, it is a metropolitan, it is the economic powerhouse of Germany and Europe! As I mentioned previously, Frankfurt is a city that I come along very much, it is my favourite airline hub in Europe, it is a city that I have step foot in 3 times in the whole of my trip. Besides being an economic hub, it is also home to the Germany Transportation hub with its Hauptbahnhof and the Flughafen International Airport. While I had to stop by Frankfurt to check out the city after all, since I am passing by. It has a combination of skyscrapers and old school european feel. I was totally expecting Frankfurt to be more of a checkoff and move on but in fact there is more than lies in wait.
I have decided to just simply spend a day in Frankfurt which I feel was sufficient enough! Oh, for those who are interested as well, Frankfurt shopping district is pretty awesome, so if buying branded is one of your things to do, it is pretty perfect, since Frankfurt is the main hub for international flights, shopping should be and can be your last stop before flying off. I was staying near the Central Station, which was around a 15 mins walk to the main central area which the famed Romer is located. It is sure pretty awesome to see some skyscrapers after being in Europe for about a month. I think the last time I saw these fancy buildings were in Brussels European district but neither were they this tall too.
One of the must visit in Frankfurt, as mentioned earlier, was the Romer area. I would say that it is the main central square of Frankfurt as well. The Romer is a medieval building, in fact I think a series of building, around the same area. It has been for existence for more than 600 years, when the city hall moved here. This area, I would also said it as the most gorgeous in Frankfurt! It is extremely nice, although pretty hard to get it on photos. Sometimes, certain stuffs are nicer in person! I am thankful to have such great skies and weather in Frankfurt. It isn’t too cold as well which is perfect! Sadly the Romer has a little renovation which cause certains area to be barricade up. As usual my “Hi, I am sorry, can you help me take a picture” goes to work a couple times which results in these pictures!
Located next to the Romer area would be the Main River which passes by thru Frankfurt and the ever famous century old iron bridge, Eiserner Steg! For those who prefer a slower pace of life, you may also take a boat cruise on the Main and there are many companies who offer a cruise right by the river. The Eiserner is pretty charming to me. It is not as famous as other bridges in the world but certainly worthy, and yes, you can find love locks on it as well.
Along both side of the river is also a lush of greens. It is a lovely part of the city and you can frequently see the locals having their daily dose of exercise and also kids running around. It is kind of nice to have a stroll after my heavy lunch here. You can also get a peak of the Cathedral that towers over the surrounding. The gothic style cathedral sure adds up to the skyline. I am not sure if I have ever mentioned this, but, if there is a place that I would like to migrate to, Frankfurt would be one of my top choice. It has a good quality and standard of living. It is definitely one of the more wealthy and clean part of the country and the people here have good command of english. Furthermore there are many expats and opportunities to get a job. It is kind of a mix of old school Europe and chic skyscrapers, incase I get bored of all the traditional sites. It is also in central Europe with easy access to everywhere.
I also had a brief walk around town for some window shopping and also the opera house. The opera house was pretty nice. As mentioned, Frankfurt is a shopping haven if you ask me. You can find any of the brands here and there are also shopping centres right in town, which is such a rarity in this part of the world. The shopping area here is also a fave for meetings and street performance. It was certainly happening with yoga and fire involved.
Another place that I believe worth a mentioned is the Kleinmarkthalle! Everyones knows that Seeing The World In Steps loves all kind of markets. Frankfurt is no different! On my last day I was up bright and early to check out the Kleinmarkthalle, which is the main market in Frankfurt! There were many stores selling all sort of product. From fresh meat, fish to vegetables and fruits. As per the norm, everything look so fresh in markets in Europe. There were bakery and wine stores as well. Most of the fishmongers are located on the second floor. A couple of stalls were selling cooked food as well, with a stall that specialised in boiled sausages receiving most acclaim! It is worth a walk here.
All in all, I kind of like Frankfurt, while I don’t find it very beautiful or a must go or like some best place in Europe. It is a place that kind of have a balance? Following on, I will be embarking on the second part of my trip, checking out many spots in Italy!
Seeing The World In Steps 